JP2009056739A - Ink container, method for manufacturing ink container and opening device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink container whose hole is surely opened before it is attached to a recorder, and its manufacturing method. <P>SOLUTION: An ink cartridge 10 has a container main body 20. A through-hole 81 on the front surface 41 of the container main body 20 is opened/closed by an atmospheric air communicating valve 80. An opener 200 can be attached to/detached from the front surface 41 side of the container main body 20. The opener 200 has a base 206, a cover 208 and an operation member 210. When the cover 208 is opened relative to the base 206 and the operation member 210 is depressed, the atmospheric air communicating valve 80 is actuated to open the through-hole 81 with such depressing operation, and then the engaged state of the cover 208 with the base 206 is released. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink container for containing ink.

  There is known an ink cartridge (ink container) that can be attached to an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as “recording apparatus”). The ink cartridge is provided with an ink chamber for containing ink and a connection portion for leading out the ink. When an ink cartridge is mounted in a cartridge housing portion provided in the recording apparatus, a needle provided in the cartridge housing portion is inserted into the connection portion, and ink is supplied from the ink chamber to the recording device.

  Generally, in an unused ink cartridge, the inside of the ink chamber is maintained at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. Accordingly, if the ink cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus while the ink chamber is maintained at a low pressure, the ink backflow may occur, and the meniscus of the nozzle of the recording head may be destroyed. Therefore, this type of ink cartridge is provided with a through-hole for making the pressure in the ink container and the atmosphere equal to each other, in addition to the connection portion. This through hole is closed by a seal member when the ink cartridge is not attached to the recording apparatus. Therefore, the user needs to open the through hole in advance before installing the ink cartridge in the recording apparatus.

  As described in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2, when an ink cartridge is mounted on a recording apparatus, a mechanism for perforating the through hole at a timing earlier than a connection portion is known. According to this mechanism, the pressure in the ink container can be set to atmospheric pressure without performing the work of previously drilling the through hole.

JP 2007-55218 A JP-A-6-191046

  However, since the mechanisms described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 both attempt to open the through-hole when the ink cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus, the above-described through-hole is used when the mechanism does not work. It may happen that the connection is opened before the is opened. On the other hand, in the configuration in which the through hole is artificially opened, it is necessary to perform a troublesome work of opening the through hole. Further, there is a possibility that the ink cartridge is erroneously installed by forgetting to open the through hole.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ink container capable of reliably opening a hole before being attached to a recording apparatus, a manufacturing method thereof, and an opening. To provide an apparatus.

(1) An ink container according to the present invention includes a main body having an ink chamber in which ink is accommodated, a hole formed on a predetermined wall surface of the main body and communicating the ink chamber with the outside, and a seal member that closes the hole. And a cover member that covers the hole in a state of being engaged with the main body. The cover member includes an engagement release member that releases the engagement state with the main body and opens the hole closed by the seal member.

  When the ink container is attached to the ink jet recording apparatus, the cover member is removed from the main body. At this time, the engagement state between the main body and the cover member is released by operating the engagement release member. In the ink container of the present invention, the hole closed by the seal member is opened along with the engagement release operation by the engagement release member.

(2) The disengagement member is provided on the cover member so that the posture thereof is changeable, and changes between a first posture that is separated from the seal member and a second posture that acts on the seal member and opens the hole. When the first member and the first member are in the first posture, the first member changes to a third posture that can be engaged with the main body, and when the first member is in the second posture, And a second member that changes to a fourth posture capable of releasing the engaged state.

  In this configuration, the cover member is removed and the hole is opened by a simple operation of changing the posture of the first member.

(3) It is preferable that the first member presses the seal member to open the hole in the second posture.

(4) The seal member includes a lid member that can be changed between a fifth posture that opens the hole and a sixth posture that closes the hole, and a first support that elastically supports the lid member toward the sixth posture side. Member. In this case, the first member changes the lid member to the fifth posture side against the elastic force of the first support member in accordance with the change from the first posture to the second posture. is there.

(5) The ink container of the present invention is provided slidably with respect to the main body, and is between a seventh posture separated from the predetermined wall surface and an eighth posture closer to the predetermined wall surface than the seventh posture. A slide member that can be changed, and a second support member that is interposed between the main body and the slide member and elastically supports the slide member in a direction away from the predetermined wall surface. The slide member is held in the eighth posture against the elastic force of the second support member in a state where the cover member is engaged with the main body, and the cover member with respect to the main body is held by the disengagement member. When the engagement is released, it receives the elastic force of the second support member and changes to the seventh posture.

(6) The ink container of the present invention includes a main body having an ink chamber for containing ink, a hole formed on the wall surface of the main body, and the ink chamber communicating with the outside, and a seal member for closing the hole. A lid member that can be changed between a fifth posture that opens the hole and a sixth posture that closes the hole; a seventh posture that is slidable with respect to the main body and is spaced from the predetermined wall surface; A slide member that is changeable between an eighth posture that is closer to the predetermined wall surface than the seven postures, and an elastic member that is interposed between the main body and the slide member and elastically moves the slide member away from the predetermined wall surface. A second supporting member to be supported; and a second supporting member that is detachably attached to the main body, covers the hole in a state of being engaged with the main body, and resists the elastic force of the second supporting member so that the slide member is in the eighth posture. A cover member to be held on, A first member that is provided in the cover member so as to be capable of changing a posture, and changes into a first posture that is spaced apart from the seal member and a second posture that acts on the seal member to open the hole; and the first member includes: A fourth posture that changes to a third posture that can be engaged with the main body when in the first posture, and that can release the engaged state with respect to the main body when the first member is in the second posture. And an ink container that includes the second member that changes to the above.

(7) The present invention can be understood as a method for manufacturing an ink container. That is, the first step of discharging air in the ink chamber of the main body, the second step of injecting ink into the ink chamber, and the main body in a state where the ink chamber after ink injection is held at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. A third step of changing the slide member provided so as to be slidable to a posture close to a predetermined wall surface of the main body, and attaching the cover member to the main body in a state where the slide member is changed to the posture. Thus, the present invention can be understood as a method of manufacturing an ink container including the fourth step of holding the slide member in the posture and covering the hole formed in the predetermined wall surface.

(8) Further, the present invention provides a main body having an ink chamber for containing ink, a hole formed in a predetermined wall surface of the main body for communicating the ink chamber and the outside, and a sealing member for closing the hole. Can be regarded as an opening device that opens the sealing member of the ink container. The opening device is detachably provided on the main body, covers the hole when engaged with the main body, and opens the hole closed with the seal member when the engagement state with the main body is released. To do.

  According to the present invention, the hole can be surely opened before the ink container is attached to the recording apparatus.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In addition, this embodiment is only an example which actualized this invention, and it cannot be overemphasized that embodiment can be changed suitably in the range which does not change the summary of this invention.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external shape of an ink cartridge 10 which is an example of an ink container of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a perspective view seen from the front side in an insertion direction 30. A perspective view as seen from the rear side in the insertion direction 30 is shown in B). FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge 10. FIG. 3 is a side view of the ink cartridge 10. In FIG. 3B, the container body 20 is indicated by a broken line.

  The ink cartridge 10 is used by being mounted on a recording apparatus typified by an ink jet printer. Although not described in detail, the ink cartridge 10 is configured to be detachable from a cartridge housing portion included in the recording apparatus. Inserted and mounted in the insertion direction 30 "). When the ink cartridge 10 is mounted, the ink stored in the ink cartridge 10 can be supplied to the recording head of the recording apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ink cartridge 10 is configured as a substantially hexahedron having a flat shape. Specifically, the ink cartridge 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is thin in the width direction (the direction of the arrow 31) and whose height direction (the direction of the arrow 32) and depth direction (the direction of the arrow 33) are longer than the width direction. Has been.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ink cartridge 10 is roughly divided into a container main body 20 (an example of the main body of the present invention), a housing 26, a slider 27 (an example of the slide member of the present invention), and a coil spring. 23, 24 (an example of the second support member of the present invention). The exterior of the ink cartridge 10 includes a housing 26 and a slider 27.

  The housing 26 protects the container body 20. The housing 26 covers substantially the entire surface excluding the front surface 41 of the container body 20 (the surface on the front side in the insertion direction 30). The housing 26 includes a first cover 21 and a second cover 22 that sandwich the container body 20 from two directions (left and right directions in FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2, the first cover 21 is attached to the right side surface 46 (the right side surface as viewed from the front side in the insertion direction 30) of the container body 20. Specifically, the plurality of engagement claws 12 provided on the inner surface of the first cover 21 are fitted into the engagement grooves 13 formed in the container body 20, so that the first cover 21 is attached to the container body 20. It is done. As a result, the first cover 21 covers the right side surface 46 of the container body 20. On the other hand, the second cover 22 is attached to the left side surface 45 of the container body 20 (the left side as viewed from the front side in the insertion direction 30) by the same attachment method as the first cover 21. Thereby, the left side surface 45 of the container body 20 is covered by the second cover 22. The covers 21 and 22 are formed in a shape that does not interfere with the frame 50, the atmosphere communication valve 80 (an example of the seal member of the present invention), the ink supply valve 90, and the like constituting the container body 20.

  The slider 27 is detachably attached to the container main body 20 with coil springs 23 and 24 interposed between the slider 27 and the container main body 20. In the present embodiment, a coil spring 23 is attached to a spring receiver 23A drilled in the upper part of the front surface 41 of the container body 20, and a coil spring 24 is attached to a spring receiver 24A drilled in the lower part of the front surface 41. The engaging claws 15, 16 provided on the main body 20 are inserted into the sliding grooves 17, 18 formed on the slider 27, so that the front portion (front portion in the insertion direction 30) 28 of the housing 26 is moved. A slider 27 is attached so as to cover it. The attachment mechanism of the slider 27 will be described in detail later.

  In the present embodiment, the slider 27 is provided so as to slide in the depth direction (longitudinal direction, the direction of the arrow 33) along the front portion 28 of the housing 26. FIG. 3A shows a state in which the slider 27 is in the second position (corresponding to the eighth posture of the present invention) closest to the front surface 41 (corresponding to the predetermined wall surface of the present invention) of the container body 20. 1 and 3B show a state in which the slider 27 is in the first position (corresponding to the seventh posture of the present invention) away from the front surface 41 of the container body 20. When the slider 27 is slid and disposed at the second position, the ink supply valve 90 is exposed from the slider 27 to the outside through the opening 111 formed in the slider 27. On the other hand, when the slider 27 is disposed at the first position, the ink supply valve 90 is immersed in the slider 27. A mechanism (sliding mechanism) for sliding the slider 27 with respect to the housing 26 will be described in detail later.

  Next, the container body 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the container body 20. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the internal structure of the container body 20. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the container body 20. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the external shape of the arm 70. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the external shape of the support block 170. FIG. 10 is a four-sided view of the support block 170, (A) showing a front view, (B) showing a left side view, and (C) showing a right side view. (D) shows a plan view. In FIG. 6, the film 65 is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the container body 20 has an outer shape substantially the same shape as that of the ink cartridge 10, and is configured as a substantially hexahedron having a flat shape. When the ink cartridge 10 is mounted in a cartridge housing portion (not shown) of the recording apparatus, the container body 20 is housed in the cartridge housing portion with the slider 27 in the second position (see FIG. 3A). . In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, in the container main body 20, the front surface in the insertion direction 30 is the front surface 41, the rear surface in the insertion direction 30 is the rear surface 42, and the vertically upper side. This surface is referred to as the upper surface 43, and the vertically lower surface is referred to as the lower surface 44. Further, two surfaces adjacent to the front surface 41, the rear surface 42, the upper surface 43, and the lower surface 44 and facing each other are referred to as a left side surface 45 and a right side surface 46, respectively. Here, when viewed from the front 41, the left side is the left side 45 and the right side is the right side 46. In the present embodiment, the pair of left side surface 45 and right side surface 46 has a maximum area in the container body 20.

  The container body 20 is roughly divided into a frame 50, an arm 70, a support block 170, a protection member 150, an atmosphere communication valve 80, an ink supply valve 90, and a film 65 (see FIG. 7). Yes.

  The frame 50 is a member constituting the casing of the container body 20 and forms the six surfaces 41 to 46 of the container body 20. Therefore, the six surfaces 41 to 46 of the container body 20 coincide with the six surfaces of the frame 50. In the following, each surface of the frame 50 is shown using the reference numerals attached to each surface of the container body 20.

  The frame 50 is made of a translucent transparent or translucent resin material, and can be obtained, for example, by injection molding a resin material. In the present embodiment, the frame 50 is made of polypropylene. Polyacetal, nylon or the like can be used as the resin material.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the frame 50 includes an outer peripheral wall 51 and a plurality of inner walls 52. The inner wall 52 is disposed inside the outer peripheral wall 51. The outer peripheral wall 51 and the inner wall 52 are integrally formed as a frame 50. The outer peripheral wall 51 and the inner wall 52 are provided from the left side 45 to the right side 46 of the container body 20. The outer peripheral wall 51 is annularly arranged along the front surface 41, the upper surface 43, the rear surface 42, and the lower surface 44 so as to form a space therein. Thereby, an opening 57 is formed in each of the left side surface 45 and the right side surface 46 of the frame 50. That is, the left side 45 and the right side 46 of the frame 50 are open.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a thin film 65 made of a transparent resin is welded to each of the left side surface 45 and the right side surface 46 of the frame 50 by a well-known thermal welding method. Specifically, the film 65 is welded to both end portions in the width direction 31 of the outer peripheral wall 51. Thereby, the opening 57 is closed by the film 65, and the space surrounded by the outer peripheral wall 51 and the film 65 is partitioned as the ink chamber 100. Ink is stored in the ink chamber 100 thus partitioned. Instead of the frame 50, for example, it is possible to use a container-like frame in which only one side surface is opened. In this case, the ink chamber 100 is partitioned by welding the open surface of the vessel-shaped frame with the film 65.

  The inner wall 52 is disposed in a region surrounded by the outer peripheral wall 51. In the frame 50, a partition plate 53 that partitions the upper space of the ink chamber 100 at the center in the width direction 31 is provided integrally with the outer peripheral wall 51. The inner wall 52 is provided integrally with the outer peripheral wall 51 or the partition plate 53. The film 65 is also welded to both end portions of the inner wall 52 in the width direction 31. Thereby, the bending of the film 65 can be suppressed. Even if the first cover 21 and the second cover 22 are deformed to the container body 20 side, the deformation of the first cover 21 and the second cover 22 is restricted by the inner wall 52. Thereby, damage to the container main body 20 and the film 65 is reduced. Note that the lower portion of the ink chamber 100, that is, the space 102 (see FIG. 7) below the partition plate 53 is partitioned across the width direction 31 because an arm 70 and a support block 170 described later are disposed. Instead, it penetrates from the left side 45 to the right side 46.

  The film 65 is configured by laminating a plurality of synthetic resin films and has a multilayer structure. Specifically, the film 65 has three layers in which a first sheet made of polypropylene, a second sheet made of nylon, and a third sheet made of polyethylene terephthalate are sequentially laminated from the ink chamber 100 side outward. It has a structure. That is, the first sheet on the ink chamber 100 side is made of the same material (polypropylene) as the frame 50. In the present embodiment, the synthetic resin film 65 is used. However, for example, a thin-walled film configured such that a metal foil is sandwiched between synthetic resin films can be used. Of course, a film made of a material other than synthetic resin (pulp, metal, natural resin, etc.) may be used.

  A bearing rib 74 (see FIG. 7) is erected at the center of the outer peripheral wall 51 in the width direction (the direction of the arrow 31). As shown in FIG. 7, the bearing rib 74 is provided on the outer peripheral wall 51 near the corner formed by the front surface 41 and the lower surface 44. The bearing rib 74 is erected on the end portion of the outer peripheral wall 51 on the right side surface 46 side. A circular hole-shaped bearing 67 is formed on the surface of the bearing rib 74 on the left side surface 45 side. As shown in FIG. 7, a cylindrical shaft 77 is fitted into the bearing 67, and the shaft hole 78 of the arm 70 is inserted into the shaft 77. The other end of the shaft 77 is supported on the support block 170 side, as will be described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the ink injection portion 105 is formed on the rear surface 42 of the frame 50. The ink injection unit 105 is a circular hole that is drilled from the rear surface 42 toward the ink chamber 100. The ink injection portion 105 is formed integrally with the frame 50 near the lower end of the rear surface 42. The ink injection unit 105 communicates with the ink chamber 100. Ink is injected into the ink chamber 100 through the ink injection unit 105. As an ink injection method, a reduced pressure injection method (also called a vacuum injection method) is employed in order to increase the degree of deaeration in the ink chamber 100 and prevent the generation of bubbles in the ink chamber 100. Specifically, before injecting ink into the ink chamber 100, the air in the ink chamber 100 is sucked and exhausted to reduce the pressure in the ink chamber 100 to a pressure close to vacuum (first step). Thereafter, ink is injected into the ink chamber 100 using a pressure difference between the inside and outside (second step). After the ink is injected, the pressure in the ink chamber 100 is maintained at a pressure slightly lower than the atmospheric pressure.

  A detection window 140 is formed on the front surface 41 of the frame 50. The detection window 140 is for visually or optically detecting the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 100. The detection window 140 is formed integrally with the frame 50. Therefore, the detection window 140 is made of the same material as that of the frame 50, that is, a translucent transparent or translucent resin material. Therefore, the detection window 140 can transmit light from the outside. The detection window 140 is irradiated with light by an optical sensor such as a photo interrupter attached to the recording apparatus. The optical sensor has a light emitting element and a light receiving element. In the present embodiment, the light emitted from the light emitting element is applied to the side wall 140B, and the detection light transmitted through the side wall 140B is received by the light receiving element.

  The detection window 140 protrudes from the middle of the front surface 41 of the container body 20 toward the outside of the container body 20 (toward the right in FIG. 6). As shown in the drawing, the detection window 140 is partitioned by five substantially rectangular wall surfaces, and the inside is formed in a substantially box shape having a hollow shape. Specifically, the detection window 140 is a pair of side walls including a rectangular front wall 140A parallel to the front surface 41 and spaced outward from the front surface 41 by a predetermined distance, and two widthwise sides of the front wall 140A. 140B, the upper wall 140C including the upper side of the front wall 140A, and the lower wall 140D including the lower side of the front wall 140A. Note that the width of the front wall 140 </ b> A (the dimension in the width direction 31) is smaller than the width of the front surface 41.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a space 142 surrounded by a front wall 140A, a side wall 140B, an upper wall 140C, and a lower wall 140D is formed inside the detection window 140. A wall is not provided on the ink chamber 100 side of the detection window 140, and the space 142 continues to the ink chamber 100. An indicator portion 72 of the arm 70 described later enters or leaves the space 142. In FIG. 6, the first posture in which the indicator unit 72 has entered a predetermined position in the space 142 is indicated by a solid line.

  As shown in FIG. 5, engagement claws 144 are provided on both side walls 140 </ b> B of the detection window 140. The engaging claw 144 is erected vertically outward from the side wall 140B. As shown in FIG. 6, the engaging claw 144 is formed in a downward hook shape in a side view. An engaging claw 222 of an opener 200 (see FIG. 11, an example of a cover member of the present invention, an opening device) to be described later engages with the engaging claw 144.

  An air communication valve 80 is provided above the detection window 140. The air communication valve 80 is configured as a valve mechanism that opens or closes an air communication through hole 81 (see FIG. 7, an example of the hole of the present invention) formed in the upper portion of the front surface 41 of the frame 50. This atmospheric communication valve 80 is mainly composed of members such as a valve main body 87 (an example of a lid member of the present invention) having a rod 88, a coil spring 86 (an example of a first support member of the present invention), a seal 83, and a cap 85. Has been.

  The valve body 87 is separated from the through-hole 81 to open the through-hole 81 (corresponding to the fifth posture of the present invention) and the closed-position (contacting the through-hole 81 to close the through-hole 81 ( (Corresponding to the sixth posture of the present invention). In the atmosphere communication valve 80, normally, the coil spring 86 elastically biases the valve body 87 toward the closed posture. Thereby, the through hole 81 is closed.

  In this embodiment, the opener 200 (refer FIG. 11) mentioned later with respect to the container main body 20 is comprised so that attachment or detachment is possible. When the opener 200 is removed from the container body 20, the air communication valve 80 is activated to open the through hole 81. Thereby, the air layer in the ink chamber 100 becomes the same pressure as the atmospheric pressure. Although the atmospheric communication valve 80 is used as a mechanism for closing the through hole 81, a simple mechanism for closing the through hole 81 with a vinyl adhesive tape or film is used instead of the atmospheric communication valve 80. Is also possible. In this case, an adhesive tape or a film is perforated by the rod 244 of the operation member 210, so that the ink chamber becomes atmospheric pressure.

  An ink supply valve 90 is provided below the detection window 140. The ink supply valve 90 is configured as a valve mechanism that opens or closes the ink supply through-hole 91 formed in the lower portion of the front surface 41 of the frame 50. The ink supply valve 90 is mainly composed of members such as a valve body 97, a coil spring 96, a spring receiver 94, a seal 93, and a cap 95. The ink supply valve 90 normally closes the through hole 91 in a liquid-tight manner, and when the ink cartridge 10 is mounted in the recording apparatus, the ink supply valve 90 is operated by an ink needle (not shown), and the through hole 91 is operated. Is released. Thereby, the ink in the ink chamber 100 can be supplied to the recording apparatus side through the ink needle.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a spring receiver 23 </ b> A is formed on the upper side of the atmosphere communication valve 80. A spring receiver 24A is formed below the ink supply valve 90. The spring receiver 23 </ b> A and the spring receiver 24 </ b> A are substantially cylindrical holes that are drilled from the front surface 41 of the frame 50 toward the ink chamber 100. The spring receiver 23A and the spring receiver 24A accommodate the coil spring 23 and the coil spring 24 for elastically urging the slider 27 in the direction away from the front surface 41 (the same direction as the insertion direction 30). Note that the positions of the spring receiver 23A and the spring receiver 24A, the outer diameter or depth of the hole, and the like are elements that are appropriately determined according to the specifications of the coil spring 23 and the coil spring 24 to be accommodated.

  A support portion 115 is provided at the front end portion of the upper surface 43 of the frame 50 in the insertion direction 30. The support part 115 is formed integrally with the frame 50. The support part 115 supports the slider 27 so as to be slidable with respect to the container body 20 and regulates the sliding range of the slider 27. The slider 27 is slidably supported at two points by the support portion 115 and a support portion 116 described later. As shown in FIG. 4, the support portion 115 includes a base portion 118 projecting vertically upward from the upper surface 43, and an upward hook-like engagement claw 15 provided at the tip of the base portion 118 in the insertion direction 30. It is comprised by.

  A support portion 116 having substantially the same shape as the support portion 115 is provided at the front end portion in the insertion direction 30 of the lower surface 44 of the frame 50. This support portion 116 is formed integrally with the frame 50, and a base portion 124 extending vertically downward from the lower surface 44 and a downward hook-like engagement provided at the tip of the base portion 124 in the insertion direction 30. It is comprised by the nail | claw 16. By these support portions 115 and 116, a slide mechanism of the slider 27 is realized.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the arm 70 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

  The arm 70 is a member for detecting the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 100. At one end (first end) of the arm 70, an indicator portion 72 that enters the space 142 or separates from the space 142 is provided. Moreover, the float part 73 (an example of the buoyancy body of the present invention) is provided at the other end (second end) of the arm 70.

  The arm 70 has a shaft hole 78 formed at a substantially central portion thereof. A shaft 77 is inserted through the shaft hole 78. The shaft 77 is for rotatably supporting the arm 70, one end of which is supported by a bearing 67 (see FIG. 7) formed on the bearing rib 74, and the other end is supported by the support block 170. . The arm 70 is pivotally supported by a shaft 77 and is supported in the ink chamber 100 so as to be swingable in the direction of an arrow 35 (see FIG. 6). In the present embodiment, the shaft 77 is configured as a separate member. However, the shaft 77 may be formed integrally with the arm 70.

  For example, the float portion 73 is formed in a hollow shape, and serves as a buoyancy body having buoyancy with respect to a liquid such as ink. Accordingly, the float portion 73 is displaced upward when the ink amount becomes a predetermined amount or less. Thereby, the arm 70 rotates according to the displacement of the float part 73. In the present embodiment, the float portion 73 is formed so that the second portion 76 from the shaft hole 78 to the float portion 73 is lifted in the ink. The float 73 may not be hollow, and the float 73 itself may be formed of a material having a specific gravity smaller than the specific gravity of the ink.

  The indicator unit 72 is for indicating the remaining amount of ink in the ink chamber 100. When the arm 70 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 6, the indicator unit 72 enters the space 142 of the detection window 140. The indicator portion 72 that has entered the space 142 abuts against the inner surface of the lower wall 140D of the detection window 140 and is prevented from further rotation. Thereby, the arm 70 becomes a 1st attitude | position. On the other hand, when the arm 70 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 6, the indicator portion 72 changes to the second posture that is separated from the inner surface of the lower wall 140D. In the second posture, the arm 70 stops at a position where the indicator portion 72 is separated from the inner surface of the lower wall 140D by a predetermined distance.

  In the present embodiment, the arm 70 is formed such that the second portion 76 extending from the shaft hole 78 to the float portion 73 is heavier than the first portion 75 extending from the shaft hole 78 to the indicator portion 72. Therefore, the second portion 76 is heavier than the first portion 75 in the air. Therefore, in a state where ink is not contained in the ink chamber 100, the arm 70 rotates about the shaft 77 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. Thereby, the indicator part 72 is separated from the space 142 of the detection window 140. That is, the fact that the indicator portion 72 is separated from the space 142 means that ink is not contained in the ink chamber 100. When the lower end of the float portion 73 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the ink chamber 100, the rotation of the arm 70 is stopped and the arm 70 is maintained in the second posture.

  On the other hand, in a state where a predetermined amount or more of ink is stored in the ink chamber 100, in other words, in a state where the float portion 73 is in the ink liquid, buoyancy is generated in the float portion 73. This buoyancy reverses the weight balance between the first portion 75 and the second portion 76. That is, in the ink, the force acting in the gravity direction of the float portion 73 is smaller than the force acting in the weight direction of the indicator portion 72. Therefore, the arm 70 rotates around the shaft 77 in the clockwise direction in FIG. At this time, the indicator portion 72 enters the space 142 of the detection window 140 and is held in a first posture in which the lower end of the indicator portion 72 is in contact with the inner surface of the lower wall 140D. That is, the indicator portion 72 entering the space 142 means that a predetermined amount or more of ink is stored in the ink chamber 100.

  Since the arm 70 operates as described above, the position of the indicator unit 72 in the space 142 is visually confirmed from the outside of the detection window 140, or is monitored by a photosensor such as a photo interrupter, so that the inside of the ink chamber 100 is detected. It is possible to detect whether or not the amount of ink is greater than a certain amount. In other words, the amount of ink in the ink chamber 100 can be determined from the outside by visual observation or an optical sensor by the movement of the indicator unit 72. In this embodiment, the amount of ink liquid is determined by the rotating arm 70. For example, instead of the arm 70, a buoyancy body that moves following the ink surface may be used. Good. The ink amount may be determined based on the position of such a buoyancy body.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a protection member 150 is attached around the arm 70. The protection member 150 is manufactured by bending a linear steel material such as a wire or a wire, for example. The protective member 150 has a U-shaped portion 150A bent in a U-shape. As shown in FIG. 7, the protection member 150 is formed in a hole (not shown) formed in the bearing rib 74 and the support block 170 by hooking the U-shaped portion 150 </ b> A to the hanging portion 131 formed in the frame 50. The end portion 150B of the protection member 150 is inserted into the hole 183 and is fixed to the frame 50.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the support block 170 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7, 9, and 10. In FIG. 9, for convenience of explanation, a part of the outer peripheral wall 51 and the protective member 150 are shown by broken lines.

  The support block 170 is a support member for supporting the shaft 77 and supporting the film 65 that bends toward the ink chamber 100. The support block 170 is disposed in the space 102 (see FIG. 7) penetrating in the width direction 31 below the ink chamber 100, in other words, below the partition plate 53. In the present embodiment, the support block 170 is configured to be detachable from the frame 50 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the support block 170 includes a plate 171 and a plurality of ribs 174 to 177 (an example of ribs of the present invention). The plate 171 and the ribs 174 to 177 are integrally formed of the same material as the frame 50.

  The rib 174 and the rib 175 are erected vertically to the first surface 172 of the plate 171. The ribs 174 and 175 are formed in a substantially L shape. The rib 174 and the rib 175 are disposed near the upper end 187 of the plate 171. In the present embodiment, the ribs 174 and the ribs 175 are arranged with a predetermined distance therebetween. As a result, an approximately C-shaped opening 179 is formed between the rib 174 and the rib 175 in a plan view surrounded by the plate 171, the rib 174, and the rib 175. In the present embodiment, the first portion 75 of the arm 70 is inserted into the opening 179. Therefore, the arm 70 can swing (operate) within the range of the opening 179. That is, even when the support block 170 is provided in the space 102, the operation of the arm 70 is ensured.

  The support block 170 has a support portion 189 extending from the rib 175 in a substantially horizontal direction. The support portion 189 extends from the substantially central portion of the rib 175 in the direction opposite to the rib 174. A rib 176 and a rib 177 are provided on the support portion 189. The rib 176 and the rib 177 are separated by a predetermined interval. Therefore, the ribs 174 to 177 are arranged in a distributed manner in the space 102 (see FIG. 7).

  The rib 176 and the rib 177 are formed in a substantially L shape that is substantially the same shape as the ribs 174 and 175. In the present embodiment, the ribs 176 and 177 are extended so as to have a uniform length in the same direction as the ribs 174 and 175 with the support portion 189 as a center.

  The width W2 of the ribs 174 to 177 is formed such that the film 65 does not contact the arm 70 even when the film 65 is bent toward the ink chamber 100 in the container body 20. Specifically, the width W2 (see FIG. 10) of the ribs 174 and 175 is formed to be larger than the width W1 (see FIG. 8) of the float 73 having the largest width in the arm 70. More specifically, the width W2 of the ribs 174 and 175 is formed to have substantially the same dimension as the width of the plate 171.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, a groove 182 is formed in the lower portion of the first surface 172 of the plate 172. The groove 182 is formed in a substantially triangular shape facing sideways. A hole 183 is formed in the top 181 of the groove 182. Since such a groove 182 is formed, when the end portion 150B of the protection member 150 is pushed toward the top portion 181 along the groove 182 in a state where the support block 170 is disposed in the space 102, the end portion 150B is guided to the top 181 and inserted into the hole 183. Thereby, the operation | work which inserts the edge part 150B of the protection member 150 in the hole 183 becomes easy.

  A bearing 185 into which one end of the shaft 77 is fitted is formed on the second surface 173 of the plate 172. In a state where the shaft hole 78 of the arm 70 is inserted into the shaft 77 whose one end is fixed to the bearing 67 of the bearing rib 74, the bearing 185 and the other end of the shaft 77 are aligned as shown in FIG. When the support block 170 is fitted to the bearing rib 74 from the second surface 173 side, the bearing 185 is fitted into the other end of the shaft 77. As a result, the arm 70 is swingably supported, and the support block 170 can be attached to the plate 50. At this time, the first portion 75 (see FIG. 8) of the arm 70 is inserted through the opening 179. The ribs 174 to 177 are arranged perpendicular to the left side surface 45 and the right side surface 46 with the support block 170 attached to the plate 50.

  In the present embodiment, since the support block 170 is disposed in the space 102 of the ink chamber 100, when the ink is injected into the ink chamber 100 by the above-described decompression injection method, the film 65 is in the ink due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside. Even if it is going to bend inside the chamber 100, the inner surface of the film 65 is supported by the support block 170 in contact with the ribs 174 to 177. Therefore, deformation such as bending of the film 65 is reduced. As a result, it is possible to ensure a sufficient ink storage capacity in the ink chamber 100. Further, the ink flow path in the ink chamber 100 is not narrowed by the film 65.

  Hereinafter, the slide mechanism of the slider 27 will be described in detail together with the configuration of the slider 27 with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the slider 27 is formed in a container shape that can accommodate the front portion 28 of the container body 20. The slider 27 is formed in a flat shape corresponding to the outer shape of the front portion 28. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the slider 27 includes a front wall 161 corresponding to the front surface 41 of the container body 20, an upper wall 163 corresponding to the upper surface 43, and a lower wall 164 corresponding to the lower surface 44. The left side wall 165 corresponding to the left side surface 45 and the right side wall 166 corresponding to the right side surface 46 are provided. A space surrounded by these walls is a storage space for storing the front portion 28.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the slider 27 has support bars 168 and 169, sliding grooves 17 and 18, and openings 110 and 111.

  The support bars 168 and 169 support the coil springs 23 and 24 and restrict their expansion / contraction directions. The support bars 168 and 169 are provided on the back surface of the front wall 161, that is, on the facing surface facing the front surface 41 of the container body 20. Specifically, the support bar 168 is provided on the back surface of the upper portion of the front wall 161 at a position corresponding to the spring receiver 23A. Further, the support bar 169 is provided at a position corresponding to the spring receiver 24 </ b> A on the lower back surface of the front wall 161.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the support bars 168 and 169 are configured by rod-like members that protrude from the back surface of the front wall 161 in the depth direction of the container body 20 (in the direction of the arrow 33). When the slider 27 is mounted so as to cover the front portion 28 of the container body 20 in a state where the coil springs 23 and 24 are accommodated in the spring receivers 23A and 24A, the support bars 168 and 169 are inserted into the inner holes of the coil springs 23 and 24, respectively. It is inserted. Accordingly, the coil springs 23 and 24 are supported by the support bars 168 and 169. Further, the expansion and contraction direction of the coil springs 23 and 24 is restricted to the extending direction of the support bars 168 and 169, that is, the depth direction of the container body 20.

  In the present embodiment, the coil springs 23 and 24 are used as so-called compression coil springs. That is, in a state where the slider 27 is mounted on the front portion 28, the coil springs 23 and 24 are compressed and accommodated in the spring receivers 23A and 24A. Therefore, regardless of the slide position of the slider 27, the coil springs 23 and 24 always urge the slider 27 in a direction away from the front surface 41 of the container body 20.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sliding groove 17 has an upper wall 163 formed in an inverted U shape in a sectional view. As shown in FIG. 4, the support portion 115 is inserted into the sliding groove 17. A projecting piece 120 is formed on the back surface of the upper wall 163, that is, on the facing surface facing the upper surface 43 of the container body 20. A part of the sliding groove 17 is narrowed by the protruding piece 120. On the other hand, in the sliding groove 18, the lower wall 164 is formed in a U shape in a sectional view. As shown in FIG. 4, the support portion 116 is inserted into the sliding groove 18. A protruding piece 126 is formed on the back surface of the lower wall 164, that is, on the facing surface facing the lower surface 44 of the container body 20. A part of the sliding groove 18 is narrowed by the protruding piece 120.

  In the process of mounting the slider 27 on the front portion 28 of the container body 20, the support portion 115 is inserted into the slide groove 17, and the support portion 116 is inserted into the slide groove 18. When the support portion 115 is inserted into the sliding groove 17, the protruding piece 120 and the engaging claw 15 come into contact with each other. When the support portion 115 is further inserted, the engaging claw 15 gets over the protruding piece 120. Once the engaging claw 15 gets over the protruding piece 120, even if an attempt is made to pull out the slider 27, the hook portion of the engaging claw 15 is caught on the protruding piece 120, and the structure cannot be easily extracted. The support part 116 is also inserted into the sliding groove 18 in the same manner as described above.

  In the present embodiment, when the slider 27 is mounted on the front portion 28, the slider 27 is urged by the coil springs 23 and 24 in a direction away from the front surface 41. Therefore, in a state where no external force is applied to the slider 27, the slider 27 moves to the first position shown in FIG. 3B and maintains that state. The slider 27 stops at the first position when the protruding piece 120 and the engaging claws 15 and 16 are caught. On the other hand, when an external force in the orthogonal direction is applied to the front wall 161 with respect to the slider 27, the slider 27 is slid in the direction opposite to the insertion direction 30 relative to the housing 26, and from FIG. The posture changes to the second position shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, an opening 110 is provided near the upper end of the front wall 161. The opening 110 is formed at a position corresponding to the atmosphere communication valve 80. The opening 110 is provided so that a guide 204 and a rod 202 provided in an opener 200 (see FIG. 11) described later can be inserted, and is formed in a substantially circular shape.

  An opening 111 is provided near the lower end of the front wall 161. The opening 111 is formed at a position corresponding to the ink supply valve 90. The opening 111 is formed in a size that allows the cap 95 of the ink supply valve 90 to be inserted, and the slider 27 is slid from the first position (see FIG. 3B) to the second position (see FIG. 3A). In the sliding process, the cap 95 is exposed from the opening 111.

  An opener 200 (see FIG. 11), which will be described later, can be detachably mounted on the ink cartridge 10 configured as described above. If the ink cartridge 10 is attached to the recording apparatus while the inside of the ink chamber 100 is maintained at a low pressure, the ink may flow backward from the recording apparatus side and the meniscus of the nozzle of the recording head may be destroyed. Therefore, before the ink cartridge 10 is mounted on the recording apparatus, it is necessary to open the through hole 81 formed in the front surface 41 in advance. That is, it is necessary to open the ink chamber 100 to the atmosphere and keep the inside of the ink chamber 100 at the same pressure as the atmospheric pressure. In the present embodiment, a mechanism (communication mechanism) is employed in which the through hole 81 is opened along with the removal operation of the opener 200 and the ink chamber 100 communicates with the outside.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the opener 200, the attachment mechanism of the opener 200, and the communication mechanism that connects the ink chamber 100 and the outside will be described in detail with reference to each of FIGS. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the ink cartridge 10 to which the opener 200 is attached. FIG. 12 is a side view showing a state in which the housing 26 and the slider 27 are removed in FIG. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the opener 200. 14A and 14B are diagrams showing the configuration of the pedestal 206 of the opener 200, where FIG. 14A is a front view, FIG. 14B is a bottom view, FIG. 14C is a side view, and FIG. 14D is a section line XIVD- A cross-sectional view of XIVD is shown. 15A and 15B are diagrams showing the configuration of the cover 208 of the opener 200, where FIG. 15A is a front view, FIG. 15B is a bottom view, FIG. 15C is a side view, and FIG. 15D is a section line XVD- A cross-sectional view of the XVD is shown. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the operation member 210 of the opener 200, where FIG. 16A is a front view, and FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view taken along section line XVIB-XVIB of FIG. FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 10 with the opener 200 attached. FIG. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 10 in a state where the operation member 210 is pressed. FIG. 19 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 10 with the opener 200 removed.

  The opener 200 covers the atmosphere communication valve 80 and the ink supply valve 90 in a state of being engaged with the container body 20 and opens the through hole 81 for atmosphere communication. As shown in FIG. 13, the opener 200 includes a pedestal 206, a cover 208, an operation member 210 (an example of a first member of the present invention), and a shaft 212. In this embodiment, the disengagement member of the present invention is embodied by arms 218 and 219 (an example of the second member of the present invention), which will be described later, provided on the pedestal 206 and the operation member 210.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the base 206 is directly attached to the container body 20. The pedestal 206 is made of the same resin material as that of the frame 50 and is obtained, for example, by injection molding of a resin material.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the pedestal 206 is formed in a hollow shape that is open in a direction (hereinafter referred to as “attachment direction”) 224 attached to the container body 20. Here, the mounting direction 224 is the same as the longitudinal direction of the rod 88 of the atmosphere communication valve 80. In the pedestal 206, a part attached to the container body 20 is an attachment part 214. The pedestal 206 has two arms 218 and 219 extending from the attachment portion 214 toward the attachment direction 224. The arms 218 and 219 are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the pedestal 206 (the vertical direction in FIG. 14A). In the present embodiment, the arm 218 is disposed at a position corresponding to the engaging claw 15 of the support portion 115 (see FIG. 5). Further, the arm 219 is disposed at a position corresponding to the engagement claw 144 of the detection window 140.

  As shown in FIG. 14D, the arm 218 is formed in a substantially hook shape in a sectional view. A support portion 226 is provided between the proximal end 218A and the distal end 218B of the arm 218. As shown in FIG. 14C, the support portion 226 connects the inner wall of the pedestal 206 and the arm 218. Accordingly, the arm 218 is supported by the support portion 226 inside the base 206. Since the arm 218 is supported in this manner, in a state where no force is applied to the base end 218A of the arm 218, the engagement posture (see the solid line in FIG. 18; the present invention) Equivalent to the third posture). On the other hand, when a force in the mounting direction 224 is applied to the base end 218A of the arm 218, the arm 218 is bent and the distal end 218B retracts outward (upward in FIG. 14D), and the container body 20 Is a release posture (see a broken line in FIG. 18, corresponding to the fourth posture of the present invention).

  On the other hand, the arm 219 is formed in a substantially hook shape in a sectional view. The arm 219 is separated into two forks from the base end 219A to the front end 219B. That is, the arm 219 is divided into two on the tip 219B side. The positions of the two distal ends 219B divided into two are arranged corresponding to the two engaging claws 144 of the detection window 140, respectively. A support portion 228 is provided between the proximal end 219A and the distal end 219B of the arm 219. As shown in FIG. 14C, the support portion 228 connects the inner wall of the pedestal 206 and the arm 219. Accordingly, the arm 219 is supported by the support portion 228 inside the pedestal 206. Since the arm 219 is supported in this manner, in a state in which no force is applied to the base end 219A of the arm 219, the engagement posture (see the solid line in FIG. 18; the present invention) Equivalent to the third posture). On the other hand, when a force in the mounting direction 224 is applied to the base end 219A of the arm 219, the arm 219 is bent and the distal end 219B retracts outward (downward in FIG. 14D), and the container body 20 Is a release posture (see a broken line in FIG. 18, corresponding to the fourth posture of the present invention).

  A downwardly hooked engagement claw 221 that can engage with the engagement claw 15 of the member 115 is provided at the tip 218B of the arm 218. An upward hook-like engagement claw 222 that can engage with the engagement claw 144 of the detection window 140 is provided at the tip 219B of the arm 219. As shown in FIG. 12, the engaging claw 221 and the engaging claw 15 are engaged, and the engaging claw 222 and the engaging claw 144 are engaged, whereby the pedestal 206 is attached to the container body 20.

  The attachment portion 214 is provided with a substantially cylindrical guide 204. The guide 204 is provided at a position corresponding to the opening 110 of the slider 27. When the base 206 is attached to the container body 20, the guide 204 is inserted into the opening 110. A rod 244 of the operation member 210 described later is inserted into the inner hole of the guide 204.

  The base 206 is provided with a bearing 232 through which the shaft 212 is inserted. The shaft 208 is inserted into the shaft holes of the bearing 232 and a bearing 236 of the cover 208 described later, so that the cover 208 is attached to the pedestal 206 so as to be opened and closed.

  Inside the pedestal 206, as shown in FIG. 14C, an accommodating portion 234 that accommodates the operation member 210 and slidably supports the operation member 210 is provided. The housing portion 234 is configured by forming the side wall of the pedestal 206 in a shape corresponding to the shape of the operation member 210.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 15, the cover 208 is provided with an engaging claw 238 at an end portion on the base 206 side. When the cover 208 is closed with respect to the pedestal 206, the engagement claw 238 is engaged with a hook portion 225 (see FIG. 14D) provided on the pedestal 206. As a result, the engaged state in which the cover 208 is engaged with the base 206 can be maintained. In addition, when the lever part 240 provided in the edge part of the cover 208 is pressed, the lever part 240 will be bent, and the engagement state of the engaging claw 238 and the hook part 225 will be cancelled | released.

  The cover 208 is provided with an accommodating portion 241 for accommodating the pressing portion 246 of the operation member 210. In a state where the cover 20 is closed with respect to the pedestal 206, the pressing portion 246 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 241.

  The operation member 210 is housed in the housing portion 234 of the pedestal 206, and as shown in FIGS. 13 and 16, the operation member 210 is formed in a substantially mushroom shape, and includes the rod 244 and the pressing portion 246. It is roughly divided into

  The rod 244 is a round bar-like member, and the outer diameter thereof is smaller than the inner hole of the guide 204, and is formed in a dimension that can be inserted into the inner hole. A pressing portion 246 is provided at one end of the rod 244. The pressing portion 246 is provided with two engaging claws 248.

  Hereinafter, an assembling method of the opener 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the bearing 232 of the pedestal 206 and the bearing 236 of the cover 208 are aligned, and the shaft 212 is inserted into both shaft holes. Thereafter, the operation member 210 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 234. When the operation member 210 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 234, first, the rod 244 is inserted through the inner hole of the guide 204. Then, by further pushing the rod 204, the engaging claws 248 are fitted into the long holes 229 (see FIG. 14A) formed in the side wall of the base 206. Thereby, the operation member 210 is attached to the base 206.

  Note that the engaging claw 248 is formed sufficiently smaller than the size of the long hole 229 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the operation member 210 is slidable only within a range in which the engagement claw 248 moves from one end of the long hole 229 to the other end. In other words, the operation member 210 is provided so that its posture can be changed with respect to the base 206. Specifically, the operation member 210 includes a protruding posture in which the pressing portion 246 protrudes from the pedestal 206 (corresponding to the first posture of the present invention) and an immersive posture in which the pressing portion 246 is immersed in the pedestal 206 (the second posture of the present invention). The position can be changed. In the state where the opener 200 is attached to the container body 20, the protruding posture is a posture in which the operation member 210 is farthest from the atmospheric communication valve 80, and the immersion posture is such that the rod 244 is the valve of the atmospheric communication valve 80. In this posture, the body 87 is pushed in to open the through hole 81.

  After the operation member 210 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 234, the cover 208 is rotated, and the cover 208 is closed and fixed to the pedestal 206. Thereby, the assembly of the opener 200 is completed.

  Hereinafter, a method of attaching the opener 200 to the container body 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in the ink cartridge 10 in which the ink is injected into the ink chamber 100 through the first step and the second step described above, the slider 27 is placed in the container body 20 with the ink chamber 100 held at a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. It is pressed to the front surface 41 side to change to the second position (FIG. 3A) (third step).

  Next, the opener 200 is attached to the container body 20 with the slider 27 in the second position (fourth step). Specifically, the mounting portion 214 of the opener 200 assembled as described above is aligned with the front wall 161 of the slider 27. At this time, the guide 204 is disposed to face the opening 110. In this state, when the opener 200 is pushed in a direction perpendicular to the front wall 161, first, the guide 204 is inserted through the opening 110. As a result, the opener 200 is positioned with respect to the slider 27. Thereafter, when the opener 200 is further pushed in, the engaging claw 221 of the arm 218 comes into contact with the engaging claw 15. At this time, the arm 218 is elastically deformed. Thereby, the engaging claw 221 gets over the engaging claw 15 and the engaging claw 221 engages with the engaging claw 15 as shown in FIG. Further, the engaging claw 222 of the arm 219 comes into contact with the engaging claw 144 and the arm 219 is elastically deformed. Thereby, the engaging claw 222 gets over the engaging claw 144, and the engaging claw 221 engages with the engaging claw 144 as shown in FIG. As a result, the opener 200 is attached to the container body 20.

  By attaching the opener 200 in this way, the atmospheric communication valve 80 is covered and protected by the opener 200. Further, the slider 27 can be held at the second position (see FIG. 3A).

  Hereinafter, a method for removing the opener 200 attached to the container body 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 to 19.

  First, in the attached state shown in FIG. 17, the lever portion 240 of the cover 208 is pressed to release the engagement state of the cover 208 with the base 206. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 18, the cover 208 is rotated to expose the pressing portion 246 of the operation member 210. When the pressing portion 246 is pressed in this state, the tip of the rod 244 presses the rod 88 of the valve main body 87 against the ink chamber 100 side. At this time, against the elastic force of the coil spring 86, the valve body 87 changes from the closed position (position that closes the through hole 81) to the open position (position that opens the through hole 81). Thereby, the ink chamber 100 of the container body 20 communicates with the atmosphere, and the pressure of the ink chamber 100 becomes atmospheric pressure.

  Further, when the pressing portion 246 is pressed, the pressing portion 246 comes into contact with the base end 218A of the arm 218 and the base end 219A of the arm 219 in accordance with the pressing operation. At this time, the arm 218 is bent by the pressing force applied to the base end 218A. As a result, the tip 218B retracts outward (upward in FIG. 18), and becomes a release posture (broken line in FIG. 18) in which the engagement state with the container body 20 is released. Further, the arm 219 is bent by the pressing force applied to the base end 219A. As a result, the tip 219B is retracted outward (downward in FIG. 18) to a release posture (see a broken line in FIG. 18) in which the state of engagement with the container body 20 is released.

  Thereafter, the opener 200 can be removed from the container body 20 by pulling out the opener 200 while pressing the pressing portion 246.

  As described above, in the ink cartridge 10 according to this embodiment, by operating the pressing portion 246 of the operation member 210, the engagement state of the opener 200 with respect to the container body 20 is released, and the through hole 81 is opened. be able to. Thus, the through hole 81 can be reliably opened before the ink cartridge 10 is mounted on the recording apparatus. As a result, the ink backflow does not occur when the ink cartridge 10 is mounted, and the meniscus of the nozzle of the recording head is stabilized.

  The above-described embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and the embodiment can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external shape of an ink cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a perspective view as seen from the front side in the insertion direction 30, and FIG. The perspective view seen from the back side of the insertion direction 30 is shown. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a state where the ink cartridge 10 is disassembled. FIG. 3 is a side view of the ink cartridge 10. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the container body 20. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the internal structure of the container body 20. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the container body 20. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the external shape of the arm 70. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the external shape of the support block 170. FIG. 10 is a four-sided view of the support block 170, (A) showing a front view, (B) showing a left side view, and (C) showing a right side view. (D) shows a plan view. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the ink cartridge 10 to which the opener 200 is attached. FIG. 12 is a side view showing a state in which the housing 26 and the slider 27 are removed in FIG. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the opener 200. 14A and 14B are diagrams showing the configuration of the pedestal 206 of the opener 200, where FIG. 14A is a front view, FIG. 14B is a bottom view, FIG. 14C is a side view, and FIG. 14D is a section line XIVD- A cross-sectional view of XIVD is shown. 15A and 15B are diagrams showing the configuration of the cover 208 of the opener 200, where FIG. 15A is a front view, FIG. 15B is a bottom view, FIG. 15C is a side view, and FIG. 15D is a section line XVD- A cross-sectional view of the XVD is shown. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the operation member 210 of the opener 200, where FIG. 16A is a front view, and FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view taken along section line XVIB-XVIB of FIG. FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 10 with the opener 200 attached. FIG. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 10 in a state where the operation member 210 is pressed. FIG. 19 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 10 with the opener 200 removed.

Explanation of symbols

10. Ink cartridge (ink container)
20 ... Container body (main body)
23, 24 ... Coil spring (second support member)
27 ... Slider (sliding member)
50 ... Frame 67 ... Bearing 80 ... Air communication valve (seal member)
81 ... through hole (hole)
86... Coil spring (first support member)
87 ... Valve body (lid member)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Ink chamber 140 ... Detection window 150 ... Protection member 170 ... Support block 200 ... Opener (cover member)
210 ... operation member (engagement release member, first member)
218, 219 ... Arm (disengagement member, second member)

Claims (8)

A main body having an ink chamber for containing ink;
A hole formed in a predetermined wall surface of the main body and communicating the ink chamber with the outside;
A sealing member for closing the hole;
A cover member covering the hole in a state of being engaged with the main body,
The ink container includes an engagement release member that releases the engagement state with the main body and opens the hole closed by the seal member. The disengagement member is
A first member that is provided in the cover member so as to be capable of changing its posture, and changes into a first posture that separates from the seal member and a second posture that acts on the seal member to open the hole;
When the first member is in the first posture, it changes to a third posture that can be engaged with the main body, and when the first member is in the second posture, the engaged state with respect to the main body is released. The ink container according to claim 1, further comprising a second member that changes to a possible fourth posture.   The ink container according to claim 2, wherein the first member presses the seal member in the second posture to open the hole. The sealing member is
A lid member capable of changing between a fifth posture for opening the hole and a sixth posture for closing the hole;
A first support member that elastically supports the lid member toward the sixth posture;
The said 1st member changes the said cover member to the said 5th attitude | position side against the elastic force of the said 1st support member with the change from the said 1st attitude | position to the said 2nd attitude | position. An ink container according to the item. A slide member provided to be slidable with respect to the main body and capable of changing between a seventh posture spaced from the predetermined wall surface and an eighth posture closer to the predetermined wall surface than the seventh posture;
A second support member interposed between the main body and the slide member and elastically supporting the slide member in a direction away from the predetermined wall surface;
The slide member is held in the eighth posture against the elastic force of the second support member in a state where the cover member is engaged with the main body, and the cover member with respect to the main body is held by the disengagement member. 5. The ink container according to claim 1, wherein when the engagement is released, the ink container changes to the seventh posture by receiving an elastic force of the second support member. A main body having an ink chamber for containing ink;
A hole formed in the wall surface of the main body and communicating the ink chamber with the outside;
A sealing member for closing the hole;
A lid member capable of changing between a fifth posture for opening the hole and a sixth posture for closing the hole;
A slide member provided to be slidable with respect to the main body and capable of changing between a seventh posture spaced from the predetermined wall surface and an eighth posture closer to the predetermined wall surface than the seventh posture;
A second support member interposed between the main body and the slide member and elastically supporting the slide member in a direction away from the predetermined wall surface;
A cover member that is detachably provided on the main body, covers the hole in a state of being engaged with the main body, and holds the slide member in the eighth posture against the elastic force of the second support member;
A first member that is provided in the cover member so as to be capable of changing its posture, and changes into a first posture that separates from the seal member and a second posture that acts on the seal member to open the hole;

When the first member is in the first posture, it changes to a third posture that can be engaged with the main body, and when the first member is in the second posture, the engaged state with respect to the main body is released. A second member that changes to a possible fourth orientation. A first step of discharging air in the ink chamber of the main body;
A second step of injecting ink into the ink chamber;
A third step of changing a slide member slidably provided with respect to the main body to a posture close to a predetermined wall surface of the main body in a state where the ink chamber after ink injection is held at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure;
The cover member according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is attached to the main body while the slide member is changed to the posture, so that the slide member is held in the posture and formed on the predetermined wall surface. And a fourth step of covering the formed hole. The seal member of an ink container comprising: a main body having an ink chamber for containing ink; a hole formed on a predetermined wall surface of the main body; the hole communicating the ink chamber and the outside; and a seal member closing the hole. An opening device for opening
An opening device that is detachably provided on the main body, covers the hole when engaged with the main body, and opens the hole closed with the seal member when the engagement state with the main body is released.

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