JP2012035489A - Fluid storage container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid storage container of high handleability.SOLUTION: The fluid storage container includes a casing having a fluid storage chamber for storing a fluid in its inside, and formed with a projected part in one part on an outer circumferential face, a fluid supply port provided in the projected part, connected to the fluid storage chamber via a first route formed in an inside of the casing, and for supplying, to an outside, the fluid stored in the fluid storage chamber, an atmosphere communication port provided in the projected part, connected to the fluid storage chamber via a second route formed in the inside of the casing separably from the first route, and for communicating the fluid storage chamber with the atmosphere, and a cap part attached separably to the projected part, and for closing the fluid supply port and the atmosphere communication port.

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid container.

  For example, an ink jet printing apparatus is configured to record characters and images on a recording medium by ejecting ink from the recording head onto the recording medium. Such a fluid consuming apparatus is provided with a mechanism in which a liquid container such as an ink cartridge containing ink is mounted (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The ink cartridge includes, for example, a storage chamber filled with ink, a supply port for supplying the liquid stored in the storage chamber to the ink jet recording apparatus, and an air communication port that connects the storage chamber and the outside. It has. The supply port and the atmosphere communication port are each sealed with a sealing member or the like so that the ink in the storage chamber does not leak out. The ink cartridge is attached to the printing apparatus after the sealing member is removed.

JP 2004-237720 A

  However, in the said structure, it was necessary to remove separately the sealing member which seals a supply port, and the sealing member which seals an atmosphere communicating port. For this reason, it takes time to install the ink cartridge, and there is a problem in handling.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a fluid container having high handling properties.

  A fluid storage container according to the present invention has a fluid storage chamber in which a fluid is stored, a housing having a protruding portion formed on a part of an outer surface thereof, and provided in the protruding portion. A fluid supply port that is connected to the fluid storage chamber via a first path formed on the surface and supplies the fluid stored in the fluid storage chamber to the outside; and provided in the projecting portion. Is connected to the fluid storage chamber via a second path formed separately inside the housing, and is capable of being separated from the projecting portion and an atmosphere communication port that communicates the fluid storage chamber with the atmosphere. And a cap portion that is attached and closes the fluid supply port and the atmosphere communication port.

  According to such a configuration, the fluid supply port and the atmosphere communication port are both opened by separating the cap portion mounted on the protruding portion of the housing with respect to the protruding portion. Since the fluid supply port and the atmosphere communication port are opened in one operation, it is possible to save time and labor compared to the case where each is opened separately. In addition, since the cap portion is attached to the protruding portion of the housing, the cap portion can be easily gripped during separation. Thereby, a fluid container with high handleability can be obtained.

In the fluid container described above, the cap portion is a blocking member disposed so as to abut on a region including the fluid supply port and the atmosphere communication port in the protrusion portion in a state where the cap portion is attached to the protrusion portion. It is preferable to have.
According to such a configuration, by separating the cap portion from the projecting portion, the blocking member arranged to contact the region including the fluid supply port and the atmosphere communication port is separated from the projecting portion. The fluid supply port and the atmosphere communication port are opened in one operation. Thereby, the fluid supply port and the atmosphere communication port can be opened without taking time and effort.

In the fluid container, the closing member is preferably formed to be elastically deformable.
According to such a configuration, since the blocking member is formed to be elastically deformable, the fluid supply port and the atmosphere communication port can be blocked more reliably.

In the fluid container, the cap portion is formed to be separable in one direction with respect to the projecting portion, and the atmosphere communication port is upstream of the liquid supply port in the separation direction of the cap portion. It is preferable to arrange | position.
According to such a configuration, the cap portion is formed to be partly separable in one direction with respect to the projecting portion, and the air communication port is disposed upstream of the liquid supply port in the separation direction of the cap portion. Therefore, the air communication port can be opened before the fluid supply port is opened. By opening the fluid supply port after opening the atmosphere communication port, the fluid supply port is opened in a state where the pressure of the fluid storage chamber is in balance with the atmosphere. Thereby, when separating the cap part, it is possible to prevent fluid from the fluid storage chamber from leaking out from the fluid supply port or drawing outside air from the fluid supply port into the fluid storage chamber.

In the fluid container, the cap portion is preferably formed to be bendable at a third portion between a first portion that closes the fluid supply port and a second portion that closes the atmosphere communication port. .
According to such a configuration, the cap portion can be bent at the third portion so that only the second portion is separated from the protruding portion while the first portion closes the fluid supply port. In this case, the air communication port is opened before the fluid supply port is opened. By opening the fluid supply port after opening the atmosphere communication port, the fluid supply port is opened in a state where the pressure of the fluid storage chamber is in balance with the atmosphere. Thereby, when separating the cap part, it is possible to prevent fluid from the fluid storage chamber from leaking out from the fluid supply port or drawing outside air from the fluid supply port into the fluid storage chamber.

In the fluid container, it is preferable that the cap portion is detachably attached to the projecting portion.
According to such a structure, since the cap part is provided so that attachment or detachment with respect to a protrusion part is possible, the cap part once separated from the protrusion part can be again attached to a protrusion part. Thereby, for example, it is possible to prevent the fluid from leaking from the fluid supply port to the outside, and the handling property of the fluid container is improved.

In the fluid container, it is preferable that the cap portion is connected to the housing.
According to such a structure, since the cap part is connected with the housing | casing, a housing | casing and a cap part can be handled integrally. Thereby, the handleability of the fluid container is improved.

In the fluid container, it is preferable that the cap portion has a locking portion that is locked to a part of the protruding portion.
According to such a structure, since the cap part has the latching | locking part latched to a part of protrusion part, a fluid supply port and an air | atmosphere communication port can be obstruct | occluded more reliably.

In the fluid container described above, it is preferable that the housing has a holding portion that holds the cap portion in a state in which the mounting to the protruding portion is released.
According to such a structure, since the cap part in the state where the mounting to the protruding part is released is held by the casing, the casing and the cap part can be handled together. For example, after supplying the fluid, the casing and the cap part can be recycled together. Thereby, the handleability of the fluid container is improved.

In the fluid container, it is preferable that the protruding portion has a flat tip portion, and the fluid supply port and the atmosphere communication port are provided at the tip portion.
According to such a configuration, since the fluid supply portion and the atmosphere communication portion are both provided at the flat tip portion of the projecting portion, the configuration of the cap portion that closes the fluid supply portion and the atmosphere communication portion is provided. It can be set as the structure close | similar to planar shape. Thereby, the structure of a cap part can be simplified.

In the fluid container, it is preferable that a fluid absorbing portion that absorbs the fluid is disposed in the first path.
According to such a structure, since the fluid absorption part which absorbs the fluid is arrange | positioned in the 1st path | route, it can prevent that the fluid accommodated in the fluid accommodating chamber leaks out.

In the fluid container, the second path is preferably formed to be bent at a plurality of locations.
According to such a configuration, since the second path is formed to be bent at a plurality of locations, it is possible to make it difficult for fluid to flow into the second path.

In the fluid container, it is preferable that the protrusion has a connected portion connected to a fluid consuming device that consumes the fluid.
According to such a structure, the labor at the time of connecting a to-be-connected part to the fluid injection apparatus which injects a fluid will be reduced.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink cartridge according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink cartridge according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a partial configuration of an ink cartridge according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a partial configuration of an ink cartridge according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a partial configuration of an ink cartridge according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a partial configuration of an ink cartridge according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a partial configuration of an ink cartridge according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink cartridge according to another aspect of the invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink cartridge according to another aspect of the invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink cartridge according to another aspect of the invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink cartridge according to another aspect of the invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink cartridge according to another aspect of the invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus PRT (liquid consumption apparatus) according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, for example, an ink jet type printing apparatus will be described as an example of the printing apparatus PRT. An ink cartridge IC, which is a characteristic component of this embodiment, is mounted on the printing apparatus PRT.

  The printing apparatus PRT shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus that performs a printing process while conveying a sheet-like medium M such as paper or a plastic sheet. The printing apparatus PRT includes a housing PB, an inkjet mechanism IJ that ejects ink onto the medium M, an ink supply mechanism IS that supplies ink to the inkjet mechanism IJ, a transport mechanism CV that transports the medium M, and an inkjet mechanism IJ. The maintenance mechanism MN that performs the maintenance operation of the above and the control device CONT that controls these mechanisms.

  Hereinafter, an XYZ rectangular coordinate system is set, and the positional relationship of each component will be described with reference to the XYZ rectangular coordinate system as appropriate. In the present embodiment, for example, the conveyance direction of the medium M is the X direction, the direction perpendicular to the X direction on the conveyance surface of the medium M is the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the plane including the X axis and the Y axis is the Z direction. write. The rotation direction around the X axis is the θX direction, the rotation direction around the Y axis is the θY direction, and the rotation direction around the Z axis is the θZ direction.

  The housing PB is formed, for example, with the Y direction as a longitudinal direction. Each part of the inkjet mechanism IJ, the ink supply mechanism IS, the transport mechanism CV, the maintenance mechanism MN, and the control device CONT is attached to the housing PB. For example, a platen 13 is provided in the housing PB. The platen 13 is a support member that supports the medium M. The platen 13 is disposed, for example, at the center in the X direction of the housing PB. The platen 13 has a flat surface 13a oriented in the + Z direction. The flat surface 13a is used as a support surface that supports the medium M.

  The transport mechanism CV includes, for example, a transport roller and a motor that drives the transport roller. For example, the transport mechanism CV transports the medium M into the housing PB from the −X side of the housing PB and discharges the medium M from the + X side of the housing PB to the outside of the housing PB. The transport mechanism CV transports the medium M so that the medium M passes over the platen 13 inside the housing PB. In the transport mechanism CV, for example, the transport timing and transport amount are controlled by the control device CONT.

  The inkjet mechanism IJ has a head H that ejects ink and a head moving mechanism AC that holds and moves the head H. The head H ejects ink toward the medium M sent onto the platen 13. The head H has an ejection surface Ha that ejects ink. The ejection surface Ha is directed, for example, in the −Z direction, and is disposed so as to face the support surface 13a of the platen 13, for example.

  The head moving mechanism AC has a carriage 4. The head H is fixed to the carriage 4. The carriage 4 is in contact with a guide shaft 8 that extends in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the housing PB. The head H and the carriage 4 are disposed in the + Z direction of the platen 13, for example.

  In addition to the carriage 4, the head moving mechanism AC includes, for example, a pulse motor 9, a driving pulley 10 that is rotationally driven by the pulse motor 9, and the driving pulley 10 that is provided on the opposite side of the printer body 5 in the width direction. It has a rolling pulley 11 and a timing belt 12 that is stretched between the driving pulley 10 and the idle pulley 11 and connected to the carriage 4.

  The carriage 4 is connected to the timing belt 12. The carriage 4 is provided to be movable in the Y direction as the timing belt 12 rotates. When moving in the Y direction, the carriage 4 is guided by a guide shaft 8.

  The ink supply mechanism IS supplies ink to the head H. For example, a plurality of ink cartridges IC are accommodated in the ink supply mechanism IS. The printing apparatus PRT of the present embodiment has a configuration (off-carriage type) in which the ink cartridge IC is accommodated at a position different from the head H. The ink supply mechanism IS has a supply tube TB that connects the head H and the ink cartridge IC, for example. The ink supply mechanism IS has a pump mechanism (not shown) that supplies ink stored in the ink cartridge IC to the head H via the supply tube TB.

  The maintenance mechanism MN is disposed at the home position of the head H. This home position is set, for example, in an area outside the area where printing is performed on the medium M. In the present embodiment, for example, the home position is set on the + Y side of the platen 13. The home position is a place where the head H stands by, for example, when the printing apparatus PRT is powered off or when recording is not performed for a long time.

  The maintenance mechanism MN includes, for example, a capping mechanism CP that covers the ejection surface Ha of the head H, a wiping mechanism WP that wipes the ejection surface Ha, and the like. A suction mechanism SC such as a suction pump is connected to the capping mechanism CP. By the suction mechanism SC, the capping mechanism CP can suck the space on the ejection surface Ha while covering the ejection surface Ha, for example. The waste ink discharged from the head H to the maintenance mechanism MN side is collected by, for example, a waste liquid collection mechanism (not shown).

2 and 3 are diagrams showing the configuration of the ink cartridge IC before being mounted on the ink supply mechanism IS.
The ink cartridge IC has a housing 20 formed in, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped plate shape. The housing 20 has an ink storage chamber 21 inside. Ink storage chamber 21 stores ink ejected from inkjet mechanism IJ of printing apparatus PRT. One of the outer surfaces of the housing 20 is a mounting surface 20a that is mounted on the printing apparatus PRT. A protrusion 22 is formed on the mounting surface 20 a of the housing 20.

  For example, an ink supply port 23 and an air communication port 24 are formed on a flat front end surface 22 a of the protrusion 22. The ink supply port 23 and the atmosphere communication port 24 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the housing 20, for example.

  The ink supply port 23 is connected to the ink containing chamber 21 via an ink supply path (first path) 25 formed inside the housing 20. The ink supply port 23 is configured to supply ink stored in the ink storage chamber 21. An ink absorbing portion 27 that absorbs ink is disposed in the ink supply path 25. As the ink absorbing portion 27, for example, a porous member such as a sponge can be used. The ink absorption unit 27 is configured to prevent ink from jumping out from the ink supply port 23.

  The atmosphere communication port 24 is connected to the ink storage chamber 21 via an atmosphere communication path (second path) 26 formed inside the housing 20 separately from the ink supply path 25. The air communication port 24 is formed so that the pressure in the ink containing chamber 21 is equal to the atmospheric pressure. The atmosphere communication path 26 is formed so as to be bent at a plurality of locations, for example, inside the housing 20. In the present embodiment, the air communication path 26 is formed to meander from the air communication port 24 to the ink storage chamber 21. Thus, the ink stored in the ink storage chamber 21 is difficult to flow into the atmosphere communication path 26.

  A cap portion 28 that closes the ink supply port 23 and the atmosphere communication port 24 is attached to the protruding portion 22. The cap portion 28 is detachably attached to the protruding portion 22. The cap part 28 is formed so as to be attachable to the projecting part 22 again after being separated from the projecting part 22 once. Thus, the cap part 28 is formed so as to be detachable from the protruding part 22. The cap part 28 is formed so as to block the entire front end face 22 a of the protruding part 22, for example. Thus, the ink cartridge IC has a configuration in which the ink supply port 23 and the atmosphere communication port 24 are collectively closed by the cap portion 28.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cap portion 28. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration along the section AA in FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing the protruding portion 22 and the cap portion 28 in the configuration shown in FIG. 3, and shows a state where the cap portion 28 is attached to the protruding portion 22.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the cap portion 28 includes a closing member 81 and a support member 82. The blocking member 81 is a plate-like member that is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view and has a longitudinal direction and a short-side direction. The blocking member 81 is disposed so as to cover a region including the ink supply port 23 and the atmosphere communication port 24 in a state where the cap portion 28 is attached to the protruding portion 22 (see, for example, FIG. 6). The closing member 81 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof coincides with the longitudinal direction of the housing 20, for example. For example, the closing member 81 has an abutment surface 81 a that abuts against the distal end surface 22 a of the protrusion 22. The ink supply port 23 and the atmosphere communication port 24 are closed by the contact surface 81a contacting the tip surface 22a.

  The closing member 81 is formed to be elastically deformable using a resin material such as an elastomer. The blocking member 81 can be deformed so that a part of the contact surface 81a bites into the ink supply port 23 and the atmosphere communication port 24 in a state where the contact surface 81a is in contact with the tip surface 22a ( (See broken line in the figure). As described above, the cap portion 28 is configured to reliably close the ink supply port 23 and the atmosphere communication port 24.

  The support member 82 has a bottom portion 82a, an edge portion 82b, and a gripping portion 82c. The bottom part 82a is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view so as to have, for example, a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, and is a part that supports the closing member 81. The bottom portion 82 a is formed so that the longitudinal direction of the bottom portion 82 a coincides with the longitudinal direction of the closing member 81.

  The edge portion 82 b is a portion into which the protruding portion 22 is fitted in a state where the cap portion 28 is attached to the protruding portion 22. The edge part 82b is formed so as to hold the side part of the protruding part 22 in a state in which the protruding part 22 is fitted. For example, locking portions 82d and 82e to be locked to the protruding portion 22 are formed on the edge portion 82b.

  The locking portions 82d and 82e are disposed on the inner peripheral surfaces at both ends of the cap portion 28 in the longitudinal direction. The protrusion 22 is formed with recesses 22d and 22e that are locked to the locking portions 82d and 82e. The gripping part 82c is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the edge part 82b arranged at one end (for example, the locking part 82d side) in the longitudinal direction of the bottom part 82a. Therefore, the gripping part 82c is arranged on the opposite side of the locking part 82d in the edge part 82b.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state where the ink cartridge IC is mounted on the ink supply mechanism IS of the printing apparatus PRT.
As shown in FIG. 7, the ink cartridge IC is attached to the ink supply mechanism IS with the cap portion 28 removed from the protruding portion 22. An insertion member 90 is provided in the ink supply mechanism IS. The insertion member 90 is formed in a tubular shape, for example, and is connected to the supply tube TB. The distal end portion of the insertion member 90 is inserted into, for example, the ink supply port 23 of the ink cartridge IC.

  The ink cartridge IC is in a state where a lever 20 h provided in the housing 20 and a lever holding portion 91 of the printing apparatus PRT are engaged. The lever 20h is formed on the outer surface side of the housing 20 so as to be elastically deformable. By pulling the lever 20 h toward the housing 20, the engagement state between the lever 20 h and the lever holding portion 91 can be released. For example, when the ink cartridge IC is removed from the ink supply mechanism IS, the ink cartridge IC may be pulled out in the Z direction in the figure after the lever 20h is elastically deformed toward the housing 20 side.

  In this way, the ink cartridge IC is connected to the insertion member 90 of the printing apparatus PRT via the ink supply port 23 and is connected to the lever holding portion 91 of the printing apparatus PRT via the lever 20h. For this reason, the ink supply port 23 and the lever 20h are connected portions connected to the printing apparatus PRT. The ink cartridge IC is attached to the ink supply mechanism IS with the atmosphere communication port 24 opened.

  In a state where the ink cartridge IC is attached to the ink supply mechanism IS, the ink stored in the ink storage chamber 21 flows through the ink supply path 25 and is supplied into the tube of the insertion member 90 through the ink supply port 23. It is like that. The ink supplied into the tube of the insertion member 90 is supplied to the head H through the supply tube TB.

  When the ink cartridge IC is attached to the printing apparatus PRT, first, the ink supply port 23 and the atmosphere communication port 24 are opened by removing the cap portion 28 from the protruding portion 22. In the removing operation of the cap portion 28, for example, an operator holds the grip portion 82c and releases the locked state of the locking portion 82d.

  By this operation, as shown in FIG. 8, the protrusions 22 are partly separated along the longitudinal direction of the bottom 82 a from the locking part 82 d side to the locking part 82 e side. By removing the cap portion 28 in this way, the ink supply port 23 and the atmosphere communication port 24 are collectively opened in one operation.

  In the present embodiment, the grip portion 82c of the cap portion 28 is provided on the atmosphere communication port 24 side. For this reason, for example, when the worker holds the gripping portion 82c and separates the cap portion 28 from the protruding portion 22, the cap portion 28 is separated from the locking portion 82d side to the locking portion 82e side. Therefore, when the ink cartridge IC separates the cap portion 28 from the projecting portion 22, the air communication port 24 of the ink supply port 23 and the air communication port 24 is opened first, and the air communication port 24 is opened. Later, the ink supply port 23 is opened.

  In the configuration of the ink cartridge IC, the casing 20 is provided with the atmosphere communication port 24 on the upstream side in the separation direction of the cap portion 28 with respect to the ink supply port 23, and the pressure in the ink storage chamber 21 is balanced with the atmosphere. In this state, the ink supply port 23 is opened. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink from the ink storage chamber 21 from leaking out from the ink supply port 23 or drawing outside air from the ink supply port 23 into the ink storage chamber 21 when the cap portion 28 is separated. After the ink supply port 23 and the atmosphere communication port 24 are opened, the ink cartridge IC is mounted on the ink supply mechanism IS of the printing apparatus PRT.

  When performing a printing operation using the printing apparatus PRT configured as described above, the control apparatus CONT places the medium M on the support surface 13a by the transport mechanism CR. After arranging the medium M, the control device CONT inputs a drive signal to the head H based on the image data of the image to be printed. By this operation, ink is ejected in the −X direction from the nozzle NZ formed on the ejection surface Ha of the head H, and a desired image is formed on the medium M by the ejected ink.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by separating the cap portion 28 attached to the protruding portion 22 of the housing 20 from the protruding portion 22, both the ink supply port 23 and the atmosphere communication port 24 are provided. Will be released. Since the ink supply port 23 and the atmosphere communication port 24 are opened by one operation, it is possible to save time and labor compared to the case where each of them is opened separately. Further, since the cap portion 28 is attached to the protruding portion 22 of the housing 20, the cap portion 28 can be easily gripped during separation. Thereby, an ink cartridge IC with high handling property can be obtained.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the cap portion 28 and the housing 20 are provided as separate parts has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the structure provided as one component with which the cap part 28 and the housing | casing 20 were connected may be sufficient. As shown in FIG. 9, the ink cartridge IC is provided with a connecting portion 100 that connects the cap portion 28 and the housing 20. With this configuration, the housing 20 and the cap portion 28 can be integrally handled as one component. Thereby, the handling property of the ink cartridge IC is improved.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the cap portion 28 has a first portion 28A that closes the ink supply port 23 and a second portion 28B that closes the atmosphere communication port 24, and the first portion 28A and the first portion 28A. The third portion 28 </ b> C between the two portions 28 </ b> B may be configured to be bendable. As shown in FIG. 10, a dividing groove 101 is formed in the closing member 81 of the cap portion 28 in the third portion 28 </ b> C. The closing member 81 is divided into a first closing member 81A and a second closing member 81B by the dividing groove 101. Further, a fold 102 is formed in the bottom portion 82a of the support member 82 in the third portion 28C. The support member 82 is formed to be foldable around the fold line 102.

  When the operator holds the gripping part 82c and separates the cap part 28 from the protruding part 22 from the state shown in FIG. 10, the gripping part 82c is arranged in the bottom part 82a of the support member 82 as shown in FIG. The bent end side is bent around the crease 102. For this reason, the first closing member 81 </ b> A supported on the bent side of the support member 82 is separated from the atmosphere communication port 24. Thus, first, the second portion 28B of the cap portion 28 is separated from the protruding portion 22, and the atmosphere communication port 24 is opened.

  From this state, when the operator further holds the grip portion 82c and tries to separate the cap portion 28 from the protruding portion 22, the remaining second portion 28B of the cap portion 28 is separated. Thus, the ink supply port 23 is opened after the atmosphere communication port 24 is opened. By opening the ink supply port 23 after opening the atmosphere communication port 24, the ink supply port 23 is opened in a state where the pressure in the ink storage chamber 21 is in balance with the atmosphere. This prevents fluid from the ink storage chamber 21 from leaking from the ink supply port 23 or drawing outside air from the ink supply port 23 to the ink storage chamber 21 when the cap portion 28 is separated. it can.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, a configuration may be adopted in which a cap holding portion 104 is formed in the housing 20. The cap holding part 104 is a part for holding the cap part 28 separated from the protruding part 22. According to this configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, the cap portion 28 in a state where the mounting to the protruding portion 22 is released can be held by the housing 20. Can be handled collectively. For example, after supplying ink, the housing 20 and the cap portion 28 can be recycled together. Thereby, the handling property of the ink cartridge IC is improved.

  In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, a configuration may be used in which a gripping portion 82 c formed on the support member 82 of the cap portion 28 is used as the lever 20 h described in the above embodiment. The ink cartridge IC can be connected to the printing apparatus PRT by holding the holding portion 82c of the cap portion 28 held by the cap holding portion 104 to the lever holding portion 91. According to this configuration, since it is not necessary to provide the lever 20h, the configuration of the ink cartridge IC can be simplified. Of course, the present invention can be applied even when the cap holding portion 104 is provided at another position.

  In the above-described embodiment, as an example of the printing apparatus PRT, the configuration in which the ink cartridge IC is accommodated at a position different from the head H (off-carriage type) has been described as an example. No. For example, the present invention can be applied even when the ink supply mechanism IS is mounted on the carriage 4 and the ink cartridge IC is accommodated in the carriage 4 (on-carriage type).

  PRT ... Printer IC ... Ink cartridge IS ... Ink supply mechanism 20 ... Case 20a ... Mounting surface 21 ... Ink storage chamber 22 ... Protrusion 22a ... Tip surface 22d ... Recess 23 ... Ink supply port 24 ... Air communication port 25 ... Ink Supply path 26 ... Atmospheric communication path 27 ... Ink absorption part 28 ... Cap part 28A ... First part 28B ... Second part 28C ... Third part 81 ... Closure member 81A ... First closure member 81B ... Second closure member 82 ... Support member 82d ... Locking portion 82e ... Locking portion 90 ... Inserting member 91 ... Lever holding portion 100 ... Connecting portion 101 ... Dividing groove 104 ... Cap holding portion

Claims (13)

A housing having a fluid storage chamber for storing fluid therein, and a protrusion formed on a part of the outer surface;
A fluid supply port that is provided in the protruding portion and connected to the fluid storage chamber via a first path formed inside the housing, and supplies the fluid stored in the fluid storage chamber to the outside;
Atmospheric communication that is provided in the protruding portion and is connected to the fluid storage chamber via a second path formed inside the housing separately from the first path, and communicates the fluid storage chamber and the atmosphere. Mouth,
A fluid storage container comprising: a cap portion that is detachably attached to the protruding portion and closes the fluid supply port and the atmosphere communication port. The said cap part has the obstruction | occlusion member arrange | positioned so that it may contact | abut to the area | region containing the said fluid supply port and the said atmosphere communication port among the said protrusions in the state with which the said protrusion part was mounted | worn. Fluid container. The fluid container according to claim 2, wherein the closing member is formed to be elastically deformable. The cap part is formed so as to be separable in one direction with respect to the protruding part,
The fluid storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the atmosphere communication port is disposed upstream of the liquid supply port in the separation direction of the cap portion. The cap portion is formed to be bendable at a third portion between a first portion that closes the fluid supply port and a second portion that closes the atmosphere communication port. The fluid container according to claim 1. The fluid container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cap portion is detachably provided with respect to the protruding portion. The fluid container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cap portion is coupled to the housing. The fluid container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cap portion includes a locking portion that is locked to a part of the protruding portion. The fluid housing container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the housing includes a holding portion that holds the cap portion in a state separated from the protruding portion. The protrusion has a flat tip portion,
The fluid container according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the fluid supply port and the atmosphere communication port are provided at the tip portion. The fluid container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a fluid absorbing portion that absorbs the fluid is disposed in the first path. The fluid container according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the second path is formed to be bent at a plurality of locations. The fluid container according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the protrusion includes a connected portion connected to a fluid consuming device that consumes the fluid.

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