JP2012020495A - Liquid storage container and liquid injection system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology reducing the possibility that liquid spills out from an atmospheric vent when the liquid is injected from a liquid injection port to inside of a liquid storage container, in the liquid storage container including the liquid injection port and the atmospheric vent provided separately.SOLUTION: The liquid storage container for supplying liquid to a liquid injection device includes: a liquid storage chamber for storing the liquid; an air storage chamber communicated with the liquid storage chamber and used for introducing external air into the liquid storage chamber as the liquid in the liquid storage chamber is consumed; the atmospheric vent for introducing external air into the air storage chamber; and the liquid injection port used for injecting the liquid into the liquid storage chamber and disposed at a lower position than the atmospheric vent when the liquid storage container has an injection posture when the liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber.

Description

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

  A printer that is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus performs printing by ejecting ink from a recording head onto a recording object (for example, printing paper). As a technique for supplying ink to the recording head, ink is supplied from the ink cartridge arranged on the recording head to the recording head, and ink is supplied from the ink tank arranged outside the liquid ejecting apparatus to the ink cartridge and the head via the tube. The technique which supplies is known (for example, patent documents 1-3). The ink tank can store a larger volume of ink than the ink cartridge. The ink tank is provided with an ink injection port, and the user can easily inject (replenish) ink from the ink injection port.

  For example, in the technique of Patent Document 1, an ink tank (ink storage tank) includes an ink discharge port, and ink is supplied to the print head via the ink discharge port and the flexible pipe.

JP-A-2005-219383 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-1284 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-199693

  The ink tank may include an atmosphere opening port for introducing air (atmosphere) inside the ink tank as the ink is consumed, in addition to the ink injection port. In this case, since the user injects ink from the ink injection port, the user tends to focus on the ink injection port. For this reason, depending on the positional relationship between the ink injection port and the atmosphere opening port, when a predetermined amount or more of ink is stored in the ink tank, the ink may be discharged from the atmosphere opening port even if the ink does not overflow. The situation that overflows occurs. Furthermore, the user may not be aware that ink is overflowing from the atmosphere opening.

  In addition, when the atmosphere opening port is covered with a sheet member having a gas-liquid separation function, the sheet member gets wet with ink when the ink overflows from the atmosphere opening port. When the sheet member is once wetted with ink, the original function of the sheet member is impaired, and the ink may leak to the outside through the sheet member. Further, the air permeability of the sheet member is lowered, and air may not be introduced into the ink tank from the atmosphere opening. Such a problem is not limited to the ink tank, and is a liquid storage container for storing the liquid ejected by the liquid ejecting apparatus, and the liquid inlet and the atmosphere opening are provided separately. This was a problem common to liquid containers.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, in a liquid container in which a liquid inlet and an air opening are separately provided, when liquid is injected from the liquid inlet into the liquid container, the liquid can overflow from the atmosphere opening. It aims at providing the technique which reduces property.

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

Application Example 1 A liquid container for supplying a liquid to a liquid ejecting apparatus,
A liquid storage chamber for storing the liquid;
An air storage chamber that communicates with the liquid storage chamber and introduces external air into the liquid storage chamber as the liquid is consumed in the liquid storage chamber;
An air opening for introducing air from the outside into the air accommodating chamber;
A liquid injection port for injecting the liquid into the liquid storage chamber, and disposed at a position lower than the atmosphere opening port in the injection posture of the liquid storage container when the liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber And a liquid inlet.
According to the liquid container of Application Example 1, in the pouring posture, the liquid pouring port is disposed at a position lower than the atmosphere opening port. Therefore, when the liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber from the liquid injection port, the possibility of the liquid overflowing from the atmosphere opening port can be reduced. In addition, since the user pays attention to the liquid inlet at the time of liquid injection, the possibility of liquid overflowing from the liquid inlet can be reduced.

[Application Example 2] The liquid container according to Application Example 1, further comprising:
A liquid storage container comprising a sheet member for partitioning the atmosphere opening and the outside, wherein the sheet member transmits gas and does not transmit liquid.
According to the liquid container of Application Example 2, it is possible to prevent the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber by the sheet member from overflowing from the air opening. Furthermore, since the liquid inlet is arranged at a position lower than the atmosphere opening, the possibility of liquid overflowing from the atmosphere opening at the time of liquid injection can be reduced. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the sheet member from getting wet with the liquid during the liquid injection, and to reduce the possibility of impairing the function of the sheet member.

[Application Example 3] The liquid container according to Application Example 1 or Application Example 2,
Furthermore, the one end portion is opened in the air accommodating chamber, and the other end portion is opened in the liquid accommodating chamber, thereby providing a communication portion for communicating the air accommodating chamber and the liquid accommodating chamber,
In the injection posture,
The liquid container is a liquid container disposed at a position lower than the opening which is the one end.
According to the liquid container of Application Example 3, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the liquid is introduced into the air storage chamber at the time of liquid injection. Thereby, the possibility of liquid overflowing from the atmosphere opening port during liquid injection can be further reduced.

[Application Example 4] The liquid container according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 3, further comprising:
A plug member having elasticity for closing the liquid inlet, comprising a plug member removable from the liquid inlet,
In the pouring posture, the liquid storage chamber is
When the liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber to such an extent that the liquid reaches the upper end opening of the liquid injection port, the air storage unit can store air having a volume V1;
In the usage posture of the liquid container when supplying the liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus, the volume of the inlet adjacent portion occupying a position equal to or higher than the height at which the liquid inlet is located in the portion of the liquid container. In case of V2,
A liquid container that satisfies V1 ≧ V2.
According to the liquid container of Application Example 4, for example, even when a liquid that overflows from the liquid inlet is injected into the liquid container, the liquid storage chamber stores air of a predetermined amount (volume V1) as air. It can be stored by the part. Since the volume V1 is equal to or larger than the volume V2 of the inlet adjacent portion, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the plug member is exposed to the liquid in the liquid storage chamber when the liquid storage container is brought into a use posture after the liquid injection. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the quality of the liquid is deteriorated such that a part of the plug member is mixed as an impurity in the liquid.

[Application Example 5] The liquid container according to Application Example 4,
The air storage portion is a liquid storage container having a concave shape formed by a wall surface forming the liquid storage chamber and opening in a vertically downward direction in the injection posture.
According to the liquid container described in Application Example 5, the air storage portion can be easily formed by forming a concave shape that opens vertically downward.

[Application Example 6] The liquid container according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 5,
In the usage posture of the liquid container when supplying the liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus,
The atmosphere opening port is a liquid storage container that is disposed closer to the top surface than the bottom surface in the air storage chamber.
According to the liquid container described in Application Example 6, when the liquid is injected, even if the liquid is injected into a part of the air storage chamber, the liquid is supplied from the atmosphere opening port when the liquid container is in a use posture. The possibility of overflowing can be reduced.

Application Example 7 A liquid ejection system,
The liquid container according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 6, and
A liquid ejecting apparatus having a head for ejecting the liquid onto an object;
A liquid ejecting system comprising: a flow pipe that connects the liquid container and the liquid ejecting apparatus and causes the liquid in the liquid storage chamber to circulate through the liquid ejecting apparatus.
According to the liquid ejecting system described in Application Example 7, it is possible to provide a liquid ejecting system including a liquid storage container that reduces the possibility of liquid overflowing from the atmosphere opening port during injection.

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

It is a figure for demonstrating the liquid storage container 90 of a reference example. It is a figure for demonstrating the liquid injection system 1 of 1st Example. 2 is an external perspective view of an ink tank 30. FIG. 4 is a diagram for further explaining the ink tank 30. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the ink tank 30. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the flow of air. 4 is a diagram for explaining details of an ink tank 30. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating ink supply. 2 is a diagram for explaining an ink tank 30. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state where ink is injected into the ink tank 30. It is a figure for demonstrating the ink tank 30a of 2nd Example. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect of 2nd Example. It is a figure for demonstrating the ink tank 30b of a 1st modification.

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

A. Reference example:
In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiment, a reference example will be described before the description of the embodiment. FIG. 1 is a view for explaining a liquid container 90 of a reference example. FIG. 1 shows XYZ axes orthogonal to each other in order to specify a direction. In the following drawings, the XYZ axes are shown as necessary. The liquid container 90 is also called an ink tank 90. Ink is supplied from a liquid outlet 906 of the ink tank 90 to a sub tank (not shown) in the printer (liquid ejecting apparatus) through the hose 24 that is a flow pipe. The posture (usage posture) of the ink tank 90 when supplying ink to the sub tank is such that the negative Z-axis direction is the vertically downward direction.

  The ink tank 90 has a liquid storage chamber 940 and an air storage chamber 930. The liquid storage chamber 940 and the air storage chamber 930 communicate with each other via a communication portion 950. The liquid storage chamber 940 stores ink. The stored ink is supplied from the liquid outlet 949 to the sub tank via the liquid outlet 906 and the hose 24. Note that when supplying ink to the sub tank, the liquid injection port 904 for injecting the ink is closed by a plug member (not shown).

  As ink in the liquid storage chamber 940 is consumed, air is introduced from the air storage chamber 930 into the liquid storage chamber 940 via the communication portion 950. The ink tank 90 has an air opening 918 for allowing the air storage chamber 930 to communicate with the atmosphere. A gas-liquid separation film 916 is attached to the atmosphere opening 918 to prevent ink from leaking outside.

  When ink is injected into the ink tank 90, the ink tank 90 is installed on a predetermined horizontal plane so that the negative direction of the X axis is vertically downward as shown in FIG. The posture of the ink tank shown in FIG. 1 is also referred to as “filling posture”. In the ink tank 90 of the reference example, the liquid injection port 904 is arranged at a position higher than the atmosphere opening port 918 in the injection posture. Therefore, when the user injects ink from the liquid injection port 904 into the liquid storage chamber 940, the user may overflow from the atmosphere opening port 918 depending on the injection amount. In addition, since the user pays attention to the liquid injection port 904 at the time of ink injection, the user may not notice that the ink overflows from the atmosphere opening port 918.

  Further, as in the reference example, when the gas-liquid separation film 916 is pasted so as to partition the atmosphere opening port 918 and the outside, the gas-liquid separation film 916 is wetted by the ink overflowing from the atmosphere opening port 918. End up. Once the gas-liquid separation sheet 916 is wetted with ink, its function is reduced, and the situation where the ink passes through the gas-liquid separation sheet 916 and leaks to the outside, or the air cannot pass through the gas-liquid separation sheet 916, and the ink tank 90 A situation may occur in which air is not introduced into the interior.

B. Example:
B-1. First embodiment:
B-1-1. Liquid injection system configuration:
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the liquid ejecting system 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2A is an external perspective view of the liquid ejecting system 1. FIG. 2B is an external perspective view of the liquid ejecting system 1, and is a view showing the liquid container 30 of the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the liquid ejecting system 1 includes an ink jet printer 12 (also simply referred to as “printer 12”) as a liquid ejecting apparatus, and a tank unit 50. The printer 12 includes a paper feed unit 13, a paper discharge unit 14, a carriage 16, and four sub tanks 20. The four sub tanks 20 store inks having different colors. Specifically, the four sub tanks 20 are a sub tank 20Bk that stores black ink, a sub tank 20Cn that stores cyan ink, a sub tank 20Ma that stores magenta ink, and a sub tank 20Yw that stores yellow ink. The four sub tanks 20 are mounted on the carriage 16.

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

  The carriage 16 is movable in the main scanning direction (paper width direction). This movement is performed via a timing belt (not shown) by driving a stepping motor (not shown). A recording head (not shown) is provided on the lower surface of the carriage 16. Printing is performed by ejecting ink stored in the sub tank 20 from the plurality of nozzles of the recording head onto the printing paper. Various components constituting the printer 12 such as the timing belt and the carriage 16 are protected by being accommodated in the case 10.

  The tank unit 50 includes an upper surface case 54, a first side case 56, and a second side case 58. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the tank unit 50 includes ink tanks 30 as four liquid containers inside the cases 54, 56, and 58. The tank unit 50 is more stably installed in a predetermined place (for example, a desk or a shelf) by the cases 54, 56, and 58. The four ink tanks 30 store ink corresponding to the colors stored in the four sub tanks 20. That is, the four ink tanks 30 respectively store black ink, cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink. The ink tank 30 can store a larger amount of ink than the sub tank 20.

  The ink tank 30 containing each color is connected to the sub tank 20 containing the corresponding color ink by a hose 24. When ink is ejected from the recording head and the ink in the sub tank 20 is consumed, the ink in the ink tank 30 is supplied to the sub tank 20 via the hose 24. As a result, the liquid ejecting system 1 can continue printing without interrupting the printer 12. The hose 24 is formed of a member having elasticity such as synthetic rubber. Ink may be supplied directly from the ink tank 30 to the recording head via the hose 24 without providing the sub tank 20.

  FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the ink tank 30. The ink tank 30 has a plug member 302. The plug member 302 is attached to the liquid inlet 304. The plug member 302 can be removed from the liquid injection port 304, and ink can be injected (supplemented) into the ink tank 30 from the liquid injection port 304 by being removed. The ink tank 30 has a first fitting portion 324 and a second fitting portion 325. The first fitting portion 324 has a protruding shape. The second fitting portion 325 has a through hole 325a. Adjacent ink tanks 30 are connected using the first and second fitting portions 324 and 325.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for further explaining the ink tank 30. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tank unit 50, and the upper case 54 (FIG. 2A) is not shown for ease of explanation. The adjacent ink tanks 30 are connected to each other by fitting the through holes 325a of the second fitting portions 325 and the first fitting portions 324 of the adjacent ink tanks 30 together. The tank unit 50 can newly add or remove the ink tank 30 according to the number of ink colors ejected by the printer 12. When the ink in the ink tank 30 is supplied to the printer 12, the ink tank is used in the vertical direction in the negative Z-axis direction and in the vertical upward direction in the positive Z-axis direction.

B-1-2. Detailed configuration of the ink tank 30:
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the ink tank 30. The ink tank 30 includes a tank body 32, a stopper member 302, and a plurality of sheet members 34, 316, 322 (also referred to as “films 34, 316, 322”). The tank body 32 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene. The tank body 32 is translucent, and the amount of ink inside can be confirmed from the outside. The shape of the tank body 32 is a concave shape with one side opened. Various shapes of ribs 362 are formed in the recess of the tank body 32. For convenience of explanation, the surface of the tank body 32 on the positive side in the Z axis is referred to as an upper surface fa, and the surface on the negative side in the Z axis is referred to as a bottom surface fb. Further, regarding the four side surfaces of the tank body 32 in the use posture, the X-axis positive direction side surface is the right side fc, the X-axis negative direction side surface is the left-side surface fd, and the Y-axis positive direction side surface (that is, the opening is The formed surface) is defined as the front fe and the Y-axis negative direction side as the rear surface ff.

  The film 34 is affixed densely so that no gap is generated between the end surface of the rib 362 and the end surface of the outer frame of the tank body 32. Thereby, a plurality of small rooms are formed. Specifically, an air storage chamber 330, a liquid storage chamber 340, a communication portion 350, and a liquid holding portion 345 that is a part of the liquid storage chamber 340 are mainly formed. The details of each room (each configuration) will be described later.

  A liquid inlet 304 is formed on the right side fc of the tank body 32. In addition, a gas-liquid separation chamber 312, an air inlet 317, communication channels 314 and 320, and communication ports 318, 319 a, and 319 b are formed on the right side surface fc. The shape of the gas-liquid separation chamber 312 is a concave shape, and a communication port 319a is formed on the concave bottom surface. The communication port 318 is also referred to as an air release port 318, communicates with the air storage chamber 330, and introduces external air into the air storage chamber 330.

  A bank 313 is formed on the entire circumference of the inner wall surrounding the bottom surface of the gas-liquid separation chamber 312. The sheet member 316 is adhered to the bank 313. The sheet member 316 has a property of transmitting gas and not transmitting liquid. The film 322 is adhered to the right side fc so as to cover the communication channel 320, the gas-liquid separation chamber 312, the communication channel 314, and the communication ports 318, 319a, and 319b. Thereby, the communication flow paths 314 and 320 are formed, and the ink inside the ink tank 30 is prevented from leaking outside.

  The liquid inlet 304 is in communication with the liquid storage chamber 340. The plug member 302 is an elastic member (for example, rubber) and can be detached from the liquid inlet 304 by an external force. By removing the plug member 302 from the liquid injection port 304, ink is injected (supplemented) from the liquid injection port 304 into the liquid storage chamber 340. The air storage chamber 330 and the liquid storage chamber 340 communicate with each other through a communication unit 350. Specifically, one end portion 351 of the communication portion 352 communicates with the air storage chamber 330 and the other end portion 352 communicates with the liquid storage chamber 340 (specifically, the liquid holding portion 345). That is, one end 351 opens in the air storage chamber 330, and the other end 352 opens in the liquid storage chamber 340.

  A liquid outlet portion 306 is formed in the vicinity of the lowermost portion (bottom surface fb side) of the tank body 32 in the usage posture. The liquid outlet 306 is cylindrical and has a flow path formed therein. One end (not shown) of the liquid outlet 306 communicates with the liquid storage chamber 340, and the other end 348 opens to the outside. A hose 24 (see FIG. 2) is attached to the liquid outlet 306.

  Next, the flow path from the atmosphere introduction port 317 to the atmosphere release port 318 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the flow of air from the atmosphere introduction port 317 to the atmosphere release port 318. FIG. 6 is a view of FIG. 5 as seen from the positive side of the X axis, and the air flow from the atmosphere introduction port 317 to the atmosphere release port 318 is schematically indicated by arrows. The sheet members 316 and 322 are not shown.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the atmosphere introduction port 317 and the communication channel 320 communicate with each other through one end portion 320 a of the communication channel 320 and an internal channel formed inside the tank body 32. The communication channel 320 and the gas-liquid separation chamber 312 communicate with each other via the other end portion 320b. The communication channel 320 is formed along the outer periphery of the gas-liquid separation chamber 312 in order to increase the distance from the air inlet 317 to the gas-liquid separation chamber 312. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the moisture in the ink inside the tank body 32 from evaporating to the outside from the air inlet 317. From the viewpoint of suppressing moisture evaporation, the communication channel 320 may be a meandering channel in order to increase the distance of the communication channel.

  The air flowing to the other end 320b, the gas-liquid separation chamber 312 and the communication port 319a passes through the sheet member 316 (FIG. 5) adhered to the bank 313 on the way. The gas-liquid separation chamber 312 and the communication channel 314 communicate with each other via communication ports 319a and 319b and an internal channel formed inside the tank body. The communication channel 314 communicates with the air storage chamber 330 through the atmosphere opening port 318. As can be understood from the above description, the sheet member 316 (FIG. 5) partitions the atmosphere opening 318 from the outside. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the ink stored in the tank body 32 from leaking outside.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the details of the ink tank 30. FIG. 7A is a view of the inside of the tank main body 32 of FIG. 5 viewed from the Y axis positive direction side. FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the liquid outlet portion 306 in FIG. Note that the liquid lead-out unit 306 is actually located on the back side of the drawing, but the state in which the liquid lead-out unit 306 communicates with the liquid storage chamber 340 is illustrated for ease of explanation. Further, for ease of explanation, the atmosphere opening port 318, the related configuration (for example, the sheet member 316, the gas-liquid separation chamber 312), and the liquid injection port 304 are conceptually illustrated. However, the height position of the atmosphere opening port 318 and the height position of the liquid injection port 304 in FIG. 7 are illustrated so as to have the same relationship as the actual height position.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, in the injection posture, the ink tank 30 is installed such that the left side surface fd is vertically downward (X-axis negative direction). That is, the ink tank 30 is installed such that the surface fd facing the surface on which the liquid injection port 304 and the atmosphere opening port 318 are formed is the bottom surface.

  The liquid storage chamber 340 communicates with the liquid outlet 306. The liquid in the liquid storage chamber 340 can flow from the liquid outlet 349 of the liquid storage chamber 340 to the liquid outlet 306. The liquid outlet 349 can also be referred to as one end of the liquid outlet 306, and thus the liquid outlet 349 is also referred to as one end 349 of the liquid outlet 306. The liquid storage chamber 340 has a partition wall portion 342 extending a predetermined length upward from the bottom surface portion 346 in the pouring posture. The partition wall portion 342 is formed across the entire Y-axis direction (width direction) inside the liquid storage chamber 340. That is, the partition wall portion 342 partitions the bottom surface portion 346 into two regions.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, in the pouring posture, the height T2 of the liquid holding portion 345 (that is, the height T2 of the partition wall portion 342) is higher than the height T1 of the one end portion 349. Accordingly, the remaining amount of ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 is reduced, and the liquid holding portion 345 can be filled with ink having a height of T1 or more even when the posture of the ink tank 30 is changed from the use posture to the injection posture. That is, in the pouring posture, the liquid holding unit 345 holds a predetermined amount of ink, so that the ink in the liquid outlet 306 and the ink in the liquid holding unit 345 can be maintained continuously without air. In other words, the one end portion 349 can be kept in contact with the ink without being in contact with the air.

  The partition wall portion 342 has an upper end portion of the partition wall portion 342 that is in contact with the upper surface portion 347 of the liquid storage chamber 340 and blocks the flow of ink between the liquid holding portion 345 and other portions in the liquid storage chamber 340. It is formed so that there is no. The arrangement position of the bottom surface part 346 of the partition wall part 342 is not particularly limited, but is preferably arranged in the vicinity of the one end part 349. That is, it is preferable to arrange the partition wall part 342 so that the bottom area of the liquid holding part 345 is smaller so that the liquid holding part 345 can hold the ink having the height T1 or more with a smaller ink remaining amount. Here, “near” is the minimum of the extent that the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 can be circulated (not blocked) when the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 is supplied to the printer 12 via the liquid outlet 306. This means that the partition wall 342 is arranged with a limited gap (flow path).

  Returning to FIG. 7A, the description of the ink tank 30 will be continued. The communication part 350 has an elongated channel shape. When the air in the liquid storage chamber 340 is thermally expanded and the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 flows into the communication portion 350, the air storage chamber 330 stores the ink so that the ink is exposed to the outside through the atmosphere opening port 318. Prevent leakage. In addition, as the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 is supplied to the sub tank 20, the air in the air storage chamber 330 is introduced into the liquid storage chamber 340 through the communication unit 350. Details of this will be described later.

  The communication portion 350 is a portion having a smaller flow path cross-sectional area and a larger flow path resistance than the air storage chamber 330 and the liquid storage chamber 340. Thereby, meniscus (liquid cross-linking) is generated in the communication part 350.

  The air storage chamber 330 communicates with the external atmosphere via the atmosphere opening port 318. The air release port 318 is formed closer to the upper surface portion 330t than the bottom surface portion 330s of the air accommodating chamber 330 in the use posture.

  Here, in the injection posture, the liquid injection port 304 is formed in the tank body 32 so that the liquid injection port 304 is lower than the atmosphere opening port 318. That is, in the injection posture, the height H1 of the liquid injection port 304 is smaller than the height H2 of the atmosphere opening port 318. Here, the height comparison between the liquid inlet 304 and the atmosphere opening 318 is based on the respective upper end surfaces in the injection posture.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining ink supply from the ink tank 30 to the sub tank 20. FIG. 8 schematically shows the inside of the ink tank 30, the hose 24, and the printer 12. The liquid ejection system 1 is installed on a predetermined horizontal plane sf. The liquid outlet 306 of the ink tank 30 and the liquid receiving part 202 of the sub tank 20 are connected via the hose 24. The sub tank 20 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polystyrene or polyethylene. The sub tank 20 includes an ink storage chamber 204, an ink flow path 208, and a filter 206. An ink supply needle 16 a of the carriage 16 is inserted into the ink flow path 208. The filter 206 prevents inflow of impurities into the recording head 17 by capturing impurities when impurities such as foreign matters are mixed in the ink. The ink in the ink storage chamber 204 is supplied to the recording head 17 through the ink flow path 208 and the ink supply needle 16 a by suction from the recording head 17. The ink supplied to the recording head 17 is ejected toward the outside (printing paper) through the nozzle.

  When ink is injected from the liquid injection port 304 into the liquid storage chamber 340 in the injection posture and then the liquid injection port 304 is sealed with the plug member 302 and put into a use posture, the air in the liquid storage chamber 340 expands and the liquid storage chamber 340 is maintained at a negative pressure. Further, the air accommodating chamber 330 is maintained at atmospheric pressure by communicating with the atmosphere opening port 318.

  In the use posture, the other end 352 forming the meniscus is disposed at a position lower than the recording head 17. Thereby, the water head difference d1 occurs. In the use posture, the water head difference d1 in a state where the meniscus is formed at the other end 352 is also referred to as “steady-state water head difference d1”.

  As the ink in the ink storage chamber 204 is sucked by the recording head 17, the ink storage chamber 204 becomes a predetermined negative pressure or higher. When the ink storage chamber 204 becomes a predetermined negative pressure or higher, the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 is supplied to the ink storage chamber 204 via the hose 24. That is, the ink storage chamber 204 is automatically replenished with the amount of ink that has flowed out of the recording head 17 from the liquid storage chamber 340. In other words, the water head difference d1 generated by the difference in the vertical height between the ink liquid surface in contact with the air accommodating chamber 330 in the ink tank 30 and the recording head (specifically, the nozzle) is more from the printer 12 side. Ink is supplied from the liquid storage chamber 340 to the ink storage chamber 204 by increasing the suction force (negative pressure).

  When the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 is consumed, the air G (also referred to as “bubble G”) in the air storage chamber 330 is introduced into the liquid storage chamber 340 through the communication unit 350. Thereby, the liquid level of the liquid storage chamber 340 is lowered.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the ink tank 30. FIG. 9 shows a state where the ink tank 30 shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state (use state) in which the ink tank 30 supplies ink to the sub tank 20 via the hose 24 in the use posture.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340 becomes a predetermined amount or less, the user replenishes the ink in order to prevent the printer 12 from causing a malfunction (such as missing dots). For example, a limit line serving as a guide for ink injection timing is attached to the tank body 32, and the user refills ink when the ink level falls below the limit line. Here, it is assumed that the water level of the ink falls below the limit line in the state shown in FIG. When ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340, the ink tank 30 is rotated so that the liquid injection port 304 faces vertically upward as indicated by an arrow YR.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state where ink is injected into the ink tank 30. FIG. 10A is a diagram when the ink tank 30 is changed from the use posture to the injection posture in the ink remaining amount state shown in FIG. FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating a state in which a normal amount of ink has been injected into the liquid storage chamber 340. FIG. 10C is a diagram illustrating a state where an excessive amount of ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340. “Normal ink injection into the liquid storage chamber 340” means that less than a predetermined amount of ink is stored in the liquid storage chamber 340. For example, the ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340 to the extent that the ink level is positioned below the liquid injection port 304. “Too much ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340” means that the ink is injected until a predetermined amount or more of ink is stored in the liquid storage chamber 340. For example, the ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340 to the extent that the ink reaches the liquid injection port 304.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, when ink is injected, the plug member 302 (FIG. 9) attached to the liquid injection port 304 is removed, and the ink is injected from the liquid injection port 304. The ink is injected in a state where the ink tank 30 and the sub tank 20 are connected by the hose 24. A meniscus (liquid level cross-linking) is formed in the nozzle of the recording head 17 (FIG. 8), and ink is not ejected from the nozzle unless external force (pressure applied by the piezo element to the ink) is applied. That is, since the nozzle of the recording head 17 holds the ink with a constant force, the ink in the liquid outlet 306 communicating with the nozzle is held in the liquid outlet 306 without flowing backward to the liquid storage chamber 340 side. Is done.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, when the posture is changed from the use posture to the injection posture in a state where the ink remaining amount is low, the liquid holding unit 345 causes the ink to flow out to the other part of the liquid storage chamber 340. Suppress. That is, the partition wall portion 342 blocks the ink flow in the direction away from the one end portion 349 (Z-axis positive direction). For this reason, in the pouring posture, the liquid holding unit 345 can maintain the water level higher than other portions. More specifically, the partition wall portion 342 makes it possible to maintain the water level of the liquid holding portion 345 at or above the height of the one end portion 349. As a result, even when the remaining amount of ink is small, the ink in the liquid outlet 306 and the ink in the liquid holder 345 can exist continuously without air. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that air (bubbles) flows from the one end portion 349 to the liquid outlet portion 306 and flows into the sub tank 20 via the hose 24 when ink is injected. Thereby, since air does not flow into the recording head 17 (FIG. 5) when ink is injected, dot dropout due to idle shot can be suppressed, and deterioration in print quality can be suppressed.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, when a normal amount of ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340, the ink liquid level Lf1 of the liquid storage chamber 340 is positioned below the liquid injection port 304 in the injection posture. Here, in the injection posture, the height H1 of the liquid injection port 304 is lower than the height H2 of the atmosphere opening port 318. Therefore, when a normal amount of ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340, the ink is discharged into the atmosphere. Overflow from the opening 318 can be prevented.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10C, even when the ink is excessively injected and the water level of the ink reaches the liquid injection port 304, the ink can be prevented from overflowing from the atmosphere opening port 318. In addition, since the possibility that the entire surface of the sheet member 316 gets wet with ink during ink injection can be reduced, the function of the sheet member 316 can be maintained over a long period of time.

  Thus, in the ink tank 30 of the first embodiment, the liquid injection port 304 is lower than the air release port 318 in the injection posture. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the possibility of ink overflowing from the air opening 318 when ink is injected. In addition, since the liquid holding unit 345 is provided, the ink in the liquid outlet 306 and the ink in the liquid holding unit 345 are continuous even when the remaining amount of ink is reduced and the ink tank 30 is changed from the use posture to the injection posture. The state can be maintained (FIG. 10A). Thereby, when ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340, the possibility of air flowing into the recording head 17 via the liquid outlet 306 and the hose 24 can be reduced.

B-2. Second embodiment:
FIG. 11 is a view for explaining the ink tank 30a of the second embodiment. FIGS. 11A and 11B are views corresponding to FIG. 7A of the first embodiment. FIG. 11A is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the ink tank 30a of the second embodiment. FIG. 11B is a diagram for explaining the state of the ink tank 30a when the ink injection amount is excessive. The difference from the ink tank 30 of the first embodiment is the configuration of the liquid storage chamber 340a and the height position of the liquid injection port 304a in the injection posture. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and descriptions thereof are omitted. The ink tank 30a of the second embodiment is also used in the liquid ejecting system 1 in the same manner as the ink tank 30 of the first embodiment (FIG. 2). Note that in FIG. 11A, the stopper member 302 is shown by a broken line for easy understanding.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, in the pouring posture, the liquid inlet 304 a is lower than the atmosphere opening 318 and is lower than the opening 351 that is one end 351 of the communicating portion 350. Is formed. That is, in the pouring posture, the height H1 of the liquid inlet 304a is smaller than the height H2 of the atmosphere opening 318 and the height H3 of the one end 351.

  Furthermore, the liquid storage chamber 340 includes an air storage unit 341 having a volume V1. The air storage unit 341 is an opening 304m (also referred to as “lower end opening 304m”) on one end side of the liquid inlet 304a in the portion of the liquid storage chamber 340 in the injection posture, and is formed on the wall surface of the liquid storage chamber 340a. This is a portion provided at a position higher than the formed opening 304m. The air storage part 341 has a concave shape formed by the wall surface forming the liquid storage chamber 340a, and opens downward in the injection posture. In other words, the air storage portion 341 has a concave shape in which the periphery (direction) other than the vertically downward direction is surrounded by the wall surface of the liquid storage chamber 340 in the injection posture. In the injection posture, the air storage unit 341 can store a predetermined amount of air (volume V1) even when ink is excessively injected into the liquid storage chamber 340 to the extent that it reaches the upper end opening 304p of the liquid injection port 304a. In other words, the air storage unit 341 can store at least a predetermined volume (volume V1) of air regardless of the amount of ink injected in the injection posture. Here, in the use posture, a portion occupying a position higher than the height at which the liquid inlet 304 a is located in the portion of the liquid storage chamber 340 is defined as an inlet adjacent portion 343. That is, the inlet adjacent portion 343 is positioned at a height higher than the bottom portion 304f of the liquid inlet 304a in the use posture. Here, when the volume of the inlet adjacent portion 343 is V2, the ink tank 30a satisfies V1 ≧ V2.

  As shown in FIG. 11B, for example, even when ink is excessively injected into the liquid storage chamber 340a until it reaches the liquid injection port 304a, H1 <H3, so that the air storage chamber 330 is filled with H1 <H3. Ink is not introduced. Even when an excessive amount of ink is injected into the liquid storage chamber 340a, the air of the volume V1 is stored in the liquid storage chamber 340a by the air storage unit 341.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the second embodiment. FIG. 12 illustrates an internal state of the liquid ejection system 1 in the use posture. FIG. 12 shows the state of the ink immediately after the ink tank 30a is put into a use posture after excessively injecting the ink of FIG. 11B.

  As shown in FIG. 11B, even when the ink is excessively injected into the liquid storage chamber 340a, the ink does not reach the air storage chamber 330. Ink hardly flows into the air accommodating chamber 330. Therefore, the liquid level position of the air accommodating chamber 330 immediately after ink injection is denoted by Lf1b. At this time, a water head difference d2 occurs. This hydraulic head difference d2 is also referred to as “excessive hydraulic head difference d2”. As the ink in the ink tank 30a is supplied to the sub tank 20, the liquid level Lf1b decreases. Eventually, the other end 352 is lowered to a position where a meniscus is formed (FIG. 8). If ink has been introduced into the air storage chamber 330 when ink is injected, the ink liquid level in the air storage chamber 330 is higher than the liquid level Lf1b (for example, the liquid level) in the use posture immediately after ink injection. Lf2b). That is, the head difference greatly deviates from the steady-state head difference d1. On the other hand, as in the present embodiment, the height H1 is smaller than the height H3 (FIG. 11A), so that no ink is introduced into the air accommodating chamber 330 when ink is injected. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the deviation of the excessive hydraulic head difference d2 from the steady hydraulic head difference d1. In other words, the water head difference can be maintained within a predetermined range. Accordingly, ink can be stably supplied from the ink tank 30a to the sub tank 20 as the ink stored in the ink storage chamber 204 of the sub tank 20 is consumed.

  In addition, since the volume V1 of the air storage unit 341 is equal to or larger than the volume V2 of the inlet adjacent part 343, even if the ink is excessively injected into the ink tank 30a, No ink is present. Thereby, the possibility that the plug member 302 comes into contact with the ink can be reduced, and the possibility that impurities in the plug member 302 are mixed with the ink can be reduced. As in the first embodiment, in this embodiment, since the liquid injection port 304a is lower than the atmosphere opening port 318 in the injection posture (FIG. 11), ink overflows from the atmosphere opening port 318 when ink is injected. The possibility of exiting can be reduced.

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

C-1. First modification:
FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the ink tank 30b of the first modification. FIG. 13 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 7A and FIG. 11A of the above embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is the configuration of the communication portion 350b and the configuration of the liquid holding portion 345b. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  In the ink tank 30b of the first modified example, the shape of the communicating portion 350b is not a long and narrow channel shape but a hole shape. Further, the communication part 350b has an opening area enough to form a meniscus. Further, a porous member 345 b is disposed in the liquid storage chamber 340 so as to close the one end 349. The porous member 345b functions as a liquid holding unit and can hold a predetermined amount of ink. Further, when the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340a is supplied to the sub tank 20, the porous member 345b forms a flow path penetrating the inside so that the ink in the liquid storage chamber 340a can flow toward the liquid outlet 306. is doing. For example, a sponge can be used as the porous member 345b.

  Thus, the structure of the ink tank 30b can be further simplified by making the communication part 350b into a hole. Further, the porous member 345b can maintain the ink in the liquid outlet 306 and the ink in the porous member 345b continuous without air. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that air (bubbles) flows into the sub tank 20 from the one end 349 via the liquid outlet 306 and the hose 24 when ink is injected. In addition, the ink tank 30a of the first modified example can reduce the possibility of ink overflowing from the air opening 318 when ink is injected, as in the above embodiment.

  In the first modification, the communication portion 350b may be replaced with the configuration of the flow channel-shaped communication portion 350 of the above-described embodiment. In the first modified example, the liquid holding portion 345 may be formed by providing a partition wall portion 342 instead of the porous member 345b. Even in this case, as in the above-described embodiment, the possibility of ink overflowing from the atmosphere opening 318 during ink injection can be reduced, and the possibility of air flowing into the sub tank during ink injection can be reduced. Moreover, while providing the partition wall part 342, you may arrange | position the porous member 345b. By doing so, it is possible to better maintain a state in which the ink in the liquid outlet 306 and the ink in the liquid holder 345 are continuous without air.

C-2. Second modification:
In the second embodiment, the air storage part 341 having the volume V1 is provided (FIG. 11A), but the air storage part 341 having the volume V1 may not be provided. That is, in the injection posture, the liquid injection port 304 a may be formed at a position lower than the one end 351 of the communication part 350. Even in this case, even if ink is excessively injected into the liquid storage chamber 340a, the ink is not introduced into the air storage chamber 330, so that the water head difference in the use posture can be maintained within a predetermined range.

C-3. Third modification:
In the above embodiment, the ink tanks 30 and 30 a have the liquid holding part 345, but the liquid holding part 345 may not be provided. That is, the partition wall 342 may not be provided in the liquid storage chambers 340 and 340a. Even in this case, similarly to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility of ink overflowing from the air opening 318 when ink is injected.

C-4. Fourth modification:
In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the ink tanks 30, 30a, and 30b used in the printer 12 as the liquid container have been described as examples. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, color material ejection such as a liquid crystal display Device equipped with head, device equipped with electrode material (conductive paste) ejecting head used for electrode formation such as organic EL display, surface emitting display (FED), etc., device equipped with bioorganic matter ejecting head used for biochip manufacturing The present invention can be applied to a liquid container that can supply a liquid to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as an apparatus including a sample ejecting head as a precision pipette, a textile printing apparatus, or a micro dispenser. Here, the liquid container is provided with a liquid inlet for injecting a liquid and an air opening for introducing air into the liquid container. When a liquid container is used in the various liquid ejecting apparatuses described above, a liquid (coloring material, conductive paste, bioorganic matter, etc.) corresponding to the type of liquid ejected by the various liquid ejecting apparatuses is placed inside the liquid container. Can be accommodated. The present invention is also applicable to a liquid ejecting system including various liquid ejecting apparatuses and a liquid storage container corresponding to the various liquid ejecting apparatuses.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Liquid injection system 10 ... Case 12 ... Inkjet printer 13 ... Paper feeding part 14 ... Paper discharge part 16 ... Carriage 16a ... Ink supply needle 17 ... Recording head 20 ... Sub tank 20Bk ... Sub tank 20Ma ... Sub tank 20Cn ... Sub tank 20Yw ... Sub tank DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 24 ... Hose 30 ... Ink tank 30a ... Ink tank 30b ... Ink tank 32 ... Tank main body 34 ... Sheet member 50 ... Tank unit 54 ... Upper surface case 56 ... First side case 58 ... Second side case 90 ... Liquid container (Inn tank)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 202 ... Liquid receiving part 204 ... Ink storage chamber 206 ... Filter 208 ... Ink flow path 302 ... Plug member 304 ... Liquid inlet 304a ... Liquid inlet 304p ... Upper end opening 304m ... Lower end opening 306 ... Liquid outlet part 312 ... Gas-liquid separation Chamber 313 ... Bank 316 ... Sheet member 317 ... Air introduction port 318 ... Air release port 320 ... Communication channel 322 ... Film 324 ... First fitting part 325 ... Second fitting part 325a ... Through hole 330 ... Air accommodation Chamber 330s ... Bottom 330t ... Upper surface 340 ... Liquid storage chamber 340a ... Liquid storage chamber 341 ... Air storage section 342 ... Partition wall 343 ... Inlet adjacent part 345 ... Liquid holding section 345b ... Liquid holding section (water absorbing member)
349 ... Liquid outlet (one end)
350 ... Communication part 350b ... Communication part 351 ... One end part 352 ... Other end part 362 ... Rib 904 ... Liquid inlet 906 ... Liquid outlet 916 ... Gas-liquid separation film 918 ... Atmospheric opening 930 ... Air storage chamber 940 ... Liquid storage Chamber 949 ... Liquid outlet 950 ... Communication part G ... Air fa ... Upper surface fb ... Bottom surface fc ... Right side surface fd ... Left side surface fe ... Front side ff ... Rear surface

Claims (7)

A liquid container for supplying liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus,
A liquid storage chamber for storing the liquid;
An air storage chamber that communicates with the liquid storage chamber and introduces external air into the liquid storage chamber as the liquid is consumed in the liquid storage chamber;
An air opening for introducing air from the outside into the air accommodating chamber;
A liquid injection port for injecting the liquid into the liquid storage chamber, and disposed at a position lower than the atmosphere opening port in the injection posture of the liquid storage container when the liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber And a liquid inlet. The liquid container according to claim 1, further comprising:
A liquid storage container comprising a sheet member for partitioning the atmosphere opening and the outside, wherein the sheet member transmits gas and does not transmit liquid. The liquid container according to claim 1 or 2,
Furthermore, the one end portion is opened in the air accommodating chamber, and the other end portion is opened in the liquid accommodating chamber, thereby providing a communication portion for communicating the air accommodating chamber and the liquid accommodating chamber,
In the injection posture,
The liquid container is a liquid container disposed at a position lower than the opening which is the one end. The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:
A plug member having elasticity for closing the liquid inlet, comprising a plug member removable from the liquid inlet,
In the pouring posture, the liquid storage chamber is
When the liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber to such an extent that the liquid reaches the upper end opening of the liquid injection port, the air storage unit can store air having a volume V1;
In the usage posture of the liquid container when supplying the liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus, the volume of the inlet adjacent portion occupying a position equal to or higher than the height at which the liquid inlet is located in the portion of the liquid container. In case of V2,
A liquid container that satisfies V1 ≧ V2. The liquid container according to claim 4,
The air storage portion is a liquid storage container having a concave shape formed by a wall surface forming the liquid storage chamber and opening in a vertically downward direction in the injection posture. The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
In the usage posture of the liquid container when supplying the liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus,
The atmosphere opening port is a liquid storage container that is disposed closer to the top surface than the bottom surface in the air storage chamber. A liquid ejection system,
The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A liquid ejecting apparatus having a head for ejecting the liquid onto an object;
A liquid ejecting system comprising: a flow pipe that connects the liquid container and the liquid ejecting apparatus and causes the liquid in the liquid storage chamber to circulate through the liquid ejecting apparatus.

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