JP2012144017A - Liquid storage container and liquid injection system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique to reduce probability of flowing in of the liquid to an air communication path in a liquid storage container disposed at the outside of a liquid injection device.SOLUTION: The liquid storage container includes a liquid storage chamber for storing the liquid, an air storage chamber for storing the air, a liquid communication path for communicating the liquid storage chamber with the air storage chamber, an air communication path having an air chamber opening communicating the air storage chamber with the outside, and a liquid filling opening for filling the liquid to the liquid storage chamber. The air chamber opening is disposed at a predetermined interval in a liquid supplying attitude in the vertical direction from a first part and a second part respectively, and disposed at a predetermined interval in a liquid filling attitude in the vertical direction from a third part and a fourth part respectively.

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid storage container and a liquid ejection system including the liquid storage container.

  A printer that is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus performs printing by ejecting ink from a recording head onto a recording object (for example, printing paper). As a technique for supplying ink to a recording head, a technique is known in which ink is supplied from an ink tank arranged outside a printer to a recording head via a tube (for example, Patent Document 1). This type of ink tank has a liquid inlet for injecting ink into the interior, and an air communication path for introducing air into the ink tank according to ink consumption. One end of the air communication path is located inside the ink tank.

JP-A-2005-219383

  Here, this type of ink tank may take various attitudes different from the ink supply attitude when supplying ink to the printer. For example, when ink is injected into the ink tank, the posture is different from the ink supply posture. In addition, various postures are taken when the ink tank is transported. As described above, when the posture of the ink tank changes variously, depending on the posture, the ink flows into the air communication path and various problems may occur in the ink tank. For example, when ink flows into the air communication path, the ink may leak to the outside through the air communication path.

  The above problems are not limited to ink tanks, and are liquid storage containers that allow liquid to flow through the liquid ejecting apparatus, and are common to liquid storage containers including an air communication path.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for reducing the possibility of liquid flowing into an air communication path in a liquid container disposed outside a liquid ejecting apparatus.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.

Application Example 1 A liquid storage container that is disposed outside the liquid ejecting apparatus, and causes the liquid to be circulated to the liquid ejecting apparatus via a flow pipe,
A liquid storage chamber for storing the liquid;
An air chamber for containing air;
A liquid communication path for communicating the liquid storage chamber and the air storage chamber, wherein one end side opening which is one end is located in the air storage chamber;
An air communication path for communicating the air storage chamber and the outside, wherein an air chamber opening at one end is located in the air storage chamber;
A liquid injection port for injecting the liquid into the liquid storage chamber, and a liquid injection port to which a plug member for closing the liquid injection port is attached.
The air chamber opening is
In the liquid supply posture when supplying the liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus, a predetermined interval in the vertical direction from the first portion that is the lowest portion and the second portion that is the highest portion of the air accommodating chamber. Arranged with a gap, and
In the liquid injection posture when injecting the liquid into the liquid storage chamber, the third portion that is the lowest portion of the air storage chamber and the predetermined interval from the fourth portion that is the highest portion in the vertical direction. A liquid container placed with a gap.

  According to the liquid container described in Application Example 1, the liquid flows from the liquid storage chamber into the air storage chamber in the two postures of the liquid supply posture and the liquid injection posture, and the postures in which the two postures are inverted. Even in this case, the possibility of liquid flowing into the air communication path from the air chamber opening can be reduced.

[Application Example 2] The liquid container according to Application Example 1,
The air chamber opening is an inner surface of a wall surface section that defines the air storage chamber, and is a liquid storage container disposed at a predetermined interval from the inner surface including the first to fourth portions.
According to the liquid container described in Application Example 2, in various postures, even when the liquid flows from the liquid storage chamber into the air storage chamber, the possibility of the liquid flowing into the air communication path from the air chamber opening is reduced. it can.

[Application Example 3] The liquid container according to Application Example 2, further comprising:
A projecting portion projecting into the air accommodating chamber from the wall surface portion defining the air accommodating chamber, and including a projecting portion in which a part of the air communication path is formed inside;
The air chamber opening is a liquid storage container formed on one end face of the protrusion.
According to the liquid container described in Application Example 3, the protrusion is provided, and the air chamber opening is formed on the end surface on the one end side, so that the liquid container is disposed at a predetermined interval from the inner surface of the wall portion that defines the air chamber The formed air chamber opening can be easily formed.

[Application Example 4] The liquid container according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 3,
The air accommodating chamber is
A liquid container having a suppressing portion for suppressing a flow of the liquid from the liquid communication path toward the air chamber opening in the middle of a path from the liquid communication path to the air chamber opening.
According to the liquid container described in Application Example 4, even when the liquid flows into the air chamber from the liquid communication path, the possibility that the liquid that has flowed in reaches the air chamber opening can be reduced. Thereby, possibility that a liquid will flow in into an air communicating path from an air chamber opening can be reduced more.

[Application Example 5] The liquid container according to Application Example 4,
The suppression unit is a first suppression wall that intersects the vertical direction in the liquid supply posture, and is located between the one end side opening and the air chamber opening in the vertical direction in the liquid supply posture. A liquid container including a restraining wall.
According to the liquid container described in Application Example 5, in the posture in which the liquid supply posture and the liquid supply posture are turned upside down by the first suppression wall, even if the liquid flows from the liquid storage chamber to the air storage chamber, the inflow The possibility that the liquid that has reached the air chamber opening can be reduced.

[Application Example 6] The liquid container according to Application Example 4 or Application Example 5,
The suppression unit is a second suppression wall that intersects the vertical direction in the liquid injection posture, and is a second wall that is located between the one end side opening and the air chamber opening in the vertical direction in the liquid injection posture. A liquid container including a restraining wall.
According to the liquid container described in Application Example 6, even when the liquid flows into the air chamber from the liquid chamber in the posture in which the liquid injection posture and the liquid injection posture are reversed by the second suppression wall, the inflow The possibility that the liquid that has reached the air chamber opening can be reduced.

[Application Example 7] The liquid container according to Application Example 4,
The restraining portion converts the air storage chamber into an opening-side storage chamber in which the air chamber opening is positioned, and a communication path-side storage chamber positioned between the opening-side storage chamber and the liquid communication path in the path. A partition wall,
The partition wall is a liquid storage container in which a partition wall opening that connects the opening side storage chamber and the communication path side storage chamber is formed.
According to the liquid container described in Application Example 7, the opening-side storage chamber and the communication path-side storage chamber are partitioned by the partition wall. Therefore, even when the liquid flows from the liquid storage chamber into the air storage chamber via the liquid communication path, the possibility that the liquid that has flowed in reaches the air chamber opening can be further reduced.

Application Example 8 A liquid ejecting system,
The liquid container according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 7, and
A liquid ejecting apparatus having a head for ejecting the liquid onto an object;
A liquid ejecting system, comprising: a flow pipe that connects the liquid ejecting apparatus and the liquid storage container and distributes the liquid in the liquid storage chamber to the liquid ejecting apparatus.
According to the liquid ejecting system described in Application Example 8, it is possible to supply the liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus using the liquid container that reduces the possibility of the liquid flowing into the air chamber opening.

  The present invention can be realized in various forms. In addition to the above-described liquid container, the liquid ejecting system including the liquid ejecting apparatus and the liquid container, the above-described method for manufacturing the liquid container, the above-described method It can implement | achieve in aspects, such as a liquid ejecting method using the liquid ejecting system.

It is a figure for demonstrating the liquid injection system 1 of an Example. It is a figure for demonstrating the principle of ink supply. FIG. 6 is a second diagram for explaining the liquid ejecting system 1. It is a figure for demonstrating the whole structure of the container unit. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a container unit 50. FIG. It is a perspective view in the state where bottom cover member 57 was removed. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a detailed configuration of a bottom cover member 57. It is a figure for demonstrating the 1st and 2nd side surface cover members 56 and 58. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the connection cover member 55 and the upper surface cover member. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the valve unit 70. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the 1st and 2nd members 77 and 78. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the attachment aspect of the valve unit. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing a path from an air inlet 317 to a liquid outlet 306. 2 is a first external perspective view of an ink tank 30. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a first flow path 310. 3 is a second external perspective view of the ink tank 30. FIG. It is the figure which looked at the ink tank 30 of FIG. 16 from the Y-axis positive direction side. It is a figure for demonstrating the bottom face cover members 57a and 57b of the 1st, 2nd modification. It is a figure for demonstrating the 3rd modification.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order.
A. Example:
B. Variations:

A. Example:
A-1. Overall configuration of liquid injection system:
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a liquid ejecting system 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 1A is a first external perspective view of the liquid ejecting system 1. FIG. 1B is a second external perspective view of the liquid ejecting system 1. FIG. 1B is a view in which the cover member 51 is removed from the container unit 50 shown in FIG. FIG. 1B shows a partially enlarged view for explaining details of the hose fixing mechanism 19. The hose 23 is not shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. In FIG. 1, XYZ axes orthogonal to each other are shown in order to specify the direction. In the subsequent drawings, XYZ axes orthogonal to each other are shown as necessary.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the liquid ejecting system 1 includes an ink jet printer 12 (also simply referred to as “printer 12”) as a liquid ejecting apparatus, and a container unit 50. The printer 12 includes a paper feed unit 13, a paper discharge unit 14, a carriage (sub tank mounting unit) 16, and four sub tanks 20. The four sub tanks 20 store inks having different colors. Specifically, the four sub tanks 20 are a sub tank 20Bk that stores black ink, a sub tank 20Cn that stores cyan ink, a sub tank 20Ma that stores magenta ink, and a sub tank 20Yw that stores yellow ink. The four sub tanks 20 are mounted on the carriage 16.

  The printing paper set in the paper feeding unit 13 is conveyed into the printer 12, and the printed printing paper is discharged from the paper discharge unit 14.

  The carriage 16 is movable in the main scanning direction (paper width direction, X-axis direction). This movement is performed via a timing belt (not shown) by driving a stepping motor (not shown). A recording head (not shown) is provided on the lower surface of the carriage 16. Printing is performed by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles of the recording head onto the printing paper. Various components constituting the printer 12 such as the timing belt and the carriage 16 are protected by being accommodated in the case 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the container unit 50 includes a cover member 51, an ink tank 30 as a liquid container, and a valve unit (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1A, the cover member 51 includes an upper surface cover member 54, a first side surface cover member 56, a second side surface cover member 58, a bottom surface cover member 57, and a connection cover member (FIG. Not shown). The ink tank 30, the cover members 54, 56, 57, and 58 and the connecting cover member can be formed of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene (PP) or polystyrene (PS). The connecting cover member and the cover members 54, 56, 57, and 58 are colored in a predetermined color (for example, black) and are opaque. On the other hand, the ink tank 30 is translucent, and the ink state (water level) can be confirmed from the outside. The ink tank 30 is surrounded and protected by a cover member 51. Further, by attaching the bottom cover member 57 to the ink tank 30, the container unit 50 is more stably installed on a predetermined installation surface (for example, a horizontal surface such as a desk or a shelf).

  The four ink tanks 30 store ink corresponding to the colors stored in the four sub tanks 20. That is, the four ink tanks 30 respectively store black ink, cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink. Each ink tank 30 can confirm the state of ink from a predetermined portion from the outside. The ink tank 30 can store a larger amount of ink than the sub tank 20.

  The liquid ejection system 1 further includes four hoses (tubes) 23 as flow pipes. The hose 23 connects the ink tank 30 that stores ink of each color and the sub tank 20 that stores ink of the corresponding color. The hose 23 is formed of a flexible member such as synthetic rubber. When ink is ejected from the recording head and the ink in the sub tank 20 is consumed, the ink in the ink tank 30 is supplied to the sub tank 20 via the hose 23. Thereby, the liquid ejecting system 1 can continue printing for a long time without interruption. Here, the ink may be supplied directly from the ink tank 30 to the recording head via the hose 23 without providing the sub tank 20. In addition, although mentioned later for details, the flow path inside the hose 23 can be opened and closed by rotating the handle 71 which is a part of the valve unit.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, the printer 12 includes a hose fixing mechanism 19 for fixing a part of the hose 23. The hose fixing mechanism 19 includes a rail 18 extending in the main scanning direction (paper width direction, X-axis direction) and a pressing plate 15 attached to the rail 18. The rail 18 mounts a part of the hose 23. The holding plate 15 holds the hose 23 placed on the rail 18 together with the rail 18.

  As shown in the right view of the two partial enlarged views of FIG. 1B, the rail 18 includes a first rail fixing portion 182 and a second rail fixing portion 184. The 1st rail fixing | fixed part 182 is a cylindrical shape which protruded from the mounting surface in which the hose 23 is mounted, and the screw hole 183 is formed. The second rail fixing portion 184 protrudes from the mounting surface of the rail 18 and has a fitting portion 186 that fits the holding plate 15 at the tip. The pressing plate 15 has a flat plate shape extending in the width direction (short side direction, Y-axis direction) of the rail 18. The pressing plate 15 has a screw hole 152 formed on one end side and a first hole formed on the other end side. Two rail fixing portions 184 and through-holes 154 for fitting. When the pressing plate 15 is mounted on the rail 18, the fitting portion 186 is inserted into the through hole 154, and screws (not shown) are fixed to the screw holes 152 and 183. Further, a part of the hose 23 disposed on the rail 18 is sandwiched between the presser plate 15 and the rail 18 and fixed in the printer 12. In the holding plate 15, screw holes are formed in the same manner as the one end side instead of the through hole 154 on the other end side, screw holes are also formed in the rail 18, and screws are fixed to these screw holes, thereby A part of the hose 23 may be sandwiched between the plate 15 and the rail 18.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the principle of ink supply from the ink tank 30 to the sub tank 20. FIG. 2 shows the ink tank 30 when the ink tank 30 is viewed from the Y axis positive direction side. FIG. 2 schematically shows the inside of the hose 23 and the printer 12.

  The liquid ejection system 1 is installed on a predetermined horizontal plane (installation surface) sf. The liquid outlet 306 of the ink tank 30 and the liquid receiver 202 of the sub tank 20 are connected by a hose 23. The sub tank 20 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polystyrene or polyethylene. The sub tank 20 includes an ink storage chamber 204, an ink flow path 208, and a filter 206. An ink supply needle 16 a of the carriage 16 is inserted into the ink flow path 208. The filter 206 prevents inflow of impurities into the recording head 17 by capturing impurities when impurities such as foreign matters are mixed in the ink. The ink in the ink storage chamber 204 is supplied to the recording head 17 through the ink flow path 208 and the ink supply needle 16 a by suction from the recording head 17. The ink supplied to the recording head 17 is ejected toward the outside (printing paper) through the nozzle.

  The ink tank 30 includes a liquid storage chamber 340 for storing ink, an air storage chamber 330 for storing air, and a liquid communication path (“second chamber” for communicating the liquid storage chamber 340 and the air storage chamber 330. 350)). In the liquid supply posture of the ink tank 30 when supplying ink to the printer 12, the liquid communication path 350 has a flow path cross section to the extent that a meniscus is formed. Thus, ink is held in the liquid communication path 350 in the liquid supply posture.

  The liquid storage chamber 340 has a liquid inlet 304 to which the plug member 302 is attached. When supplying ink to the printer 12, the liquid inlet 304 is sealed by the plug member 302. Further, the liquid storage chamber 340 is at a negative pressure when the liquid is supplied. On the other hand, the air accommodating chamber 330 is maintained at atmospheric pressure by communicating with the atmosphere (outside) through the air chamber opening 318. The air chamber opening 318 is in communication with an air introduction port 317 that opens toward the outside. Here, in the liquid supply posture, the liquid communication path 350 is disposed at a position lower than the recording head 17. Thereby, the water head difference d1 occurs. In the liquid supply posture, the water head difference d1 in a state where the meniscus is formed in the liquid communication path 350 is also referred to as “steady-state water head difference d1”.

  As the ink in the ink storage chamber 204 is sucked by the recording head 17, the ink storage chamber 204 becomes a predetermined negative pressure or higher. When the ink storage chamber 204 becomes a predetermined negative pressure or higher, the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 is supplied to the ink storage chamber 204 via the hose 23. That is, the ink storage chamber 204 is automatically replenished with the amount of ink that has flowed out of the recording head 17 from the liquid storage chamber 340. In other words, it is generated by the difference in vertical height between the ink liquid surface (atmospheric contact liquid surface) LA in contact with the air accommodating chamber 330 (that is, air) in the ink tank 30 and the recording head (specifically, the nozzle). Ink is supplied from the liquid storage chamber 340 to the ink storage chamber 204 when the suction force (negative pressure) from the printer 12 side is increased to a certain extent than the water head difference d1 to be performed.

  When the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 is consumed, the air G (also referred to as “bubble G”) in the air storage chamber 330 is introduced into the liquid storage chamber 340 through the liquid communication path 350. Thereby, the liquid level of the liquid storage chamber 340 is lowered. When the liquid level drops and the amount of ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 becomes a predetermined amount or less, ink is injected into the ink tank 30 from the liquid injection port 304 by a user or the like.

  FIG. 3 is a second diagram for explaining the liquid ejecting system 1. FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating the liquid ejecting system 1 when the ink tank 30 is in the liquid supply posture. FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating the liquid ejecting system 1 when the ink tank 30 is in a liquid injection posture, which is a posture when ink is injected.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, in the liquid supply posture, the ink tank 30 is installed in a state where a part of the wall portion (first wall portion) 370c1 is visible from the outside. In the liquid supply posture, the first wall portion 370c1 is a wall portion that stands upright with respect to the installation surface. In the present embodiment, the first wall portion 370c1 is a wall portion that is substantially perpendicular to the installation surface.

  The liquid ejecting system 1 includes a ruler 53 as a measuring instrument for measuring the amount of ink in the ink tank 30. The ruler 53 is graduated at predetermined intervals. As shown in FIG. 3B, a fixing unit 120 for attaching the container unit 50 is provided on the side surface of the printer 12. The ruler 53 is housed in the fixed part 120. Specifically, the ruler 53 is inserted and stored in an opening 121 provided on one side surface (in this embodiment, an upper surface) of the fixing portion 120.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3A, when measuring the water level of the ink in the ink tank 30, the user takes out the ruler 53 from the opening 121 and positions the ruler 53 on the first wall portion 370c1 side. The ink water level in the ink tank 30 is measured. When the ink water level reaches a predetermined threshold, the user refills the ink tank 30 with ink. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3B, the attitude of the ink tank 30 is changed from a liquid supply attitude to a liquid injection attitude in which the liquid inlet 304 opens vertically upward (Z-axis positive direction). Then, the upper surface cover member 54 is opened. Then, the user removes the plug member 302 from the liquid inlet 304 and injects ink from the liquid inlet 304 into the ink tank 30.

  Here, by opening the upper surface cover member 54, the second wall portion 370c2 different from the first wall portion 370c1 can be visually recognized from the outside. The second wall portion 370 c 2 is a wall portion that stands upright with respect to the installation surface in the liquid injection posture of the ink tank 30. In the present embodiment, the second wall portion 370c2 is a wall portion that is substantially perpendicular to the installation surface in the liquid injection posture.

  The second wall portion 370c2 is provided with an upper limit portion LB for indicating that the ink is sufficiently contained in the ink tank 30. The upper limit portion LB includes an upper limit line LM that is horizontal in the liquid injection posture of the container unit 50, and a triangular arrow LY that indicates the position of the upper limit line LM. The upper limit line LM is provided to identify that the ink in the ink tank 30 has reached the second threshold value.

  The user injects (supplements) ink into the ink tank 30 until the ink level reaches the vicinity of the upper limit line LM. After ink replenishment is performed, the user changes the attitude of the ink tank 30 to the liquid supply attitude shown in FIG. The ruler 53 is inserted through the opening 121 and stored. As described above, the liquid ejecting system 1 includes the ruler 53 and the upper limit LB, so that the user can easily check the amount of ink in the ink tank 30 in each posture.

A-2. Overall configuration of the container unit 50:
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the overall configuration of the container unit 50. FIG. 4A is a first external perspective view of the container unit 50. FIG. 4B is a second external perspective view of the container unit 50. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the container unit 50 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In the liquid supply posture of the container unit 50, the outer surface of the bottom cover member 57 has a bottom surface 570W in contact with the installation surface. Constitute. The four ink tanks 30 include a positioning unit 328 including a notch 325a and a protrusion 324. The four ink tanks 30 are arranged (stacked) with high accuracy by being arranged in the notch 325a of one ink tank 30 so that the protrusions 324 of the other adjacent ink tanks 30 are accommodated. The container unit 50 further includes a connection cover member 55 for connecting the plurality of ink tanks 30. The plurality of ink tanks 30 are connected and integrated by the connecting cover member 55. Here, by removing the connecting cover member 55, the plurality of integrated ink tanks 30 can be easily disassembled. Accordingly, the container unit 50 can easily change the number of ink tanks 30 arranged according to the number and specifications of ink colors used in the printer 12. Details of the connection cover member 55 will be described later.

Next, the configuration of the container unit 50 will be further described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the container unit 50. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the container unit 50 with the bottom cover member 57 removed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the ink tank 30 has a columnar shape. The plurality of ink tanks 30 are arranged (stacked) in a line. The plurality of ink tanks 30 are arranged so that the opening wall portion 370 that is blocked by the film 34 that does not transmit fluid among the one ink tank 30 is covered by the adjacent ink tanks 30. The container unit 50 also includes a valve unit 70 for opening and closing the flow path inside the hose 23. The valve unit 70 is assembled as a constituent member of the container unit 50 by a plurality of screws 420. The detailed configuration of the valve unit 70 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the bottom cover member 57 has a plurality of openings 571 through which the plurality of screws 400 are inserted. The plurality of screws 400 are inserted through the corresponding openings 571. The plurality of screws 400 are attached to the plurality of screw holes 399, 562, and 582 provided in the ink tank 30 and the side surface cover members 56 and 58, respectively. Thereby, the bottom cover member 57 is assembled as a constituent member of the container unit 50. That is, the opening 571 is used when the bottom cover member 57 is assembled as a constituent member of the container unit 50. The bottom surface cover member 57 is assembled so as to cover the bottom surface side in the liquid supply posture of the plurality (four) of ink tanks 30. In this embodiment, the bottom cover member 57 is attached to the ink tank 30 and the side cover members 56 and 58 using six screws 400. Here, instead of the opening 571, a notch may be formed in the bottom surface cover member 57, and the screw 400 may be inserted into the notch.

A-3. Detailed configuration of the bottom cover member:
FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the detailed configuration of the bottom surface cover member 57. FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the bottom cover member 57. FIG. 7B is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the peripheral edge portion 575 of the bottom surface cover member 57. FIG. 7C is a schematic diagram for explaining the detailed configuration of the facing surface 570Y of the bottom cover member 57.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the bottom cover member 57 includes a flat bottom cover main body 578 and bottom cover wall portions 572 and 573 erected with respect to the bottom cover main body 578. The bottom cover walls 572 and 573 protrude from the periphery of the bottom cover main body 578 to the side where the ink tank 30 is disposed (Z-axis positive direction side, above the bottom cover main body 578). A plurality of ink tanks 30 are attached to the bottom cover body 578. Of the bottom cover body 578, the facing surface 570Y facing the ink tank 30 has a recess (groove) 579Z as a liquid holding portion. The recess 579Z is formed in the entire area of the opposing surface 570Y. Here, the recess 579Z includes a first recess 579W and a second recess 579V that intersect each other. A plurality of first and second recesses 579W and 579V are formed.

  The bottom cover member 57 is a plurality (six) of openings 571 formed across the bottom surface 570W and the opposing surface 570Y, and a plurality of openings used for attaching the bottom cover member 57 to the ink tank. 571. Specifically, each of the plurality of openings 571 penetrates the bottom cover body 578. The plurality of openings 571 are arranged in an arc shape near the periphery of the bottom cover body 578.

  Further, the bottom cover member 57 has a peripheral portion 575 which is disposed on the facing surface 570Y side and surrounds the opening 571. As shown in FIG. 7B, the peripheral edge 575 is a substantially cylindrical member protruding from the facing surface 570Y side (specifically, the bottom surface of the recess 579Z). The peripheral edge portion 575 protrudes from the facing surface 570Y. An opening 571 is formed inside the peripheral edge portion 575.

  As shown in FIG. 7C, in the liquid injection posture of the container unit 50, the X-axis direction is the vertical direction, and the X-axis negative direction is the vertical downward direction. That is, in the liquid injection posture, the bottom cover member 57 is erected with respect to the installation surface of the container unit 50. In the present embodiment, the bottom cover body 578 of the bottom cover member 57 is substantially perpendicular to the installation surface in the liquid injection posture. The first recess 579W has a groove shape extending in the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction, first direction) in the liquid injection posture. The plurality of first recesses 579W extend over the entire length direction (Y-axis direction, length direction) of the bottom cover body 578, respectively. The plurality of first recesses 579W are formed at regular intervals in the short direction (X-axis direction, width direction) and are formed over the entire short direction. Here, in the liquid injection posture, one or more of the plurality of first recesses 579W are arranged vertically above the opening 571U positioned most vertically below among the plurality of openings 571. The size of the first recess 579W is not particularly limited, but may be set to a size that can hold ink by capillary force.

  The second recess 579V has a groove shape extending in the vertical direction (X-axis direction, second direction) in the liquid injection posture. The second concave portion 579V is formed in the vicinity of the boundary portion where one ink tank 30 and another adjacent ink tank 30 overlap each other on the facing surface 570Y. Further, the plurality of second recesses 579V respectively extend over the entire region in the short side direction (X-axis direction, width direction) of the bottom cover body 578. That is, with respect to the vertical direction (X-axis direction) in the liquid injection posture, each second recess 579V is linearly arranged without interruption in the formation range of the first recess 579W. The first concave portion 579W and the second concave portion 579V are orthogonal to each other and are arranged in a lattice shape as a whole. The size of the second concave portion 579V is not particularly limited, but may be set to a size that can hold ink by capillary force.

  Ink may exist (inflow) on the facing surface 570Y of the bottom cover member 57 for various reasons. For example, when a user or the like injects ink into the ink tank 30, the ink may be accidentally dropped at a location other than the liquid injection port 304. In this case, if the posture of the container unit 50 is changed from the liquid injection posture to the liquid supply posture while the ink is attached to the surface of the ink tank 30, the attached ink may flow into the bottom surface cover member 57 due to gravity. In addition, for example, a problem may occur in the ink tank 30 when the liquid is supplied, and the ink may leak out of the ink tank 30. In this case, the leaked ink may flow into the bottom cover member 57 along the surface of the ink tank 30.

  However, as described above, the bottom surface cover member 57 of the present embodiment includes the recess 579Z on the opposing surface 570Y (FIGS. 7A and 7C). Accordingly, even when ink is present on the bottom cover member 57, the ink can be held by the recess 579Z. Therefore, the possibility of ink flowing out of the container unit 50 can be reduced. From the above, the possibility that the installation surface (for example, desk) of the container unit 50 is stained with ink can be reduced.

  In addition, the recess 579Z has a first recess 579W extending in the horizontal direction in the liquid injection posture (FIGS. 7A and 7C). Accordingly, even when ink is present on the opposing surface 570Y of the bottom cover member 57 in the liquid injection posture, it is possible to suppress the ink from moving vertically downward. This can reduce the possibility of ink flowing out of the container unit 50 in the liquid injection posture.

  In addition, the recess 579Z has a second recess 579V extending in the vertical direction and perpendicular to the first recess 579W in the liquid injection posture (FIGS. 7A and 7C). Thereby, even if ink is present in the bottom cover member 57, it is possible to prevent the ink from staying in a specific portion of the recess 579Z. That is, ink existing in a specific portion of the recess 579Z can be smoothly diffused into the plurality of first and second recesses 579W and 579V. Thereby, the surface area of the ink held in the recess 579Z can be increased, and the evaporation of the ink can be promoted. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the possibility of ink flowing out of the container unit 50.

  Further, the bottom surface cover member 57 is provided on the facing surface 570Y side, and has a peripheral edge portion 575 surrounding the opening 571 and protruding from the opposing surface 570Y (FIGS. 7A and 7B). )). Thereby, even when ink is present on the opposing surface 570Y, the possibility that the peripheral portion 575 serves as a barrier and the ink flows into the opening 571 can be reduced. Thereby, the possibility that the ink flows out to the outside of the bottom cover member 57 can be further reduced.

  Further, the bottom cover member 57 has bottom cover walls 572 and 573 extending from the periphery of the bottom cover main body 578 to the side where the ink tank 30 is disposed (FIGS. 7A and 7C). Accordingly, for example, even when a large amount of ink that cannot be held by the recess 579Z exists on the opposing surface 570Y, the bottom cover wall portions 572 and 573 serve as a barrier, so that the ink flows out to the outside of the bottom cover member 57. The possibility can be reduced. In other words, the ink directed toward the outside of the bottom cover member 57 can be blocked by the bottom cover walls 572 and 573.

A-4. Detailed configuration of other components of the container unit:
Next, other components of the container unit 50 will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the first and second side surface cover members 56 and 58. FIG. 8A is an external perspective view of the first side cover member 56. FIG. 8B is an external perspective view of the second side cover member 58.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the first side surface cover member 56 has an attachment portion 561 for hooking the container unit 50 on the fixing portion 120 (FIG. 3B) of the printer 12. Further, the first side surface cover member 56 has a through hole 563 through which the handle 71 (FIG. 6) passes, and a screw hole 562 for fixing the bottom surface cover member 57 with the screw 400 (FIG. 5). Further, a fitting portion 564 into which the protrusion 324 (FIG. 4B) of the ink tank 30 is fitted is formed on the inner surface of the bottom cover member 57 that faces the ink tank 30.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, the second side cover member 58 has an attachment portion 581 for hooking the container unit 50 to the fixing portion 120 (FIG. 3B) of the printer 12. Further, the second side cover member 58 has a screw hole 582 for fixing the bottom cover member 57 with the screw 400 (FIG. 5). A protrusion 584 that fits into the notch 325a (FIG. 4B) of the ink tank 30 is formed on the inner surface of the second side cover member 58 that faces the ink tank 30.

  FIG. 9 is a view for explaining the connecting cover member 55 and the upper surface cover member 54. FIG. 9A is an external perspective view of the connection cover member 55. FIG. 9B is an external perspective view of the top cover member 54.

  The connection cover member 55 prevents the ink tanks 30 that are easily stacked from being separated when the adjacent ink tanks 30 are stacked by the positioning unit 328. The connection cover member 55 is disposed across the plurality of ink tanks 30 provided in the container unit 50. As shown in FIG. 9A, the connection cover member 550 has a fixing portion 552 for fixing to the ink tank 30 on one end side. The claw portion 554 on the distal end side of the fixed portion 552 is caught by the ink tanks 30 arranged at the ends of the plurality of ink tanks 30. The connection cover member 55 is sandwiched between the ink tank 30 and the cover members 54, 56, and 58 (specifically, the upper surface cover member 54, the first side surface cover member 56, and the second side surface cover member 58). The

  As shown in FIG. 9B, both side portions of the upper surface cover member 54 have recesses 542 for receiving the connection cover member 55.

  Next, the valve unit 70 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the valve unit 70. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the first and second members 77 and 78. FIG. 11A is an external perspective view of the first member 77. FIG. 11B is an external perspective view of the second member 78. FIG. 12 is a view for explaining an attachment mode of the valve unit 70 to the ink tank 30. FIG. 12A is an external perspective view in which the valve unit 70 is attached to the ink tank 30. FIG. 12B is a view in which the second member 78 is removed from FIG. FIG. 10 shows a state in which one of the four hoses 23 is arranged in the valve unit 70 for easy understanding. Furthermore, in FIG. 10, the internal structure of the opening / closing part 76 is extracted and illustrated in a circled region. In FIG. 12, the hose 23 is not shown.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the valve unit 70 includes a handle 71, an opening / closing part 76, and first and second members 77 and 78. The opening / closing part 76 includes a case main body 762, a cam 764 having one end connected to the handle 71, and a slider 768. One end of the cam 764 protrudes outside the case body 762, and the remaining part is accommodated in the case body 762. The slider 768 is housed inside the case body 762. The slider 768 is displaced in conjunction with the rotational operation of the cam 764 and crushes a portion of the hose 23 that passes through the inside of the case main body 762. That is, the flow path of the hose 23 is opened and closed by displacing the slider 768.

  The hose 23 is connected to the printer 12 through the opening 761 of the case main body 762. Further, the first and second members 77 and 78 sandwich and fix a part of the hose 23 that has passed through the opening 761. The first and second members 77 and 78 are provided with a plurality of openings 772 and 782 used for attaching the first and second members 77 and 78 to predetermined members, respectively. Screws 420 are respectively passed through the plurality of openings 772 and 782, and the first and second members 77 and 78 are assembled as components of the container unit 50. In addition, when distinguishing and using each of the plurality of openings 772 and 782, they are referred to by numbers given in parentheses in the drawing. Similarly, when a plurality of screws 420 are distinguished from each other, they are called by the numbers given in parentheses in the figure.

  As shown in FIG. 11B, a plurality of protrusions 786 are formed on the second member 78 on the side facing the first member 77. In addition, when distinguishing and using the some protrusion part 786, it shall call with the number attached | subjected to the parenthesis in the figure.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the first and second members 77 and 78 are assembled with the hose 23 sandwiched therebetween. Specifically, the opening 4202a and the opening 772a are overlapped, and the screw 420a is inserted into the openings 782a and 772a. Further, the opening 782c and the opening 772c are overlapped, and the screw 420c is inserted into the openings 782c and 772c. Further, the protrusions 786b1 and 786b2 shown in FIG. 11B are inserted into the openings 772b1 and 772b2 of the first member 77, respectively. Thereby, the 1st and 2nd members 77 and 78 become united.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 12A, the integrated first and second members 77 and 78 are attached to a plurality (two) of ink tanks 30. Specifically, the first and second ink tanks 30 can be easily disassembled with the first and second members 77 and 78 attached to the two adjacent ink tanks 30. The members 77 and 78 are attached to the two ink tanks 30. Details of the manner in which the first and second members 77 and 78 are attached to the ink tank 30 will be described below. For convenience of explanation, of the two ink tanks 30 to which the first and second members 77 and 78 are attached, one ink tank 30 is also referred to as “ink tank 30Y”, and the other ink tank 30 is provided. Is also referred to as “ink tank 30Z”.

  The ink tank 30 has a member mounting portion 369 for mounting the first and second members 77 and 78 on the outer surface. The member mounting portion 369 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped protrusion formed on the surface of the ink tank 30. First to third mounting holes 366, 367, and 368 are formed in the member mounting portion 369. The first and second mounting holes 366 and 367 are open on the first side facing the second member 78. The third mounting hole 368 is disposed on the first side facing the second member 78 and the other ink tank 30 to which the valve unit 70 is attached in the arrangement direction of the ink tanks 30 (Y-axis direction). The opened second side (Y-axis positive direction side) is open. In the present embodiment, the third mounting hole 368 is U-shaped.

  As shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, a screw 420b is passed through the opening 782b of the second member 78 and the second mounting hole 367 of the ink tank 30Y. Screwed to the tank 30Y. Further, the protrusion 786b4 (FIG. 11B) of the second member 78 is inserted into the second mounting hole 367 of the ink tank 30Y. Further, the protrusion 786b3 (FIG. 11B) of the second member 78 is inserted into the third mounting hole 368 of the ink tank 30Z. As described above, in the valve unit 70, the second member 78 is fixed to only one of the two ink tanks 30Y and 30Z by screwing. Therefore, the two ink tanks 30Y and 30Z can be easily disassembled without removing the screw 420b that fixes the valve unit 70 to the ink tank 30Y.

A-5. Schematic configuration of ink tank:
Before explaining the detailed configuration of the ink tank 30, for ease of understanding, FIG. 13 shows a path (flow path) from the atmosphere introduction port 317 that opens to the outside to the liquid lead-out portion 306 that leads the ink to the outside. The concept will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram conceptually showing a path from the air inlet 317 to the liquid outlet 306. A path from the air inlet 317 to the liquid outlet 306 is also referred to as a “formation channel”.

  A path from the air introduction port 317 to the liquid outlet 306 is roughly divided into an air release channel 300 and a liquid storage chamber 340. The atmosphere opening flow path 300 is also referred to as a first flow path 310 (also referred to as “atmosphere communication path 310”), an air storage chamber 330, and a second flow path 350 (also referred to as “liquid communication path 350”) in order from the upstream. .).

  In the first flow path 310, an air chamber opening 318 as one end opens in the air accommodating chamber 330, and an air inlet 317 as the other end opens to the outside. Thereby, the 1st flow path 310 connects the air storage chamber 330 and the exterior. The first flow path 310 includes a communication flow path 320, a gas-liquid separation chamber 312, and a communication flow path 314. One end of the communication channel 320 communicates with the air introduction port 317 and the other end communicates with the gas-liquid separation chamber 312. A part of the communication flow path 320 is a long and narrow flow path, and suppresses evaporation of the moisture of the ink stored in the liquid storage chamber 340 from the atmosphere open flow path 300 due to diffusion. A film (sheet) 316 is disposed between the upstream and downstream of the gas-liquid separation chamber 312. The film 316 has a property of transmitting gas and not transmitting liquid. By disposing the film 316 in the middle of the air opening flow path 300, the ink flowing backward from the liquid storage chamber 340 is prevented from flowing upstream from the film 316. Note that once the film 316 is wet with ink, the original function as a gas-liquid separation film is impaired, and air may not be transmitted.

  The communication channel 314 allows the gas-liquid separation chamber 312 and the air storage chamber 330 to communicate with each other. Here, one end of the communication channel 314 forms an air chamber opening 318.

  The air storage chamber 330 stores air. The air accommodating chamber 330 has a larger channel cross-sectional area than a second channel 350 described later, and has a predetermined volume. Thereby, the ink flowing backward from the liquid storage chamber 340 can be temporarily stored, and the ink can be prevented from flowing upstream from the air storage chamber 330.

  In addition, the air accommodating chamber 330 has a partition wall 334 as a suppressing portion in the middle of a path (flow path) from the second flow path 350 to the air chamber opening 318. The partition wall 334 divides the air storage chamber 330 into an opening side storage chamber 331 where the air chamber opening 318 is located and a communication path side storage chamber 332 where the one end side opening 351 is located. Here, the communication path side accommodation chamber 332 is located between the opening side accommodation chamber 331 and the second flow path 350.

  In the second flow path 350, one end side opening 351 that is one end is located in the air accommodation chamber 330, and the other end side opening 352 that is the other end is located in the liquid accommodation chamber 340. Thereby, the second flow path 350 allows the air storage chamber 330 and the liquid storage chamber 340 to communicate with each other. Further, the second flow path 350 is a flow path having a flow path cross-sectional area small enough to form a meniscus (liquid level cross-linking).

  The liquid storage chamber 340 stores ink and distributes the ink from the liquid outlet 349 of the liquid outlet 306 to the sub tank 20 (FIG. 1) via the hose 23. The liquid storage chamber 340 is provided with a liquid inlet 304.

A-6. Detailed configuration of ink tank:
Next, the detailed configuration of the ink tank 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 14 is a first external perspective view of the ink tank 30. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the first flow path 310. FIG. 16 is a second external perspective view of the ink tank 30. FIG. 17 is a view of the ink tank 30 of FIG. 16 viewed from the Y axis positive direction side. FIG. 14 is a diagram in which the films 316 and 322 included in the ink tank 30 are separated from the tank main body 32. 14, 16, and 17, the illustration of the plug member 302 attached to the liquid inlet 304 is omitted. Further, in FIG. 15, the flow of air from the atmosphere introduction port 317 to the air chamber opening 318 is indicated by the direction of the arrow.

  As shown in FIGS. 14, 16, and 17, the ink tank 30 has a substantially columnar shape (specifically, a substantially right-angled column shape). As shown in FIG. 14, the ink tank 30 includes a tank body 32 and films 34, 316 and 322. The tank body 32 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene. The tank body 32 is translucent. As a result, the user can check the state of ink inside (water level of ink) from the outside.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the shape of the tank body 32 is a concave shape with one side surface opened. Various shapes of ribs (walls) 380 are formed in the recesses of the tank body 32. Here, the opened one side surface (one side surface including the outer frame of the tank body 32 forming the opening) is referred to as an opening wall portion 370 (opening side surface 370). Moreover, as shown in FIG. 14, the wall part facing the opening wall part 370 is also referred to as an opposing wall part 370b. Further, the side surface portion that connects each side of the opening wall portion and the opposing wall portion 370b is also referred to as a side wall portion 370c. In addition, a different code | symbol is used when distinguishing and using the different side wall part 370c which is not arrange | positioned on the same plane.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the film 34 is attached to the tank body 32 so as to cover the opening of the opening wall 370 by heat welding or the like. Specifically, the film 34 is affixed densely so that no gap is generated between the end face of the predetermined rib 380 and the end face of the outer frame of the tank body 32. Thereby, a plurality of small rooms are formed. Specifically, an air storage chamber 330, a liquid storage chamber 340, and a second flow path 350 are mainly formed. That is, the tank body 32 and the film 34 form an air storage chamber 330, a liquid storage chamber 340, and a second flow path 350.

  Before describing the main small rooms 330, 340, and 350, the detailed configuration of the first flow path 310 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 15, the first flow path 310 is formed in the side wall portion 370c4 (also referred to as “opposing side wall portion 370c4”). The side wall portion 370c4 is a wall portion facing the printer in the liquid supply posture. The upstream portion of the communication channel 320 is formed on the back side of the side wall portion 370c4 (inside the tank body 32).

  The gas-liquid separation chamber 312 has a concave shape, and an opening is formed in the concave bottom surface. The gas-liquid separation chamber 312 and the communication channel 314 communicate with each other through the opening on the bottom surface. The end of the communication channel 314 is an air chamber opening 318.

  A bank 313 is formed on the entire circumference of the inner wall surrounding the bottom surface of the gas-liquid separation chamber 312. The film 316 (FIG. 14) is adhered to the bank 313. The film 322 is adhered to the side wall 370c4 so as to cover the channel formed on the outer surface of the side wall 370c4 in the first channel 310. Thus, the communication flow path 320 is formed and the ink inside the ink tank 30 is prevented from leaking to the outside. A part of the communication channel 320 is formed along the outer periphery of the gas-liquid separation chamber 312 in order to increase the distance from the air introduction port 317 to the gas-liquid separation chamber 312. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the moisture in the ink inside the tank body 32 from evaporating to the outside from the air inlet 317. From the viewpoint of suppressing moisture evaporation, the communication channel 320 may be a meandering channel in order to increase the distance of the communication channel.

  The air flowing through the first flow path 310 passes through the film 316 adhered to the bank 313 on the way. Thereby, it can suppress more that the ink accommodated in the tank main body 32 leaks outside.

  Next, the small rooms 330, 340, and 350 will be described. As shown in FIG. 16, the liquid storage chamber 340 forms a vertically long space in the liquid supply posture. Further, in the liquid supply posture, a liquid outlet portion 349 is disposed in the vicinity of the lowermost end of the liquid storage chamber 340. Thereby, when ink is supplied from the container unit 50 to the printer 12, the possibility of air flowing to the printer 12 side can be reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the air accommodation chamber 330 is divided into a communication path side accommodation chamber 332 and an opening side accommodation chamber 331 by a partition wall 334 as a suppressing portion. The partition wall 334 extends from the facing wall portion 370b to the opening wall portion 370. The partition wall 334 includes a first suppression wall 334V and a second suppression wall 334Y. The first suppression wall 334V intersects the vertical direction in the liquid supply posture (the posture in which the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction). In the present embodiment, the first suppression wall 334V is horizontal in the liquid supply posture. The first suppression wall 334V is located between the one end side opening 351 and the air chamber opening 318 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) in the liquid supply posture. The second suppression wall 334Y is connected to the first suppression wall 334V. The second suppression wall 334Y intersects the vertical direction in the liquid injection posture (the posture in which the Y-axis direction is the vertical direction). In the present embodiment, the second suppression wall 334Y is horizontal in the liquid injection posture. The second suppression wall 334Y is located between the one end side opening 351 and the air chamber opening 318 in the vertical direction (X-axis direction) in the liquid injection posture. The second suppression wall 334Y is formed with a partition opening 335 that allows the opening-side accommodation chamber 331 and the communication path-side accommodation chamber 332 to communicate with each other. The partition wall opening 335 according to the present embodiment is formed by cutting out a portion of the second suppression wall 334Y that is in contact with the film 34. By doing so, the partition opening 335 can be easily formed.

  The air accommodating chamber 330 has a substantially right prism shape. Of the inner surfaces of the wall portion that defines the air accommodating chamber 330, the surface (first portion) that is the lowest portion in the liquid supply posture is the first air chamber bottom surface 330Vf. In addition, the surface (second portion) which is the highest portion in the liquid supply posture is the first air chamber upper surface 330Va. In addition, among the inner surfaces of the wall portions that define the air accommodation chamber 330, the surface (third portion) that is the lowest portion in the liquid injection posture is the second air chamber bottom surface 330Vc. Further, the surface (fourth portion) which is the highest portion in the liquid injection posture is the second air chamber upper surface 330 Ve. In addition, a posture (stacking posture) in which one end side of the container unit 50 in which the four ink tanks 30 are arranged (here, the first side cover member 56, FIG. 5) is the lowest among the members of the container unit 50. , The lowest surface (fifth portion) is the third air chamber bottom surface 330Vb. In the present embodiment, the third air chamber bottom surface 330Vb corresponds to the film 34 surface. In the stacked posture, the surface (sixth portion) that is the highest portion is the third air chamber upper surface 330Vd. In the present embodiment, the third air chamber upper surface 330Vd corresponds to the inner surface of the opposing wall portion 370b.

  The opening-side storage chamber 331 of the air storage chamber 330 has a protruding portion 330Z that protrudes from the side wall portion 370c4 into the opening-side storage chamber 331. The tip end surface 330Za that is one end side end surface of the projecting portion 330Z is located in the air accommodating chamber 330 without being in contact with the wall portion that defines the air accommodating chamber 330. A part of the first flow path 310 (FIG. 13) is formed inside the protrusion 330Z. Moreover, the air chamber opening 318 is formed by opening the front end surface 330Za of the protrusion 330Z.

  In the liquid supply posture in which the Z-axis negative direction is the vertically downward direction, the air chamber opening 318 is disposed at a predetermined interval from the first air chamber bottom surface 330Vf and the first air chamber top surface 330Va in the vertical direction. Yes. That is, the air chamber opening 318 is arranged away from the first air chamber bottom surface 330Vf and the first air chamber top surface 330Va. Thus, ink flows from the liquid storage chamber 340 into the air storage chamber 330 in a liquid supply posture that is likely to be taken and a posture opposite to the liquid supply posture among a plurality of postures that the ink tank 30 can take. Even in this case, the possibility of ink flowing into the first flow path 310 from the air chamber opening 318 can be reduced.

  Further, in the liquid injection posture in which the X-axis negative direction is vertically downward, the air chamber opening 318 is arranged at a predetermined interval from the second air chamber bottom surface 330Vc and the second air chamber top surface 330Ve in the vertical direction. Has been. That is, the air chamber opening 318 is arranged away from the second air chamber bottom surface 330Vc and the second air chamber top surface 330Ve. Accordingly, when the ink flows from the liquid storage chamber 340 into the air storage chamber 330 in a posture that is likely to be taken out of a plurality of postures that the ink tank 30 can take and a posture opposite to the liquid injection posture. However, the possibility of ink flowing into the first flow path 310 from the air chamber opening 318 can be reduced.

  In addition, the air chamber opening 318 includes an air accommodating chamber 330 including the first, second, and third air chamber bottom surfaces 330Vf, 330Vc, and 330Vb, and the first, second, and third air chamber upper surfaces 330Va, 330Ve, and 330Vd. It arrange | positions at predetermined intervals from all the inner wall surfaces to form. That is, the air chamber opening 318 is arranged away from the inner wall surface that defines the air accommodating chamber 330. Accordingly, when ink flows from the liquid storage chamber 340 into the air storage chamber 330, the ink flows into the first flow path 310 from the air chamber opening 318 even if the container unit 50 takes various postures. The possibility can be reduced.

  Further, the ink tank 30 of the present embodiment is provided with a protruding portion 330Z that protrudes from the side wall portion 370c4 into the air accommodating chamber 330, and the air chamber opening 318 of the first flow path 310 (FIG. 13) is provided in the protruding portion 330Z. Is formed. Thereby, the air chamber opening 318 can be easily disposed at a position away from the inner surfaces (for example, the third air chamber bottom surface 330Vb) of all the wall portions forming the air accommodating chamber 330.

  Further, the ink tank 30 has a partition wall 334 in the middle of a path from the second flow path (liquid communication path) 350 to the air chamber opening 318. Accordingly, even when ink flows from the liquid storage chamber 340 into the air storage chamber 330, the flow of the ink that flows into the air chamber opening 318 can be suppressed. As a result, the possibility of ink reaching the air chamber opening 318 is reduced, and the possibility of ink flowing into the first flow path 310 from the air chamber opening 318 can be further reduced.

  As described above, the container unit 50 of the present embodiment includes the bottom surface cover member 57 that configures the bottom surface 570W in the liquid injection posture (FIG. 6). Accordingly, the ink can be supplied to the printer 12 by stably installing the container unit 60 on the installation surface. Further, the bottom surface cover member 57 includes a concave portion 579Z as a liquid holding portion on the opposing surface 570Y (FIGS. 7A and 7C). Accordingly, even when ink is present on the bottom cover member 57, the ink can be held by the recess 579Z. Therefore, the possibility of ink flowing out of the container unit 50 can be reduced. That is, the possibility that the installation surface of the container unit 50 is soiled with ink can be reduced.

  In the ink tank 30 of the present embodiment, the air chamber opening 318 that is one end of the first flow path 310 is formed away from the wall portion that forms the air accommodating chamber 330 (FIG. 16). Thereby, even when ink flows from the liquid storage chamber 340 into the air storage chamber 330, the possibility of ink flowing into the first flow path 310 from the air chamber opening 318 can be reduced. Thereby, the possibility that the film 316 as the gas-liquid separation film disposed in the middle of the first flow path 310 is wetted with ink can be reduced. Therefore, the original function of the film 316 can be prevented from being impaired, and air can be introduced into the ink tank 30 through the first flow path 310.

B. Variations:
In addition, elements other than the elements described in the independent claims of the claims in the constituent elements in the above-described embodiments are additional elements and can be omitted as appropriate. Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described examples and embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the following modifications are possible.

B-1. First and second modified examples:
FIG. 18 is a view for explaining the bottom surface cover members 57a and 57b of the first and second modified examples. FIG. 18A is a view schematically showing a recess 579Wa as a liquid holding portion formed on the facing surface 570Ya of the bottom cover member 57b of the first modification. FIG. 18B is a diagram schematically showing a recess 579Wb as a liquid holding portion formed on the facing surface 570Yb of the bottom surface cover member 57b of the second modified example. The difference between the above embodiment and the first and second modifications is the configuration of the recesses 579Wa and 579Wb. The configurations of the other container units 50a and 50b and the configuration of the liquid ejecting system are the same as those in the above-described embodiment. Therefore, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 18A, the bottom cover member 57a of the first modification has a recess 579Za as a liquid holding portion on the opposing surface 570Ya. The recess 579Za includes a first recess 579W and a second recess 579Va that intersect each other. A plurality of first and second recesses 579W and 579Va are formed.

  The plurality of first recesses 579W are arranged in the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction, first direction) over the entire longitudinal direction of the bottom cover body 578 in the liquid injection posture of the container unit 50a, as in the above embodiment. Each extends. The plurality of second recesses 579Va extend in the vertical direction (X-axis direction, second direction), respectively, in the liquid injection posture. The second recesses 579Va are arranged in a zigzag pattern. That is, with respect to the vertical direction (X-axis direction) in the liquid injection posture, the plurality of second recesses 579Va in the formation range of the first recess 579W are arranged not in a straight line but in a chopped shape. Here, the size of the first and second recesses 579W and 579Va is not particularly limited, but may be set to a size that can hold ink by capillary force.

  As described above, the container unit 50a according to the first modification includes the recess 579Z on the facing surface 570Ya of the bottom cover member 57a. Therefore, the ink is held by the recess 579Z. This can reduce the possibility of ink flowing out of the container unit 50a, as in the above embodiment. Further, in the container unit 50a, the second concave portions 579 are arranged in a staggered manner. Thereby, the ink which exists in the specific part of the recessed part 579Za can be smoothly disperse | distributed by several 1st and 2nd recessed parts 579W and 579Va. Thereby, the surface area of the ink held in the recess 579Za can be further increased, and the evaporation of the ink can be further promoted. Therefore, the possibility of ink flowing out of the container unit 50 can be further reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 18B, the bottom cover member 57b of the second modified example has a concave portion 579Wb (also referred to as “third concave portion 579Wb”) as a liquid holding portion on the opposing surface 570Yb. The recess 579Wb is groove-shaped and extends in a direction along the virtual line ML without intersecting with the virtual line ML connecting the plurality of adjacent openings 571. Specifically, each recess 579Wb is disposed without intersecting with the plurality of openings 571. Here, the size of the recess 579Wb is not particularly limited, but may be set to a size that can hold ink by capillary force.

  As described above, the container unit 50b according to the second modification includes the recess 579Zb on the facing surface 570Yb of the bottom cover member 57b. Therefore, the ink is held by the recess 579Zb. This can reduce the possibility of ink flowing out of the container unit 50b as in the above embodiment. Further, in the container unit 50b, the recess 579Zb extends in a direction along the virtual line ML. Thereby, even when the ink moves in the recess 579Zb, the moved ink can be prevented from reaching the opening 571. Therefore, the possibility that ink flows out from the opening 571 can be reduced.

B-2. Third modification:
FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining a third modification. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating the air accommodating chamber 330c of the ink tank 30c according to the third modification. The difference from the above embodiment is the configuration of the partition wall 334c as the suppressing portion. Since the configuration of the liquid ejecting system 1 including the other container units 50 is the same as that of the above embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations and the description thereof is omitted.

  Similar to the above embodiment, the partition wall 334c divides the air accommodating chamber 330c into an opening side accommodating chamber 331c where the air chamber opening 318 is located and a communication path side accommodating chamber 332c where the one end side opening 351 is located. The partition wall 334c has an arc shape. Further, the partition wall 334c is formed with a partition wall opening 335c that allows the opening-side storage chamber 331 and the communication path-side storage chamber 332 to communicate with each other by cutting out a portion in contact with the film 34.

  As described above, even when the partition wall 334c is formed in an arc shape, the ink flow to the air chamber opening 318 is suppressed when the ink flows from the liquid storage chamber 340 into the air storage chamber 330 as in the above embodiment. it can.

  In addition, although the said Example and the said 3rd modification used the partition 334,334c (FIG. 17, FIG. 19) which divides the air accommodating chamber 330,330c as a control part, it is not limited to this. That is, the ink is directed from the second flow path 350 to the air chamber opening 318 in the middle of the path from the second flow path 350 (liquid communication path 350) to the air chamber opening 318 (also simply referred to as “path”). It suffices if a configuration for suppressing the flow of is provided. That is, the suppression unit can employ a configuration in which the flow path resistance of a part of the path is higher than the flow path resistance of the remaining part.

  For example, a check valve may be provided in the middle of the path from the second flow path 350 to the air chamber opening 318 in the air accommodating chamber 330. This check valve is configured to allow the flow of fluid from the air chamber opening 318 toward the second flow path 350 but to block the flow of fluid from the second flow path 350 to the air chamber opening 318. The Moreover, you may make the middle part of a path | route into the elongate meandering flow path.

  In addition, for example, in the middle of the path from the second flow path 350 to the air chamber opening 318, a wall that intersects the vertical direction in the liquid supply posture of the container unit 50 (for example, the first suppression wall in the above embodiment). Only 334V, FIG. 17) may be provided. Furthermore, the wall that intersects the vertical direction is not necessarily a horizontal wall. For example, in the liquid supply posture of the container unit 50, the first suppression wall 334V may be inclined at a predetermined angle (for example, not less than 0 degrees and not more than 45 degrees) with respect to the horizontal direction. Even in this case, since the ink tank has a wall that intersects the vertical direction, the flow of ink from the second flow path 350 toward the air chamber opening 318 can be suppressed. In particular, even when ink flows from the liquid storage chamber 340 into the air storage chamber 330 in a posture in which the liquid supply posture and the liquid supply posture are inverted, the possibility that the ink that has flowed in reaches the air chamber opening 318 can be reduced.

  In addition, for example, in the middle of the path from the second flow path 350 to the air chamber opening 318, a wall that intersects the vertical direction in the liquid injection posture of the container unit 50 (for example, the second suppression wall in the above embodiment). 334Y, FIG. 17) alone may be provided. Furthermore, the wall that intersects the vertical direction is not necessarily a horizontal wall. For example, in the liquid injection posture of the container unit 50, the second suppression wall 334Y may be inclined at a predetermined angle (for example, not less than 0 degrees and not more than 45 degrees) with respect to the horizontal direction. Even in this case, since the ink tank has a wall that intersects the vertical direction, the flow of ink from the second flow path 350 toward the air chamber opening 318 can be suppressed. In particular, even if ink flows from the liquid storage chamber 340 into the air storage chamber 330 in a posture in which the liquid injection posture and the liquid injection posture are reversed, the possibility that the ink that has flowed in reaches the air chamber opening 318 can be reduced.

B-3. Fourth modification:
In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the first recess 579W provided in the bottom cover members 57 and 57a extends in the horizontal direction in the liquid injection posture (FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 18). A))), but is not limited to this. The first recess 579W only needs to extend in the first direction having a horizontal component. For example, in the liquid injection posture, the first recess 579W may be inclined at a predetermined angle range (for example, a range greater than 0 degree and 45 degrees or less) with respect to the horizontal direction. Even in this case, in the liquid injection posture of the container units 50 and 50a, it is possible to suppress the ink existing in the first recess 579W from moving vertically downward due to gravity.

B-4. Fifth modification:
In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the second recesses 579V and 579Va provided in the bottom cover members 57 and 57a extend in the vertical direction in the liquid injection posture (FIGS. 7A and 7B). 18 (A))), but is not limited thereto. As long as it intersects with the first recess 579W, the second recesses 579V and 579Va only need to extend in the second direction having the vertical component in the liquid injection posture. For example, in the liquid injection posture, the second recesses 579V and 579Va may be inclined at a predetermined angle range (for example, a range of greater than 0 degree and less than 45 degrees) with respect to the vertical direction. Even in this case, in the liquid injection posture of the container units 50 and 50a, the second recesses 579V and 579Va can prevent ink from staying in one of the plurality of first recesses 579W. That is, the ink is diffused to the other first concave portion 579W through the second concave portions 579V and Va. Therefore, it is possible to promote the evaporation of the ink existing in the bottom cover members 57 and 57a.

B-5. Sixth modification:
In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the bottom surface cover members 57, 57a, and 57b have the recesses 579Z, 579Za, and 579Zb as the liquid holding portions on the opposing surfaces 570Y, 570Ya, and 570Yb. A configuration may be adopted. For example, in place of the configuration in which the concave portions 579Z, 579Za, and 579Zb are formed in the opposing surfaces 570Y, 57a, and 57b, the opposing surfaces 570Y, 57a, and 57b have a property (water absorption) that allows ink to be held therein by capillary force. You may arrange | position a porous member (for example, sponge). Even in this case, the possibility of ink flowing out of the container units 50, 50a, 50b can be reduced as in the above embodiment. Moreover, you may use combining the recessed part 579Z, 579Za, 579Zb, and a porous member.

B-6. Seventh modification:
In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the recesses 579Z, 579Za, and 579Zb provided on the facing surfaces 570Y, 570Ya, and 570Yb have a groove shape, but are not limited thereto. For example, the concave portion may be a hollow such as a hemispherical shape or a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Specifically, a plurality of concave portions having a predetermined shape may be provided in the entire area of the opposing surfaces 570Y, 570Ya, and 570Yb. The size of the recess is not particularly limited, but may be a size that can hold ink by capillary force. As described above, even when the concave portion is formed in a hemispherical shape or a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the possibility of ink flowing out of the container units 50, 50a, and 50b due to the concave portion can be reduced as in the above embodiment.

B-7. Eighth modification:
In the above-described embodiment, the air chamber opening 318 is disposed at a predetermined interval from the inner surface that defines the air accommodating chamber 330, but is not limited thereto. At least, the air chamber opening 318 includes a first portion that is the lowest portion in the liquid supply posture, a second portion that is the highest portion, a third portion that is the lowest portion in the liquid injection posture, What is necessary is just to be arrange | positioned at predetermined intervals from the 4th part used as a high part, respectively. In this way, in the postures that the ink tank 30 can take, the air chamber opening in the postures that are likely to be taken (the liquid supply posture and the opposite posture and the liquid injection posture and the opposite posture). The possibility of ink flowing into 318 can be reduced.

B-8. Ninth modification:
In the above-described embodiment, the ink tank 30 used in the printer 12 as the liquid container has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an apparatus including a color material ejection head such as a liquid crystal display, an organic Equipment with electrode material (conductive paste) jet head used for electrode formation such as EL display, surface emitting display (FED), etc., equipment with bio-organic matter jet head used for biochip manufacturing, sample jet as precision pipette The present invention can be applied to a liquid storage container that can supply a liquid to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as an apparatus including a head, a textile printing apparatus, or a microdispenser, and includes a liquid inlet. When a liquid container is used in the various liquid ejecting apparatuses described above, a liquid (coloring material, conductive paste, bioorganic matter, etc.) corresponding to the type of liquid ejected by the various liquid ejecting apparatuses is placed inside the liquid container. Can be accommodated. The present invention can also be applied to a liquid ejecting system including various liquid ejecting apparatuses and a liquid container used for the various liquid ejecting apparatuses.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Liquid injection system 10 ... Case 12 ... Inkjet printer (printer)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... Paper feed part 14 ... Paper discharge part 15 ... Holding plate 16 ... Carriage 16a ... Ink supply needle 17 ... Recording head 18 ... Rail 19 ... Hose fixing mechanism 20 ... Sub tank 23 ... Hose 30, 30c, 30Y, 30Z ... Ink Tank 32 ... Tank body 34 ... Film 50, 50a, 50b ... Container unit 51 ... Cover member 53 ... Ruler 54 ... Top cover member 55 ... Connection cover member 56 ... First side cover member 57, 57a, 57b ... Bottom cover member 58 ... Second side cover member 60 ... Container unit 70 ... Valve unit 71 ... Handle 76 ... Opening / closing part 77 ... First member 78 ... Second member 120 ... Fixing part 121 ... Opening 152 ... Hole 154 ... Through hole 182 ... 1st rail fixing | fixed part 183 ... Hole 184 ... 2nd rail fixing | fixed part 186 ... Fitting part 2 2 ... liquid acquisition portion 204 ... ink storage chamber 206 ... filter 208 ... ink flow path 300 ... atmosphere open passage 302 ... stopper member 304 ... liquid inlet 306 ... liquid lead portion 310 ... atmosphere communication path (first flow path)
312 ... Gas-liquid separation chamber 313 ... Bank 314 ... Communication channel 316 ... Film 317 ... Air inlet 318 ... Air chamber opening 320 ... Communication channel 322 ... Film 324 ... Projection 325a ... Notch 328 ... Positioning unit 330 ... Air Storage chamber 330Z ... Projection part 330c ... Air storage chamber 330Va ... First air chamber upper surface 330Vb ... Third air chamber bottom surface 330Vc ... Second air chamber bottom surface 330Vd ... Third air chamber upper surface 330Za ... Tip surface 330Ve ... Second air chamber upper surface 330Vf: first air chamber bottom surface 331, 331c ... opening side accommodation chamber 332, 332c ... communication path side accommodation chamber 334, 334c ... partition wall 334V ... first suppression wall 334Y ... second suppression wall 335, 335c ... partition wall opening 340 ... Liquid storage chamber 349 ... Liquid outlet part 350 ... Liquid communication path (second flow path)
351: Opening on one end side 352: Opening on the other end side 366 ... First mounting hole 367 ... Second mounting hole 368 ... Third mounting hole 369 ... Member mounting portion 370 ... Opening side surface (opening wall portion)
370b ... Opposing wall (side wall)
370c1 ... 1st wall part 370c2 ... 2nd wall part 370c4 ... Side wall part (opposite side wall part)
380 ... Rib 399 ... Hole 542 ... Recess 550 ... Connection cover member 552 ... Fixing part 554 ... Claw part 561 ... Mounting part 562 ... Hole 563 ... Through hole 564 ... Fitting part 570, 570Ya, Yb ... Opposing surface 570W ... Bottom surface 570Y ... opposing surface 571, 571U ... opening 572, 573 ... bottom cover wall part 575 ... peripheral edge part 578 ... bottom cover body 579W, 579Wa ... first recess 579Z, 579Za, 579Zb ... recess 579V, Va ... second recess 579Wb ... Third recess 581 ... Mounting portion 582 ... Hole 584 ... Protrusion 761 ... Opening 762 ... Case body 764 ... Cam 768 ... Slider 772, 772a, 772c ... Opening 782a ... Opening 782b ... Opening 786 ... Opening 786 ... Protrusion G ... Bubble d1 ... Water head difference LB ... Upper limit ML ML ... Virtual line LM ... Upper limit line LY ... arrow Yb ... opposite surface sf ... horizontal plane

Claims (8)

A liquid container disposed outside the liquid ejecting apparatus and configured to circulate liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus via a flow pipe;
A liquid storage chamber for storing the liquid;
An air chamber for containing air;
A liquid communication path for communicating the liquid storage chamber and the air storage chamber, wherein one end side opening which is one end is located in the air storage chamber;
An air communication path for communicating the air storage chamber and the outside, wherein an air chamber opening at one end is located in the air storage chamber;
A liquid injection port for injecting the liquid into the liquid storage chamber, and a liquid injection port to which a plug member for closing the liquid injection port is attached.
The air chamber opening is
In the liquid supply posture when supplying the liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus, a predetermined interval in the vertical direction from the first portion that is the lowest portion and the second portion that is the highest portion of the air accommodating chamber. Arranged with a gap, and
In the liquid injection posture when injecting the liquid into the liquid storage chamber, the third portion that is the lowest portion of the air storage chamber and the predetermined interval from the fourth portion that is the highest portion in the vertical direction. A liquid container placed with a gap. The liquid container according to claim 1,
The air chamber opening is an inner surface of a wall surface section that defines the air storage chamber, and is a liquid storage container disposed at a predetermined interval from the inner surface including the first to fourth portions. The liquid container according to claim 2, further comprising:
A projecting portion projecting into the air accommodating chamber from the wall surface portion defining the air accommodating chamber, and including a projecting portion in which a part of the air communication path is formed inside;
The air chamber opening is a liquid storage container formed on one end face of the protrusion. The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The air accommodating chamber is
A liquid container having a suppressing portion for suppressing a flow of the liquid from the liquid communication path toward the air chamber opening in the middle of a path from the liquid communication path to the air chamber opening. The liquid container according to claim 4,
The suppression unit is a first suppression wall that intersects the vertical direction in the liquid supply posture, and is located between the one end side opening and the air chamber opening in the vertical direction in the liquid supply posture. A liquid container including a restraining wall. The liquid container according to claim 4 or 5, wherein
The suppression unit is a second suppression wall that intersects the vertical direction in the liquid injection posture, and is a second wall that is located between the one end side opening and the air chamber opening in the vertical direction in the liquid injection posture. A liquid container including a restraining wall. The liquid container according to claim 4,
The restraining portion converts the air storage chamber into an opening-side storage chamber in which the air chamber opening is positioned, and a communication path-side storage chamber positioned between the opening-side storage chamber and the liquid communication path in the path. A partition wall,
The partition wall is a liquid storage container in which a partition wall opening that connects the opening side storage chamber and the communication path side storage chamber is formed. A liquid ejection system,
The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A liquid ejecting apparatus having a head for ejecting the liquid onto an object;
A liquid ejecting system, comprising: a flow pipe that connects the liquid ejecting apparatus and the liquid storage container and distributes the liquid in the liquid storage chamber to the liquid ejecting apparatus.

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