JP6387693B2 - tank - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a tank that can be refilled with liquid through an inlet.

  Conventionally, a tank that can be replenished with liquid through an inlet is known. For example, in Patent Document 1, a liquid replenishing container is inserted into an inlet provided on the upper surface of the liquid container, and the liquid in the liquid replenishing container is allowed to flow out through the replenishing port, thereby supplying the liquid into the liquid container. A replenishment configuration is disclosed.

Special table 2012-106363 gazette

  However, according to the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the liquid flowing out from the replenishing port collides with the bottom surface of the liquid container to generate bubbles. And when the liquid level of the liquid stored in the liquid container rises, bubbles may overflow from the injection port. On the other hand, it is difficult for a user who wants to replenish the liquid container through the inlet to recognize the position of the liquid surface where bubbles may overflow from the inlet.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the object thereof is to prevent bubbles generated from the replenished liquid from overflowing from the injection port and possibly causing bubbles to overflow from the injection port. An object of the present invention is to provide a tank that allows a user to easily recognize the position of a certain liquid level.

  (1) A tank according to an embodiment of the present invention stores a liquid for supplying a liquid to a liquid consumption unit. The tank is a wall that defines a liquid storage chamber capable of storing a liquid, and is provided with an upper wall that defines an upper end of the liquid storage chamber and a direction that intersects with the upper wall and is disposed in the liquid storage chamber. A standing wall in which liquid is visible from the outside of the tank; an inlet through the upper wall or the standing wall for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber; and the standing wall from the inner surface of the standing wall below the inlet And a partition wall separating a part of the liquid storage chamber in the vertical direction. The vertical wall extends in the horizontal direction at the same position as the upper end position of the base end portion of the partition wall in contact with the inner surface of the vertical wall or in the vertical direction and overlaps with the base end portion. An upper limit instruction line for instructing the user on the position to be the upper limit of the liquid to be injected into the liquid storage chamber is formed.

  According to the tank having the above configuration, the partition wall that vertically separates a part of the liquid storage chamber is provided, and the upper limit instruction line is provided at a position where the liquid level of the liquid replenished in the liquid storage chamber does not exceed the partition wall. As a result, it is possible to suppress the bubbles generated from the replenished liquid from overflowing from the inlet, and to allow the user to easily recognize the position of the liquid surface where the bubbles may overflow from the inlet. it can.

  The liquid storage chamber is configured to be able to store liquid beyond the upper limit instruction line. However, when the liquid is injected to a position exceeding the upper limit instruction line, bubbles generated from the liquid may overflow from the injection port. That is, the “position that should be the upper limit of the liquid to be injected into the liquid storage chamber” indicated by the upper limit instruction line, for example, suppresses bubbles generated from the liquid injected into the liquid storage chamber from overflowing from the injection port. It is the position set to do. In other words, the upper limit instruction line is a line that instructs the user to inject liquid into the liquid storage chamber within a range not exceeding the position.

  (2) Preferably, the base end portion extends in the horizontal direction and functions as the upper limit indicating line that is visible from the outside of the tank through the standing wall.

  According to the above configuration, the liquid level of the liquid replenished in the liquid storage chamber can be suppressed from exceeding the partition wall, and an independent process for forming the upper limit instruction line is not required, so that the tank manufacturing process is simplified. be able to.

  (3) For example, the thickness of the base end portion in the vertical direction is thinner at the center in the extending direction of the base end portion than at both ends.

  (4) Preferably, a groove extending along the horizontal direction is formed on the outer surface of the standing wall at a position corresponding to the base end portion.

  According to the said structure, it becomes easy to visually recognize the base end part of the partition which functions as an upper limit instruction | indication line from the outer side of a tank.

  (5) As another example, the upper limit indicating line is drawn on the outer surface of the standing wall.

  (6) For example, the partition is formed with an opening that communicates the space above and below the partition of the liquid storage chamber and increases in area as the distance from the standing wall increases.

  (7) Preferably, a notification symbol for notifying that the upper limit indicating line indicates the position to be the upper limit of the liquid to be injected into the liquid storage chamber through the injection port is formed on the outer surface of the standing wall. Has been.

  According to the said structure, a user can be made to recognize clearly what the upper limit instruction | indication line provided in the standing wall shows.

  (8) For example, the standing wall is inclined to the liquid storage chamber side from the upper end of the base wall in the vertical direction and the base wall standing in the vertical direction, and the inlet is formed. It consists of a wall. The partition wall is in contact with the inner surface of the standing wall at a boundary position between the base wall and the inclined wall.

  (9) In the tank according to another aspect of the present invention, a liquid for supplying a liquid to the liquid consumption unit is stored. The tank is a wall that defines a liquid storage chamber capable of storing a liquid, and is provided with an upper wall that defines an upper end of the liquid storage chamber and a direction that intersects with the upper wall and is disposed in the liquid storage chamber. A standing wall in which liquid is visible from the outside of the tank; an inlet through the upper wall or the standing wall for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber; and the standing wall from the inner surface of the standing wall below the inlet And a partition wall separating a part of the liquid storage chamber in the vertical direction. At least one line is formed on the standing wall. And the uppermost line of the at least one line is the same as the upper end position of the base end part of the partition wall in contact with the inner surface of the upright wall or in the horizontal direction at the position overlapping the base end part below the vertical direction. Extending along.

  According to the present invention, by providing a partition that vertically separates a part of the liquid storage chamber, and by providing an upper limit indicating line at a position where the liquid level of the liquid replenished in the liquid storage chamber does not exceed the partition, The bubbles generated from the replenished liquid can be prevented from overflowing from the inlet, and the user can easily recognize the position of the liquid surface where the bubbles may overflow from the inlet.

1A and 1B are external perspective views of the multifunction machine 10, in which FIG. 1A shows a state where the cover 70 is closed, and FIG. 1B shows a state where the cover 70 is opened. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal 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 front perspective view of the ink tank 100. FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the ink tank 100. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. FIG. 8 is a right side view of the ink tank 100. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along IX (A) -IX (A) in FIG. 8, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along IX (B) -IX (B) in FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the ink chamber 111B at the position of the inlet 112B. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing the positional relationship between the partition wall 135B and the upper limit instruction line 138, in which FIG. 11A is a front view of the ink tank 100 at the position of the ink chamber 111B, and FIG. 11B is a vertical sectional perspective view of the ink chamber 111B. (C) is a figure which shows the modification of the outer surface of the front wall 101. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. Further, in the following description, the advance from the starting point of the arrow to the ending point is expressed as the direction, and the traffic on the line connecting the starting point and the ending point of the arrow is expressed as the direction. That is, the direction is a component of the direction. The upward and downward directions are each a component of the vertical direction 7 and are opposite to each other. Each of the leftward direction and the rightward direction is a component of the left-right direction 9 (an example of the second direction) and is opposite to each other. The forward direction and the backward direction are each a component of the front-rear direction 8 (an example of the first direction) and are opposite to each other. In this embodiment, the up-down direction 7 corresponds to the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 correspond to the horizontal direction.

  Further, the state in which the multifunction machine 10 is installed so as to be usable (the state shown in FIG. 1 and may be referred to as “use state”) or the posture (the posture in FIG. 1 and “use posture”). The vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to the front side (front surface) as the front side (front side) of the multifunction device 10 where the opening 13 is provided, and the multifunction device 10 is defined as the front side (front side). A left-right direction 9 is defined as viewed from the front.

[Overall configuration of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The multifunction machine 10 includes a printer unit 11 that records an image on a sheet 12 (see FIG. 2) by an inkjet recording method at a lower portion of a casing. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding unit 15, a feeding tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a transport roller unit 54, a recording unit 24, a discharge roller unit 55, and a platen 42. And an ink tank 100 (an example of a tank). The multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The multifunction machine 10 is an example of a liquid ejection device or a liquid consumption device.

[Feed tray 20, discharge tray 21]
As shown in FIG. 1, the feeding tray 20 is inserted into and removed from the multifunction device 10 in the front-rear direction 8 through the opening 13 formed in the front surface of the multifunction device 10 and in the central portion in the left-right direction 9. The feeding tray 20 can support a plurality of stacked sheets 12. The discharge tray 21 is disposed above the feeding tray 20 and is inserted and removed together with the feeding tray 20. The discharge tray 21 supports the paper 12 discharged from between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42 by the discharge roller unit 55.

[Feeding unit 15]
The feeding unit 15 feeds the paper 12 supported by the feeding tray 20 to the conveyance path 65. As shown in FIG. 2, the feeding unit 15 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, and a shaft 27. The feeding roller 25 is rotatably supported on the leading end side of the feeding arm 26. The feeding roller 25 rotates in a direction in which the paper 12 is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16 by a reverse rotation of a conveyance motor (not shown). Hereinafter, the rotation of the feeding roller 25, the conveyance roller 60, and the discharge roller 62 in the direction in which the paper 12 is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16 is referred to as “normal rotation”. The feeding arm 26 is rotatably supported on a shaft 27 supported by the frame of the printer unit 11. The feeding arm 26 is urged to rotate toward the feeding tray 20 by its own weight or an elastic force by a spring or the like.

[Conveyance path 65]
As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance path 65 indicates a space formed by an outer guide member 18 and an inner guide member 19 that are partially opposed to each other at a predetermined interval inside the printer unit 11. The conveyance path 65 is a path extending from the rear end portion of the feeding tray 20 to the rear side of the printer unit 11. The conveyance path 65 is a path that makes a U-turn while extending upward from below on the rear side of the printer unit 11, and reaches the discharge tray 21 through a space between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the conveyance path 65 between the conveyance roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 is provided at a substantially central portion of the multifunction machine 10 in the left-right direction 9, and in the front-rear direction 8. It extends. Note that the conveyance direction 16 of the paper 12 in the conveyance path 65 is indicated by a one-dot chain line arrow in FIG.

[Conveying roller unit 54]
As shown in FIG. 2, the transport roller unit 54 is disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction 16 from the recording unit 24. The conveyance roller unit 54 includes a conveyance roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 that face each other. The conveyance roller 60 is driven by a conveyance motor. The pinch roller 61 is rotated along with the rotation of the conveyance roller 60. The sheet 12 is nipped by a conveyance roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 that are normally rotated by the normal rotation of the conveyance motor, and is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16.

[Discharge roller section 55]
As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge roller portion 55 is disposed downstream of the recording portion 24 in the transport direction 16. The discharge roller unit 55 includes a discharge roller 62 and a spur 63 that face each other. The discharge roller 62 is driven by a transport motor. The spur 63 is rotated along with the rotation of the discharge roller 62. The sheet 12 is nipped by a discharge roller 62 and a spur 63 that are normally rotated by the normal rotation of the conveyance motor, and is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16.

[Recording unit 24]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 24 is disposed between the conveyance roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 in the conveyance direction 16. The recording unit 24 is disposed so as to face the platen 42 in the up and down direction 7 with the conveyance path 65 interposed therebetween. That is, the recording unit 24 is disposed above the transport path 65 in the vertical direction 7 and at a position facing the transport path 65. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 23 and a recording head 39 (an example of a head or a liquid consumption unit).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage 23 is supported by guide rails 43 and 44 that extend in the left-right direction 9 at positions spaced in the front-rear direction 8. The guide rails 43 and 44 are supported by the frame of the printer unit 11. The carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism provided on the guide rail 44. This belt mechanism is driven by a carriage motor (not shown). That is, the carriage 23 connected to the belt mechanism reciprocates in the left-right direction 9 by driving the carriage motor. The movement range of the carriage 23 extends from the conveyance path 65 to the right and left in the left-right direction 9 as indicated by the one-dot chain line in FIG.

  Also, from the carriage 23, an ink tube 32 that connects the ink tank 100 and the recording head 39, a control board on which a control unit (not shown) is mounted, and a flexible flat cable 33 that electrically connects the recording head 39 are provided. It has been extended. The ink tube 32 supplies the ink stored in the ink tank 100 to the recording head 39. More specifically, four ink tubes 32B, 32M, 32C, and 32Y through which ink of each color (black, magenta, cyan, and yellow) circulates (these may be collectively referred to as “ink tube 32”). .) Are extended from the ink tank 100 and connected to the carriage 23 in a bundled state. The flexible flat cable 33 transmits a control signal output from the control unit to the recording head 39.

  The recording head 39 is mounted on the carriage 23 as shown in FIG. A plurality of nozzles 40 are formed on the lower surface of the recording head 39. The tips of the plurality of nozzles 40 are exposed from the lower surface of the recording head 39 and the carriage 23 on which the recording head 39 is mounted. Hereinafter, the surface where the tip of the nozzle 40 is exposed may be referred to as a “nozzle surface”. The recording head 39 ejects ink from the nozzle 40 as fine ink droplets. In the process of moving the carriage 23, the recording head 39 ejects ink droplets toward the paper 12 supported by the platen 42. As a result, an image is recorded on the paper 12.

[Platen 42]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the platen 42 is disposed between the transport roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 in the transport direction 16. The platen 42 is disposed so as to face the recording unit 24 in the vertical direction 7 and supports the paper 12 conveyed by the conveyance roller unit 54 from below.

[Ink tank 100]
As shown in FIG. 1, the ink tank 100 is accommodated in the multifunction machine 10. The ink tank 100 is fixed to the multifunction device 10 so that it cannot be easily removed from the multifunction device 10. More specifically, the ink tank 100 is accommodated in the multifunction peripheral 10 through an opening 22 formed on the front surface of the casing of the multifunction peripheral 10 and at the right end in the left-right direction 9. The opening 22 is adjacent to the opening 13 in the left-right direction 9. However, the front surface of the ink tank 100 (a part of a base wall 101A and an inclined wall 101B described later) is in front of the opening 22 in the front-rear direction 8 (more specifically, in front of the front wall of the casing that defines the opening 22). To position.

  The multifunction machine 10 is provided with a box-shaped cover 70 that can cover the front surface of the ink tank 100 positioned in front of the opening 22. The cover 70 covers the opening 22 and the front surface of the ink tank 100 (see FIG. 1A), and the exposed position that exposes the opening 22 and the front surface of the ink tank 100 to the outside of the multifunction machine 10 (FIG. 1B). )), And is supported by the casing of the multi-function device 10. The cover 70 in the present embodiment is supported by the casing of the multifunction machine 10 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction 9 on the lower end side in the up-down direction 7.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ink tank 100 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The ink tank 100 includes a front wall 101, a right wall 102, a left wall 103, an upper wall 104, and a lower wall 105. On the other hand, the rear surface of the ink tank 100 is open. The film 106 is welded to the rear end surfaces of the right wall 102, the left wall 103, the upper wall 104, and the lower wall 105, whereby the rear surface of the ink tank 100 is sealed. That is, the film 106 forms the rear wall of the ink tank 100. The ink tank 100 having the above configuration is integrally formed by, for example, injection molding of a resin material. For example, the internal shape of the ink tank 100 to be described later is defined by a mold (not shown) that is pulled backward from the opened rear surface of the ink tank 100.

  The upper wall 104 defines the upper end of the ink chamber 111 in the vertical direction 7. The lower wall 105 defines the lower end of the ink chamber 111 in the vertical direction 7. The front wall 101, the right wall 102, and the left wall 103, which are examples of standing walls, are erected between the upper wall 104 and the lower wall 105 so as to intersect the upper wall 104 and the lower wall 105. Each of the walls 101 to 105 has at least translucency so that the ink in the ink chamber 111 is visible from the outside of the ink tank 100. The front wall 101 is composed of a base wall 101A extending from the lower wall 105 in the vertical direction 7 and an inclined wall 101B connected to the upper end of the base wall 101A and inclined with respect to the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. Yes. The inclined wall 101B is inclined rearward with respect to the base wall 101A. In addition, an upper limit instruction line 138, a lower limit instruction line 141, and notification symbols 139 and 142 are formed on the front wall 101.

  The upper limit instruction line 138 is a line for instructing the user the position that should be the upper limit of the ink that is injected into the ink chamber 111 through the injection port 112. The upper limit instruction line 138 extends substantially linearly along the left-right direction 9. In this specification, “extending along the direction” is not limited to being completely coincident with the direction, and a certain amount of deviation is allowed. The notification symbol 139 is a symbol for notifying the role of the upper limit instruction line 138. The notification symbol 139 of the present embodiment is an equilateral triangle in which one of the apexes faces vertically upward. However, the specific shape of the notification symbol 139 is not limited to this. For example, it is only necessary for the user to understand that the upper limit instruction line 138 indicates a position to be the upper limit of ink, such as “Full” or “100”.

  The lower limit instruction line 141 is a line for instructing the user of the position to be maintained as the lower limit of the liquid level of the ink stored in the ink chamber 111. The lower limit instruction line 141 extends substantially linearly along the left-right direction 9. The notification symbol 142 is a symbol for reporting the role of the lower limit instruction line 141. The notification symbol 142 of the present embodiment is an equilateral triangle in which one of the apexes faces vertically downward, and is provided above the lower limit instruction line 141, for example. However, the specific shape of the notification symbol 142 is not limited to this. For example, it is only necessary for the user to understand that the lower limit instruction line 141 indicates the position to be maintained as the lower limit of the liquid level of the ink stored in the ink chamber 111, such as “Empty” or “0”.

  The lower wall 105 defines the lower end of the ink chamber 111. As shown in FIG. 7, the lower wall 105 includes an upper stage wall 145, a lower stage wall 146, and a connection wall 147. The upper wall 145 contacts the inner surface of the front wall 101 (more specifically, the base wall 101A). The lower step wall 146 contacts the inner surface of the film 106. The lower step wall 146 is located below the upper step wall 145 and behind the upper step wall 145. That is, the lower step wall 146 is arranged at a position away from the base wall 101A. The connection wall 147 connects the upper step wall 145 and the lower step wall 146 between the upper step wall 145 and the lower step wall 146 in the front-rear direction 8. Specifically, the connection wall 147 has an upper end connected to the rear end of the upper stage wall 145 and a lower end connected to the front end of the lower stage wall 145.

  A base end portion 148B of the upper step wall 145B in contact with the front wall 101 extends along the left-right direction 9 throughout the ink chamber 111B. The upper wall 145B extends from the base end portion 148B in the horizontal direction, in other words, in the direction orthogonal to the base wall 101A of the front wall 101. The base end portion 148 </ b> B is visible from the outside of the ink tank 100 through the front wall 101. And the base end part 148B of this embodiment functions as the lower limit instruction line 141. That is, in the present embodiment, the positions of the base end portion 148 </ b> B and the lower limit instruction line 141 in the vertical direction 7 coincide with each other. On the other hand, the notification symbol 142 is drawn on the outer surface of the front wall 101. “Drawing the notification symbol 142” includes, for example, printing on the outer surface of the front wall 101, attaching a tape or the like to the outer surface of the front wall 101, and the like.

[Ink chamber 111]
Inside the ink tank 100, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of partition walls 107, 108, and 109 are provided to partition the internal space. Each of the partition walls 107, 108, and 109 extends in the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8, and is connected to the front wall 101, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, and the film 106. Further, the partition walls 107 to 109 are spaced apart in the left-right direction 9. As a result, the internal space of the ink tank 100 is partitioned into four ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y adjacent in the left-right direction 9. The ink chamber 111 is an example of a liquid storage chamber that stores ink discharged from the nozzles 40.

  The ink chamber 111 </ b> B is a space defined by the front wall 101, the right wall 102, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, the film 106, and the partition wall 107. The ink chamber 111M is a space defined by the front wall 101, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, the film 106, and the partition walls 107 and 108. The ink chamber 111 </ b> C is a space defined by the front wall 101, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, the film 106, and the partition walls 108 and 109. The ink chamber 111 </ b> Y is a space defined by the front wall 101, the left wall 103, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, the film 106, and the partition wall 109.

  Hereinafter, the ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y may be collectively referred to as “ink chamber 111”. Further, four constituent elements corresponding to each ink chamber 111 are given different reference numbers only in the last alphabet (B, M, C, Y). Sometimes abbreviated.

  Each ink chamber 111 stores different colors of ink. Specifically, black ink is stored in the ink chamber 111B, cyan ink is stored in the ink chamber 111C, magenta ink is stored in the ink chamber 111M, and yellow ink is stored in the ink chamber 111Y. Each color ink is an example of a liquid. However, the number of ink chambers 111 and the ink color are not limited to the above example. The ink chamber 111 is arranged along the left-right direction 9. Of the four ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y, the ink chamber 111B is disposed on the rightmost side, and the ink chamber 111Y is disposed on the leftmost side. Further, the ink chamber 111B has a larger volume than the other ink chambers 111M, 111C, and 111Y.

[Inlet 112]
The inclined wall 101B of the ink tank 100 is provided with inlets 112B, 112M, 112C, and 112Y for injecting ink into the ink chambers 111. The inlet 112 penetrates the inclined wall 101B in the thickness direction, and connects the corresponding ink chamber 111 to the outside of the ink tank 100. The inclined wall 101 </ b> B has an inner surface facing the ink chamber 111 and an outer surface facing the outside of the ink tank 100. The inclined wall 101B is inclined so that the outer surface is located above the inner surface. Accordingly, the inlet 112 directly connects the ink chamber 111 and the outside of the ink tank 100. That is, there is no flow path between the injection port 112 and the ink chamber 111 that has a smaller sectional area than the injection port and is bent. Further, the inlet 112 may be provided in the upper wall 104 instead of the inclined wall 101B.

  The inclined wall 101B and the inlet 112 provided in the inclined wall 101B are exposed to the outside of the multifunction machine 10 by positioning the cover 70 at the exposed position, as shown in FIG. The injection port 112 is provided in the inclined wall 101 </ b> B in front of the opening 22. In the present embodiment, the posture (injection posture) of the ink tank 100 when ink is injected into the ink chamber 111 through the injection port 112 coincides with the posture of the ink tank 100 when the multifunction machine 10 is in the use posture. That is, ink is injected into the ink chamber 111 through the injection port 112 when the multifunction machine 10 is in the use posture.

  The ink tank 100 includes caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y that can be attached to and detached from the inlet 112. As shown in FIG. 1A, the cap 113 attached to the injection port 112 is in close contact with the periphery of the injection port 112 to close the injection port 112. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1B, the cap 113 removed from the injection port 112 opens the injection port 112. The cap 113 is attached to and detached from the inlet 112 with the cover 70 positioned at the exposed position. In addition, by removing the cap 113 from the injection port 112, ink can be injected into the ink chamber 111.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, the cover 70 is provided with an opening that penetrates the central portion in the thickness direction. The upper limit instruction line 138, the lower limit instruction line 141, and the notification symbols 139 and 142 provided on the front wall 101 of the ink tank 101 are exposed so as to be visible from the outside of the multifunction machine 10 through the opening of the cover 70 at the covering position. Has been.

[Ink outflow path 114]
As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, ink outflow paths 114 </ b> B, 114 </ b> M, 114 </ b> C, 114 </ b> Y (an example of a liquid outflow path) are connected to each ink chamber 111. The ink outflow passage 114 is a passage through which ink stored in the corresponding ink chamber 111 flows out of the ink tank 100. In the present embodiment, the ink outflow path 114 is a flow path from the corresponding ink chamber 111 to the right side surface of the ink tank 100 (that is, the outer surface of the right wall 102).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink outflow path 114Y communicates with the ink chamber 111Y through an opening 115Y provided near the lower end of the partition wall 109 that defines the right surface of the ink chamber 111Y. The opening 115Y is formed in the partition wall 109 at a position surrounded by the lower step wall 146Y and the connection wall 147Y (more specifically, below the upper step wall 145Y and between the connection walls 147Y and 147C in the front-rear direction 8). ing. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the ink outflow path 114 </ b> Y reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the opening 116 </ b> Y provided in the right wall 102. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9A, the ink outflow path 114Y extends rightward from the opening 115Y along the left-right direction 9 on the front side of the ink chambers 111B, 111M, and 111C. It penetrates the wall 102 and reaches the opening 116Y (that is, the right side surface of the ink tank 100).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink outflow path 114C communicates with the ink chamber 111C through an opening 115C provided near the lower end of the partition wall 108 that defines the right surface of the ink chamber 111C. The opening 115C is formed in the partition wall 108 at a position surrounded by the lower step wall 146C and the connection wall 147C (more specifically, below the upper step wall 145C and between the connection walls 147C and 147M in the front-rear direction 8). ing. Further, the ink outflow path 114C reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the opening 116C provided in the right wall 102, as shown in FIG. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9A, the ink outflow passage 114C extends rightward from the opening 115C along the left-right direction 9 on the front side of the ink chambers 111B and 111M, and the right wall 102 To reach the opening 116C.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink outflow path 114 </ b> M communicates with the ink chamber 111 </ b> M through an opening 115 </ b> M provided near the lower end of the partition wall 107 that defines the right surface of the ink chamber 111 </ b> M. The opening 115M is formed in the partition wall 107 at a position surrounded by the lower step wall 146M and the connection wall 147M (more specifically, below the upper step wall 145M and between the connection walls 147M and 147B in the front-rear direction 8). ing. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the ink outflow path 114 </ b> M reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the opening 116 </ b> M provided in the right wall 102. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9A, the ink outflow passage 114M extends rightward from the opening 115M along the left-right direction 9 on the front side of the ink chamber 111B and penetrates the right wall 102. Then, the opening 116M is reached.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink outflow path 114 </ b> B communicates with the ink chamber 111 </ b> B through an opening 115 </ b> B provided near the boundary between the right wall 102 and the lower wall 105 that defines the right and bottom surfaces of the ink chamber 111 </ b> B. The opening 115B is formed in the connection wall 147B at a position surrounded by the lower step wall 146B and the connection wall 147B (ie, below the upper step wall 145B and behind the connection wall 147B). Above the opening 115B, a partition wall 110 is provided that intersects the direction of ink flow into the opening 115B (ie, downward in the vertical direction 7). Further, the ink outflow path 114B reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the opening 116B provided in the right wall 102, as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the ink outflow passage 114B extends forward from the opening 115M along the front-rear direction 8, and passes through the right wall 102 in front of the ink outflow passages 114M, 114C, 114Y to the opening 116B. It reaches. Further, the ink outflow path 114B extending in the front-rear direction 8 intersects with the ink outflow paths 114M, 114C, 114Y extending in the left-right direction 9. More specifically, the ink outflow path 114B extends forward under the ink outflow paths 114M, 114C, 114Y extending in the left-right direction 9.

  In addition, as FIG. 7 shows, the connection wall 147 located in the left side is arrange | positioned ahead. That is, the connection wall 147Y is positioned in front of the connection walls 147B, 147M, and 147C. The connection wall 147C is located in front of the connection walls 147B and 147M. The connection wall 147M is located in front of the connection wall 147B. The ink outflow path 115Y is a space surrounded by the upper walls 145B, 145M, and 145C and the connection walls 147B, 147M, and 147C (that is, below the upper walls 145B, 145M, and 145C, from the connection walls 147B, 147M, and 147C). It is provided at the front and behind the connection wall 147Y. The ink outflow path 115C is in a space surrounded by the upper stage walls 145B and 145M and the connection walls 147B and 147M (that is, lower than the upper stage walls 145B and 145M, forward of the connection walls 147B and 147M, and forward of the connection wall 147C). Is provided. The ink outflow path 115M is provided in a space surrounded by the upper stage wall 145B and the connection wall 147B (that is, lower than the upper stage wall 145B, forward of the connection wall 147B, and forward of the connection wall 147M).

[Ink outlet path 117, return path 119]
As shown in FIG. 8, ink outlet paths 117 </ b> B, 117 </ b> M, 117 </ b> C, and 117 </ b> Y are provided on the right side surface of the ink tank 100. One end of each of the ink outlet paths 117B, 117M, 117C, and 117Y is connected to the corresponding ink outlet paths 114B, 114M, 114C, and 114Y at the positions of the openings 116B, 116M, 116C, and 116Y, and the other end is connected to the connecting portions 118B, 118M, and 118Y. It is connected to 118C and 118Y. Four ink tubes 32 </ b> B, 32 </ b> M, 32 </ b> C, and 32 </ b> Y (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the inks of the respective colors are connected to the connecting portion 118 protruding from the upper wall 104 of the ink tank 100. That is, the ink outlet path 117 is a path that guides the ink that has flowed out of the ink chamber 111 through the corresponding ink outlet path 114 to the recording head 39 through the ink tube 32 that is connected to the corresponding connecting portion 118. The volumes of the ink outlet paths 117 and the ink tubes 32 are substantially the same.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9B, return channels 119B, 119M, 119C, and 119Y are provided on the right side surface of the ink tank 100. The return flow paths 119B, 119M, 119C, and 119Y are connected at one end to the ink outflow paths 114B, 114M, 114C, and 114Y at the positions of the openings 116B, 116M, 116C, and 116Y, and the other ends are the openings 120B, 120M, 120C, and 120Y. Through the corresponding ink chamber 111. The openings 116 and 120 are provided at different positions in the vertical direction 7. More specifically, the opening 120 is provided above the corresponding opening 116 in the vertical direction 7.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the right wall 102 of the ink tank 100 is provided with a plurality of projecting walls 121 </ b> A to 121 </ b> I (these may be collectively referred to as “projecting walls 121”). . The protruding wall 121 protrudes rightward from the outer surface (right side surface) of the right wall 102 and extends along the outer surface of the right wall 102. A film 122 is welded to the right end of each protruding wall 121. A single (common) film 122 is welded to the projecting walls 121A to 121I in the present embodiment. The ink outlet path 117 and the return path 119 indicate a space defined by the adjacent projecting walls 121 </ b> A to 121 </ b> H and the film 122.

  The projecting walls 121A and 121B that define the ink outlet path 117B extend rearward from a position sandwiching the opening 116B, and further extend upward to reach the upper end of the ink tank 100. The protruding walls 121C and 121D that define the ink outlet path 117Y, the protruding walls 121E and 121F that define the ink outlet path 117C, and the protruding walls 121G and 121H that define the ink outlet path 117M have corresponding openings 116Y, 116C, and 116M. It extends downward from the sandwiching position, and further extends upward on the rear side of the openings 116Y, 116C, 116M to reach the upper end of the ink tank 100. That is, the ink outlet paths 117Y, 117C, and 117M are connected to the corresponding ink outlet paths 114Y, 114C, and 114M below the openings 116Y, 116C, and 116M (referred to as “below the center in the vertical direction 7”). . Further, each ink outlet path 117 is connected to the corresponding connecting portion 118 through a space (not shown) extending in the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9 inside the ink tank 100.

  Projection walls 121A and 121B that define the return channel 119B, projection walls 121B and 121C that define the return channel 119Y, projection walls 121D and 121E that define the return channel 119C, and projection walls 121F that define the return channel 119M , 121G extend upward from a position sandwiching the corresponding opening 116. In other words, the return flow path 119 is connected to the corresponding ink outflow path 114 in the upper part of the opening 116 (referred to as “above the center in the vertical direction 7”). Each return channel 119B extends to the left in the left-right direction 9 inside the ink tank 100 and communicates with the corresponding ink chamber 111 through the opening 120, as shown in FIG. 9B.

[Additional ink chamber 123]
Further, an additional ink chamber 123 is provided on the right side surface of the ink tank 100 as shown in FIG. The additional ink chamber 123 is a space defined by the protruding walls 121H and 121I and the film 122 that are continuous in the circumferential direction. The additional ink chamber 123 communicates with the ink chamber 111B through through holes 123A and 123B that penetrate the right wall 102. The through hole 123B is provided above the through hole 123A in the up-down direction 7. In the additional ink chamber 123, a portion to be detected 124 is formed by a part of the protruding wall 121I that defines the lower end of the additional ink chamber 123 surrounding the front, rear, and lower sides of the through hole 123A.

[Optical sensor 125]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the multi-function device 10 includes an optical sensor 125 having a light emitting unit 125 </ b> A and a light receiving unit 125 </ b> B facing each other in the front-rear direction 8 with the detected portion 124 interposed therebetween. The light emitting unit 125A outputs light (eg, visible light or infrared light) that passes through the protruding wall 121I and does not pass through the black ink toward the light receiving unit 125B. In response to receiving the light output from the light emitting unit 125A, the light receiving unit 125B outputs a high level signal (“signal having a signal level equal to or higher than a threshold”) to the control unit. On the other hand, the light receiving unit 125B outputs a low level signal (“signal having a signal level less than a threshold”) to the control unit in response to not receiving light.

[Atmospheric communication passage 126]
As shown in FIG. 5, atmospheric communication paths 126B, 126M, 126C, and 126Y are connected to each ink chamber 111. The atmosphere communication path 126 allows the corresponding ink chamber 111 to communicate with the atmosphere. More specifically, the atmosphere communication passage 126 communicates with the corresponding ink chamber 111 through the notch 127 and communicates with the outside of the ink tank 100 through the opening 132. The atmosphere communication passage 126 is a passage from the notch 127 to the opening 132 through an internal space (not shown) of the ink tank 100. The air communication path 126 allows air to flow in and out between the ink chamber 111 and the outside of the ink tank 100.

[Partition 135]
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, partition walls 135 </ b> B, 135 </ b> M, 135 </ b> C, 135 </ b> Y extending in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 are provided inside the ink chamber 111. The partition wall 135 </ b> B is connected to the front wall 101, the right wall 102, the film 106, and the partition wall 107. The partition wall 135M is connected to the front wall 101, the film 106, and the partition walls 107 and 108. The partition wall 135 </ b> C is connected to the front wall 101, the film 106, and the partition walls 108 and 109. The partition wall 135Y is connected to the front wall 101, the left wall 103, the film 106, and the partition wall 109. The partition wall 135 divides a part of the corresponding ink chamber 111 in the vertical direction 7. That is, the partition wall 135 is separated from the upper wall 104 and the lower wall 105, and a space exists above and below the partition wall 135 in the vertical direction 7. Since the shapes of the partition walls 135B, 135M, 135C, and 135Y are generally the same, the partition wall 135B will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the partition wall 135 </ b> B extends from the inner surface of the front wall 101 in a direction intersecting the front wall 101 (that is, rearward in the front-rear direction 8) below the inlet 112. The partition wall 135B is in contact with the front wall 101 at the boundary position between the base wall 101A and the inclined wall 101B. In the present embodiment, the upper end position of the partition wall 135B in the vertical direction 7 and the boundary positions of the base wall 101A and the inclined wall 101B coincide. Hereinafter, the end portion of the partition wall 135B in contact with the inner surface of the front wall 101 is referred to as a base end portion 136B (see FIG. 11B). The partition wall 135B of the present embodiment extends substantially in the horizontal direction, but the direction of the partition wall 135B is not limited to this. For example, the partition wall 135 may be inclined downward in the rearward direction 8.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the partition wall 135B is provided with an opening 137B for communicating the space above and the space below the partition wall 135B of the ink chamber 111B. The area of the opening 137 </ b> B (in the example of FIG. 10, the opening width in the left-right direction 9) increases with distance from the front wall 101 (that is, the rear side in the front-rear direction 8). The shape of the opening 137B is symmetric with respect to the direction away from the front wall 101 along the partition wall 135B. The shape of the opening 137B in the present embodiment is an isosceles triangle with the apex angle directed forward. That is, the partition wall 135 </ b> B has a relatively short length in the front-rear direction 8 at the central portion in the left-right direction 9 and a relatively long length in the front-rear direction 8 at both ends in the left-right direction 9.

  The base end portion 136B extends to the entire area of the ink chamber 111B along the left-right direction 9 as indicated by a broken line in FIG. The base end portion 136 </ b> B is visible from the outside of the ink tank 100 through the front wall 101. The base end portion 136B of the present embodiment functions as the upper limit instruction line 138. That is, in the present embodiment, the positions of the base end portion 136 </ b> B and the upper limit instruction line 138 in the vertical direction 7 coincide with each other. On the other hand, the notification symbol 139 is drawn on the outer surface of the front wall 101. The method of drawing the notification symbol 139 on the outer surface of the front wall 101 may be the same as the notification symbol 142, for example.

  Further, in the ink tank 100 of the present embodiment, the thickness of the base end portion 136B in the vertical direction 7 is relatively thin at the center portion in the left-right direction 9 and relatively thick at both end portions in the left-right direction 9. That is, the partition wall 135B formed by injection molding has a thin wall thickness in the vertical direction 7 at the center portion in the left-right direction 9 with a short length in the front-rear direction 8 and both end portions in the left-right direction 9 with a long length in the front-rear direction 8 The thickness in the vertical direction 7 is increased.

  Further, in the ink tank 100 of the present embodiment, a groove 140 extending along the left-right direction 9 is formed on the outer surface of the front wall 101 corresponding to the position of the base end portion 136B, as shown in FIG. Has been. That is, the thickness in the front-rear direction 8 of the front wall 101 at the position where the partition wall 135B is formed is thinner than the other portions of the front wall 101. The groove 140 may be, for example, a resin sink formed at the time of injection molding on the outer surface of the front wall 101 corresponding to the partition wall 135B.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
According to the present embodiment, since the ink chamber 111 is separated in the vertical direction 7 by the partition wall 135, even if the liquid level in the ink chamber 111 rises in a state where bubbles are generated in the ink chamber 111, the bubbles are injected. Overflow from the inlet 112 can be suppressed. In addition, by forming the upper limit instruction line 138 and the notification symbol 139 on the front wall 101 exposed to the outside of the multifunction machine 10, it is easy for the user to determine the position of the liquid surface where bubbles may overflow from the inlet 112. Can be recognized.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which the base end portion 136 of the partition wall 135 that is visible through the front wall 101 and visible from the outside of the ink tank 100 is used as the upper limit instruction line 138 has been described. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide an independent process for forming the upper limit instruction line 138, and therefore the manufacturing process of the ink tank 100 can be simplified. Furthermore, by forming the groove 140 on the outer surface of the front wall 101 corresponding to the position of the base end portion 136, the visibility of the base end portion 136 as the upper limit indicating line 138 is improved.

  However, the method of forming the upper limit instruction line 138 is not limited to the above example. For example, an upper limit instruction line 138 may be drawn on the outer surface of the front wall 101. The position of the upper limit indicating line 138 formed on the front wall 101 may be a position that overlaps with the base end portion 136 in the vertical direction 7 and is the same as the upper end position of the base end portion 136 or below the vertical direction. The method of drawing the upper limit instruction line 138 on the outer surface of the front wall 101 may be the same as that of the notification symbols 139 and 142, for example. Further, the number of lines extending in the left-right direction on the outer surface of the front wall 101 is not limited to one. A modified example of the front surface of the ink tank 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

  A plurality of (that is, one or more) lines 138A, 138B, 138C, and 138D that are spaced apart in the vertical direction 7 shown in FIG. 11C are formed on the outer surface of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 according to the modification. Yes. In the outer surface of the front wall 101 shown in FIG. 11C, the uppermost line 138A among the plurality of lines 138A to 138D functions as an upper limit instruction line. The other lines 138B to 138D indicate the remaining amount of ink in the ink chamber 111B. For example, the ink remaining amount when the liquid level matches the line 138B is about 75%, the ink remaining amount when the liquid level matches the line 138C is about 50%, and the liquid level matches the line 138D. At that time, the remaining amount of ink is about 25%.

  Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the liquid level of the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 is lowered to the position of the lower limit instruction line 141 (that is, the upper wall 145), so that the inside of the ink chamber 111 is passed through the front wall 101. The visually recognizing user can recognize the necessity of ink replenishment. However, since the ink is still stored in the space surrounded by the lower step wall 146 and the connection wall 147 and the opening 115 is provided in the space, the ink level has dropped to the position of the lower limit indicating line 141. Even if ink is ejected from the recording head 39 in this state, air can be prevented from being mixed into the ink that flows out to the ink outflow path 114 through the opening 115. The method of forming the lower limit instruction line 141 is not limited to the above example, and for example, the lower limit instruction line 141 may be drawn on the outer surface of the front wall 101. The position of the lower limit indicating line 141 formed on the front wall 101 may be the same as the lower end position of the upper wall 145 or above the vertical direction.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the ink is described as an example of the liquid, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, instead of ink, pretreatment liquid discharged onto the recording paper prior to ink at the time of printing, water sprayed in the vicinity of the nozzle 40 of the recording head 39 in order to prevent the nozzle 40 of the recording head 39 from drying, etc. May be a liquid.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Ink tank 101 ... Front wall 101A ... Base wall 101B ... Inclined wall 104 ... Upper wall 111 ... Ink chamber 112 ... Injection port 135 ... Partition 136 ... · Base end portion 137 ··· Opening 138 ··· Upper limit indicating line 139 ··· Notification symbol 140 ··· groove 141, 142, 143, 144 ··· line

Claims (10)

A tank for storing a liquid for supplying a liquid to the liquid consumption unit,
A wall defining a liquid storage chamber capable of storing a liquid, an upper wall defining an upper end of the liquid storage chamber, and a liquid standing in a direction intersecting with the upper wall, and the liquid in the liquid storage chamber is A standing wall visible from the outside of the
An inlet that penetrates the upper wall or the standing wall to inject liquid into the liquid storage chamber;
A partition wall extending from the inner surface of the standing wall below the inlet in a first direction intersecting the standing wall, and separating a part of the liquid storage chamber in the vertical direction,
The partition communicates with the space above and below the partition of the liquid storage chamber, and the length in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction and along the top surface of the partition is separated from the standing wall. A longer opening is formed ,
The standing wall extends in the horizontal direction at the same position as the upper end position of the base end portion of the partition wall contacting the inner surface of the standing wall or in the vertical direction and overlaps the base end portion, and stores the liquid through the inlet. A tank in which an upper limit indicating line is formed to indicate to the user the position to be the upper limit of the liquid to be injected into the chamber.   A tank for storing a liquid for supplying a liquid to the liquid consumption unit,
  A wall defining a liquid storage chamber capable of storing a liquid, an upper wall defining an upper end of the liquid storage chamber, and a liquid standing in a direction intersecting with the upper wall, and the liquid in the liquid storage chamber is A standing wall visible from the outside of the
  An inlet that penetrates the upper wall or the standing wall to inject liquid into the liquid storage chamber;
  A partition extending from the inner surface of the standing wall below the inlet to intersect the standing wall, and a partition wall separating a part of the liquid storage chamber in the vertical direction,
  The standing wall extends in the horizontal direction at the same position as the upper end position of the base end portion of the partition wall contacting the inner surface of the standing wall or in the vertical direction and overlaps the base end portion, and stores the liquid through the inlet. An upper limit indicating line is formed to indicate to the user the position to be the upper limit of the liquid to be injected into the chamber,
  The tank in which the partition is provided with an opening that communicates the space above and below the partition of the liquid storage chamber and that increases in area as it moves away from the standing wall. 2. The tank according to claim 1 , wherein the partition wall is formed with an opening that communicates the space above and below the partition wall of the liquid storage chamber and increases in area as the distance from the standing wall increases. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the base end portion extends along a horizontal direction and functions as the upper limit indicating line that is visible from the outside of the tank through the standing wall. . 5. The tank according to claim 4 , wherein a thickness of the base end portion in a vertical direction is thinner at a central portion in the extending direction of the base end portion than at both end portions. The tank according to claim 4 or 5 , wherein a groove extending along a horizontal direction is formed on an outer surface of the standing wall at a position corresponding to the base end portion. The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper limit instruction line is drawn on an outer surface of the standing wall. An informing symbol for informing that the upper limit indicating line indicates the position to be the upper limit of the liquid to be injected into the liquid storage chamber through the injection port is formed on the outer surface of the standing wall. The tank according to any one of 7 to 7 . The standing wall is composed of a base wall standing upright along the vertical direction, and an inclined wall inclined from the upper end of the base wall in the vertical direction toward the liquid storage chamber and having the inlet formed therein. And
The tank according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the partition wall is in contact with an inner surface of the standing wall at a boundary position between the base wall and the inclined wall. A tank for storing a liquid for supplying a liquid to the liquid consumption unit,
A wall defining a liquid storage chamber capable of storing a liquid, an upper wall defining an upper end of the liquid storage chamber, and a liquid standing in a direction intersecting with the upper wall, and the liquid in the liquid storage chamber is A standing wall visible from the outside of the
An inlet that penetrates the upper wall or the standing wall to inject liquid into the liquid storage chamber;
A partition wall extending from the inner surface of the standing wall below the inlet in a first direction intersecting the standing wall, and separating a part of the liquid storage chamber in the vertical direction,
The partition communicates with the space above and below the partition of the liquid storage chamber, and the length in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction and along the top surface of the partition is separated from the standing wall. A longer opening is formed ,
At least one line is formed on the standing wall,
The uppermost line of the at least one line is the same as the upper end position of the base end portion of the partition wall that is in contact with the inner surface of the standing wall, or along the horizontal direction at a position that overlaps the base end portion below the vertical direction. An extending tank.

Images