JP2012139881A - Ink cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink cartridge that allows remaining ink to be efficiently collected toward a spout plug even if the ink remaining amount becomes small.SOLUTION: The ink cartridge 1 includes a case 2 and an ink pack 7. The ink pack 7 includes: an ink bag 71; and a spout plug 72 that has a first opening communicating with the ink bag 71, and a second opening opened to the outside. The case 2 has a first corner part 334 located to the first opening side with respect to the tip on the second opening side of the spout plug 72 in the axis X direction of the spout plug 72, and a second corner part 335 located to the side opposite to the first opening. At least one of the first corner part 334 and the second corner part 335 forms an obtuse angle or a curved surface. The ink pack 7 is housed in the case 2 such that the axis X is located close to one end of the case 2 on the side having the first corner part 334 and the tip on the second opening side of the spout plug 72 is located in the inside direction of the case 2 from a line L connecting the first corner part 334 and the second corner part 335.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink cartridge including an ink bag for containing ink and a case for containing the ink bag.

  In general, an ink jet printer (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) is configured such that an ink cartridge for supplying ink to a print head is detachable. As a general ink cartridge, a flexible ink bag for containing ink therein, a stopper for taking out ink connected to the ink bag, and a rectangular parallelepiped case for containing the ink bag, There is known an ink cartridge provided with (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-240131 A

  According to the ink cartridge of Patent Document 1, since the ink bag has flexibility, when the remaining amount of ink is reduced during printing, the inner surfaces of the ink bag may come into contact with each other, and the ink may be divided. is there. That is, part of the ink may not reach the plug and may remain in the ink containing pack.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge capable of collecting remaining ink toward a plug even when the remaining amount of ink is low.

  The ink cartridge according to the present invention includes an ink bag, a stopper, and a case. The ink bag is formed in a bag shape including at least two flexible sheets facing each other and accommodates ink therein. The plug has a hollow portion that is provided in the ink bag and communicates from a first opening that communicates with the ink bag to a second opening that opens to the outside. The case accommodates the ink bag, and the axial direction of the stopper of the accommodated ink bag is a longitudinal direction. The end portion of the case on the second opening side is a corner portion located on the first opening side with respect to the tip portion of the plug on the second opening side in the axial direction of the plug. A first corner portion and a second corner portion positioned on the opposite side of the first opening with respect to the distal end portion of the plug on the second opening side in the axial direction of the plug. A corner portion. In the case, a width in a first direction which is a direction in which a line connecting the first corner portion and the second corner portion extends and a direction orthogonal to the axial direction is orthogonal to the first direction and the axial direction. Narrower than the width in the second direction. The ink bag is accommodated in the case so that the axis of the plug is positioned closer to one end of the case on the side having the first corner in the second direction. The tip of the plug on the side of the second opening is positioned inward of the case with respect to the line connecting the first corner and the second corner. At least one of the first corner and the second corner forms an obtuse angle or a curved surface.

  In the case where the axial direction of the stopper of the ink bag is the longitudinal direction, the line connecting the first corner and the second corner is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the stopper. When the remaining ink level is low during printing, the user removes the ink cartridge from the printer, and places the first and second corners on the bottom so that they touch a substantially horizontal surface such as a desktop. And hold. Then, the axial direction of the plug and the longitudinal direction of the case are inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. By placing the first corner portion and the second corner portion, it is possible to maintain a stable inclined state of the ink cartridge, so that the ink remaining in the ink bag can be collected toward the stopper. In addition, since it requires less force than gripping the ink cartridge in the air, it is convenient for the user. In addition, since at least one of the first corner and the second corner forms an obtuse angle or a curved surface, the first cartridge is placed when the ink cartridge is placed on an article such as a carpet that sinks. At least one of the corner and the second corner is not easily caught by the article, and the posture of the ink cartridge can be easily changed.

  In the ink cartridge, the first corner and the second corner may each form an obtuse angle or a curved surface. In this case, since both the first corner and the second corner are not easily caught by the article, it becomes easier to change the posture of the ink cartridge.

  In the ink cartridge, the case includes a surface portion connected to the first corner portion and the second corner portion and extending substantially parallel to the line connecting the first corner portion and the second corner portion, and the surface portion. A penetrating portion provided at a position facing the second opening of the plug, wherein the outer surface of the surface portion is on the inner side of the line connecting the first corner portion and the second corner portion. There may be. In this case, even if the first corner and the second corner are placed and held so as to be in contact with a surface such as a desk, the penetrating portion does not contact the placement surface. Therefore, even if the ink is attached in the vicinity of the second opening, the possibility of the ink attaching to the placement surface can be reduced.

  In the ink cartridge, the case may include a fixing portion for fixing the plug to the case. In this case, the plug can be reliably fixed at an accurate position with respect to the case.

  In the ink cartridge, the case may not include a surface portion disposed on the line connecting the first corner portion and the second corner portion. If there is a surface portion on the line connecting the first corner portion and the second corner portion, the surface portion and the mounting surface may interfere with each other depending on the shape of the mounting surface. Since the surface portion is not provided, the first corner portion and the second corner portion can be reliably brought into contact with the mounting surface, and the ink cartridge can be kept in a stable inclined state.

  In the ink cartridge, the case includes a first side surface facing one of the two-layer sheets of the ink bag, a second surface facing the other of the two-layer sheets, and the ink bag sandwiching the ink bag. You may have a 2nd side surface which opposes a 1st side surface. The first side surface and the second side surface are spaced apart from each other in the first direction, and the distance between the first side surface and the second side surface is the first side surface and the second side surface in the second direction. It may be shorter than the width of the two side surfaces. In this case, the posture of the ink bag can be maintained in a stable state by the first side surface and the second side surface facing each other with the ink bag interposed therebetween.

  In the ink cartridge, the ink may be a pigment-based ink containing titanium oxide as a pigment. In the case of pigment-based ink, there is a possibility that the pigment in the ink may precipitate, and when the ink cartridge is shaken and the ink is stirred, the ink is scattered in a wide range in the ink bag. Even in such a case, the remaining ink is collected toward the stopper while the ink cartridge is inclined using the first corner portion and the second corner portion, and it is reduced that the ink is wasted.

1 is a schematic diagram of a schematic configuration of an inkjet printer 100. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge 1 as viewed from the right rear. 3 is an exploded perspective view of case 2. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which looked at the ink cartridge 1 of the state in which the cover part 4 was taken from the left side surface side. FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the periphery of a spout 72 of the ink cartridge 1. 2 is a front view of the ink cartridge 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the periphery of a spout 72 of the ink cartridge 1 when ink is supplied. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a process of collecting ink by inclining the ink cartridge 1. FIG. 6 is another explanatory diagram showing a process of collecting ink by inclining the ink cartridge 1. FIG. 10 is still another explanatory view showing a process of collecting ink by inclining the ink cartridge 1. FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the periphery of a spout 72 of an ink cartridge 11 according to a first modification. FIG. 10 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the periphery of a spout 72 of an ink cartridge 12 of a second modified example. FIG. 10 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the periphery of a spout 72 of an ink cartridge 13 of a third modified example. FIG. 10 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the periphery of a spout 72 of an ink cartridge 14 of a fourth modified example. FIG. 10 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the periphery of a spout 72 of an ink cartridge 15 according to a fifth modification.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. These drawings are used to explain technical features that can be adopted by the present invention, and the configuration of the apparatus described is merely an illustrative example.

  In the present embodiment, an ink cartridge 1 used in an inkjet printer 100 that performs printing on a fabric such as a T-shirt will be described. First, the inkjet printer 100 will be described with reference to FIG. The ink jet printer 100 is a known printer that can print on a fabric that is a print medium by the print head 114 using the ink supplied from the ink cartridge 1. Therefore, the configuration of the inkjet printer 100 will be briefly described. In addition, the up-down direction, the left-right direction, and the lower left direction in FIG. 1 are the up-down direction, the left-right direction, and the front side of the inkjet printer 100, and the up-down direction, left-right direction, and front side of the ink cartridge 1, respectively.

  The inkjet printer 100 includes a rectangular box-shaped casing 101. A pair of guide rails 102 extend in the front-rear direction at a substantially central lower portion in the left-right direction inside the housing 101. The platen support 103 is supported by the guide rail 102 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction along the guide rail 102. A replaceable platen 104 is fixed substantially at the center in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the platen support base 103. The platen 104 is a plate having a substantially pentagonal shape in plan view, and is for placing a fabric such as a T-shirt on the upper surface thereof. Although not shown in detail, the platen support 103 on which the platen 104 is fixed is moved in the front-rear direction along the guide rail 102 by a platen drive mechanism including a platen drive motor and a belt transmission mechanism.

  A pair of guide rails 112 extend in the left-right direction at approximately the center in the front-rear direction of the housing 101 and above the platen 104. The carriage 113 is supported by the guide rail 112 so as to be movable in the left-right direction along the guide rail 112. A print head 114 is fixed to the lower portion of the carriage 113. Although details are not shown, the carriage 113 including the print head 114 is moved in the left-right direction along the guide rail 112 by a carriage drive mechanism including a carriage drive motor and a belt transmission mechanism. Ink is supplied to the print head 114 from the ink cartridge 1 set in a cartridge mounting portion (not shown) provided in the housing 101 via the tube 142 (see FIG. 7). A plurality of fine nozzles are provided on the bottom surface of the print head 114, and ink droplets are ejected downward from the nozzles by driving the piezoelectric element, thereby printing on the fabric placed on the platen 104. Is done.

  Eight ink cartridges 1 can be set in the cartridge mounting portion in the housing 101. In the lower right portion of the front surface of the housing 101, eight cartridge insertion openings 120, which are openings for attaching and detaching the ink cartridge 1 to and from the ink storage portion, are provided. In the inkjet printer 100 of this embodiment, four ink cartridges 1 for white ink and one ink cartridge 1 for four colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are used. A method for supplying ink from the ink cartridge 1 to the inkjet printer 100 will be described later.

  The configuration of the ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the ink cartridge 1 includes a case 2 and an ink pack 7 accommodated in the case 2. Hereinafter, detailed configurations of the case 2 and the ink pack 7 will be described in order. The ink cartridges 1 for five colors, white, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, differ only in the color of the liquid ink contained in the ink pack 7, and the configurations of the case 2 and the ink pack 7 are all the same. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the case 2 has a thin, substantially rectangular box shape as a whole. However, the lower part on the back side including the corners is in a state of being cut out in a concave shape obliquely upward and rearward. The length of the case 2 in the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction is longer in the order of the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the case 2 includes a main body portion 3 and a lid portion 4. The main body 3 includes a thin plate-like right wall 30, a bottom wall 31, an upper wall 32, a rear wall 33, and a front wall 34 that form the right side surface, bottom surface, top surface, back surface, and front surface of the case 2, respectively. When the ink cartridge 1 is viewed from the side, that is, the right wall 30 has a substantially pentagonal shape when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the maximum area portion of the right wall 30 (the widest surface among the surfaces shown in FIG. 3). Of the four corners forming a rectangular right angle in the front-rear direction, the corners including the corners below the rear side are cut off obliquely. That is, the right wall 30 has two parallel opposing long sides extending in the front-rear direction, two parallel opposing short sides extending in the up-down direction, and the shorter long side and the shorter short side when viewed from the side. And a hypotenuse connecting the two.

  However, the oblique side is not strictly a straight line, and both ends connected to the shorter short side and the shorter long side slightly protrude stepwise in the obliquely upward direction and obliquely downward direction of the ink cartridge 1, respectively. Has become a part. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the hypotenuse is the lower side of the shorter side extending in the vertical direction (the side to which the back portion 331 described later is connected), and the front side is obliquely downward (lower right in FIG. 5). Direction) and is bent at an obtuse angle (a portion corresponding to a step 352 described later). And the rear end (the left end in FIG. 5) of the shorter long side (the side to which a bottom wall 31 described later) extends in the front-rear direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 5) is obliquely upward on the back side (the upper left direction in FIG. ) And is bent at an obtuse angle (a portion corresponding to a step portion 351 described later).

  The bottom wall 31, the upper wall 32, the rear wall 33, and the front wall 34 extend substantially perpendicular to the right wall 30 in the same direction and with the same length. The bottom wall 31 is connected to the lower end of the right wall 30, that is, the shorter of the pair of long sides. The upper wall 32 is connected to the upper end of the right wall 30, that is, the longer long side. The rear wall 33 includes a back surface portion 331 and a slope portion 332. The back surface portion 331 is connected to the rear end portion of the right wall 30, that is, the shorter of the pair of short sides. The slope portion 332 is provided along the oblique side including the above-described protruding portion of the right wall 30 and connects the bottom wall 31 and the back surface portion 331. Therefore, the slope portion 332 has step portions 351 and 352 at both ends connected to the bottom wall 31 and the back surface portion 331, respectively. Therefore, the portion between the step portions 351 and 352 of the slope portion 332 connects the rear end (first corner portion 334 described later) and the lower end (second corner portion 335 described later) of the back surface portion 331. It is located slightly inward of the case 2 from the line. In the slope portion 332, a through portion 338, which is an opening that penetrates the slope portion 332, is provided in the vicinity of the step portion 351 that connects the slope portion 332 to the bottom wall 31. The front wall 34 connects to the front end of the right wall 30, that is, the longer short side, and connects the bottom wall 31 and the upper wall 32.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the three corners connecting the upper wall 32 and the back surface portion 331, the upper wall 32 and the front wall 34, and the bottom wall 31 and the front wall 34 form a right angle. On the other hand, the corner portion where the slope portion 332 and the bottom wall 31 are connected and the corner portion where the slope portion 332 and the back portion 331 are connected form an obtuse angle. Hereinafter, when the bottom wall 31, the upper wall 32, the rear wall 33, and the front wall 34 are collectively referred to as peripheral walls 31 to 34.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the lid portion 4 that faces the right wall 30 and forms the left side surface of the case 2 is a thin plate-like member having a shape corresponding to the right wall 30 of the main body portion 3. That is, the lid 4 has a substantially pentagonal shape when the ink cartridge 1 is viewed from the side, that is, when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the maximum area of the lid 4 (the widest surface among the surfaces shown in FIG. 3). Among the four corners forming a right angle of a long rectangle in the front-rear direction, the corner portion including the corner below the rear side is cut off obliquely. However, as with the right wall 30, both end portions of the oblique sides slightly protrude in the obliquely downward direction and obliquely upward direction of the ink cartridge 1, respectively. The lid 4 is joined to the main body 3 to form the case 2. The method for joining the lid 4 to the main body 3 is not particularly limited. Although not shown, for example, the body 3 and the lid 4 are each provided with an engagement hole and an engagement pin, and the lid 4 is joined to the body 3 by inserting the engagement pin into the engagement hole. May be. You may join using an engagement hook and an engagement hole instead of an engagement pin. The main body 3 and the lid 4 may be fixed by welding.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the ink pack 7 is accommodated in a region surrounded by the peripheral walls 31 to 34 in the case 2. The ink pack 7 includes an ink bag 71 and a stopper 72 provided on the ink bag 71. In the ink bag 71 of the present embodiment, two rectangular resin sheets having flexibility are overlapped with one surface of the sheets facing each other, and the peripheral portion 716 along the four sides is heat-welded (heat It is a bag-like container formed by sealing. Ink is stored in an ink storage portion 717 that is a space surrounded by the peripheral portion 716. The ink storage portion 717 is substantially rectangular when viewed from a direction substantially orthogonal to the sheet surface, that is, the largest area portion (the widest surface among the surfaces shown in FIG. 4), and extends along the inner surface of the case 2. is doing.

  The ink bag 71 may be a bag-like container including a flexible two-layer sheet disposed oppositely and having a space capable of containing ink between the sheets. Therefore, for example, the ink bag 71 may be formed by bending one rectangular sheet in half to form two layers and joining the two layers along three sides other than the bent portion. Alternatively, two ink sheets may be joined along the three sides of the two opposing sheets, and the remaining one side of each sheet may be joined to another sheet to form an ink bag 71 having a bottom. The four sides of the two sheets facing each other may be the ink bag 71 bonded to another sheet that becomes a gusset. Furthermore, the method for joining the sheets is not limited to welding, and other methods such as adhesion may be used.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the spigot 72 includes a cylindrical main body portion 721 and two blade-like connection portions 722 that protrude in opposite directions from the outer peripheral surface on one end side of the main body portion 721. ing. The plug 72 is provided in the ink bag 71 so that the axis X of the main body 721 (more specifically, a hollow portion 700 described later) is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ink bag 71. Further, the axis X is located near one end of the ink bag 71 in the direction orthogonal to the axis X (short direction of the ink bag 71). In the present embodiment, the plug 72 is provided in the vicinity of one of the four corners of the ink bag 71. Hereinafter, of the two ends of the ink bag 71 positioned in the direction orthogonal to the axis X direction, the one closer to the axis X is referred to as a first end 711, and the one farther from the axis X is referred to as a second end 712. Of the two ends of the ink bag 71 located in the direction of the axis X (the longitudinal direction of the ink bag 71), the third end 713 is provided with the stopper 72, and the other end is the fourth end 714. Let's say.

  In the present embodiment, the plug 72 is such that one end of the main body 721 including the connecting portion 722 is inserted between two sheets forming the ink bag 71 and is integrally welded with the peripheral portion 716. Thus, the ink bag 71 is fixed. The other end portion of the main body portion 721 that is not welded to the peripheral portion 716 protrudes from the third end portion 713 of the ink bag 71 to the outside of the ink bag 71.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the main body 721 has two flanges 727 and 728 provided along the outer periphery. The main body 721 has a hollow portion 700 therein. The hollow portion 700 communicates from the first opening 701 communicating with the ink containing portion 717 of the ink bag 71 to the second opening 702 opening outside the ink bag 71. A cylindrical rubber plug 723 is inserted into the end of the hollow portion 700 on the second opening 702 side, and the second opening 702 is closed with the rubber plug 723. Thus, the ink is stored in the sealed ink storage portion 717. The plug 72 is only required to be provided in the ink bag 71 so that the ink container 717 and the outside are communicated by the hollow portion 700, and the fixing method is not limited to welding. Therefore, for example, the spigot 72 may be formed integrally with the ink bag 71.

  Details of the arrangement relationship between the case 2 and the ink pack 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the ink pack 7 is accommodated in the case 2 such that the axis X of the plug 72 substantially coincides with the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the case 2. Further, the ink pack 7 includes the axis X of the plug 72 and the two layers of sheets forming the ink bag 71 are substantially parallel to a virtual plane perpendicular to the outer surface 333 of the inclined surface portion 332. It is accommodated in the case 2 so as to extend. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the outer surfaces of the two-layer sheets extend to face the right wall 30 and the inner surface of the lid portion 4, respectively. One outer surface of the two-layer sheets forming the ink containing portion 717 may be attached to one inner surface of the right wall 30 and the lid portion 4 facing each other.

  Since the sheet forming the ink bag 71 is flexible, if the remaining amount of ink stored in the ink storage portion 717 is large, the two-layer sheet is curved in a direction away from each other, and the remaining amount is small. For example, the distance between the two layers of sheets is narrowed and bent in the direction of contact with each other. That is, since the sheet is not a fixed plane, it is not strictly parallel to the virtual plane. Therefore, “substantially parallel” in the relationship with the virtual plane includes not only a strict parallel relationship between the planes but also a state close to parallel that allows the sheet to bend.

  For example, when the body 3 of the case 2, that is, when the right wall 30 and the peripheral walls 31 to 34 are integrally formed of resin, generally, it is easy to release the mold from the cavity. In addition, a so-called “draft angle” is provided. In this case, the right wall 30 and each of the peripheral walls 31 to 34 form an obtuse angle that is about 2 to 4 degrees wider than a right angle. Therefore, as described above, when the outer surface of the sheet of the ink bag 71 is attached to the inner surface of the right wall 30, the virtual plane and the sheet are not strictly parallel. However, similarly to the above-described allowance of bending, even when there is an angle difference of about a draft angle, the virtual plane and the sheet can be regarded as being “substantially parallel”.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the ink pack 7 includes the lower end of the slope portion 332 (more specifically, the step portion 351) of the case 2 and the rear end (the left end in the drawing) of the case 2 in the direction of the axis X of the plug 72. ) Is connected to the first opening 701 side with respect to the distal end portion 724 (the distal end portion of the rubber plug 723) of the mouth plug 72 on the second opening 702 side, and the inclined surface portion 332 (more specifically, , The corner portion where the upper end of the step portion 352) and the lower end of the back surface portion 331 are connected is accommodated in the case 2 so as to be located on the side opposite to the first opening 701 with respect to the tip end portion 724. That is, the line L connecting these two corners at the shortest intersects the axis X obliquely. In the following, regarding the end portion of the plug 72 near the first opening 702, the corner portion of the case 2 positioned on the first opening 701 side with respect to the distal end portion 724 in the axis X direction of the plug 72 is referred to as “ A corner located on the opposite side of the first corner 334 ”and the tip 724 from the first opening 701 is referred to as a“ second corner 335 ”. In the present embodiment, the corner portion where the slope portion 332 and the bottom wall 31 are connected, and the corner portion where the slope portion 332 and the back portion 331 are connected are the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, respectively. .

  The first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are corner portions at least one of which forms an obtuse angle or a curved surface. In the present embodiment, the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are both end portions that form an obtuse angle. More specifically, the angle formed by the outer surface of the slope portion 332 (in this embodiment, the outer surface of the step portion 351) and the outer surface of the bottom wall 31 (the bottom surface of the case 2), and the outer surface of the slope portion 332 (this embodiment) In the form, the angle formed by the outer surface of the step portion 352 and the outer surface of the back surface portion 331 (the back surface of the case 2) is an obtuse angle. In the present embodiment, the outer surfaces of the step portions 351 and 352 are partially on the line L.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom wall 31 extends from the first corner portion 334 in the axis X direction of the plug 72. The rear end portion of the bottom wall 31 located below the spout 72 (the front side portion of the first corner portion 334) is referred to as a receiving surface portion 310. Although the details will be described later, the receiving surface portion 310 functions as a surface portion for receiving the ink leaking from the plug 72 below.

  Further, the ink pack 7 is arranged such that the tip end portion 724 of the plug 72 is positioned in the inner side of the case 2 with respect to the line L. In the present embodiment, a slope portion 332 is provided between the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, and the outer surface 333 of the slope portion 332 is substantially parallel to the line L, In addition, the inner side of the case 2 is present. The front end portion 724 is located inside the inner surface of the slope portion 332. The inner surface of the lower end portion of the slope portion 332 protrudes upward from the connecting portion with the bottom wall 31 toward the penetrating portion 338. The tip portion 724 is positioned with a gap with respect to the inner surface (the right surface in FIG. 5) of the lower end portion of the inclined surface portion 332 in the axis X direction. Therefore, the ink can move between the slope portion 332 and the tip portion 724.

  In the present embodiment, the extending direction of the line L and the direction orthogonal to the axis X direction (hereinafter referred to as the first direction) are the left and right directions of the case 2 and the direction orthogonal to the first direction and the axis X direction ( Hereinafter, the second direction) is the vertical direction of the case 2. As shown in FIG. 6, the width in the left-right direction of the case 2 (the distance from the left side surface to the right side surface) W3 is the vertical width (the distance from the bottom surface to the top surface, or the height of the right wall 30 and the lid 4). ) Narrower than W4.

  Further, the ink pack 7 is accommodated in the case 2 so as to be positioned near one end of the case 2 on the side having the first corner portion 334 in the second direction. In the present embodiment, as described above, since the second direction is the vertical direction of the case 2, in the vertical direction, the one end portion of the case 2 on the side having the first corner portion 334 is the end on the bottom wall 31 side. Part. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the axis X is closer to the end on the bottom wall 31 side in the up-down direction of the case 2, and the plug 72 is disposed in the vicinity of the first corner 334. The width W1 (distance between the axis X and the first end 711) of the ink bag 71 on the bottom wall 31 side with respect to the axis X is the width W2 (axis X and the second end of the ink bag 71 on the upper wall 32 side). Narrower than the distance to the portion 712.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the penetrating portion 338 is provided at a position facing the second opening 702 of the plug 72 on the slope portion 332. That is, the penetrating part 338 is located on the axis X of the plug 72. As described above, since the second opening 702 is blocked by the rubber plug 723, the through portion 338 actually faces the rubber plug 723.

  Further, the case 2 has a pair of fixing portions 381 and 382 which are protruding pieces protruding inward from the inner surface of the right wall 30 on the bottom wall 31 side and the upper wall 32 side with the plug 72 interposed therebetween. Is provided. The fixing portion 381 is formed continuously to the bottom wall 31 slightly in front of the first corner portion 334 (right side in the figure), and between the two flanges 727 and 728 provided on the outer periphery of the main body portion 721. It is inserted from below. The fixing portion 382 is also formed continuously on the slope portion 332 and is in contact with the side surface of the flange 727 on the tip end portion 724 side from the rear. Therefore, the stopper 72 can be reliably positioned and fixed by the fixing portions 381 and 382. Note that the case 2 may be provided with only one of the fixing portions 381 and 382 or the fixing portions 381 and 382 may not be provided.

  Next, an ink supply method from the ink cartridge 1 to the print head 114 of the inkjet printer 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 7. As shown in FIG. 1, when printing, the user inserts the ink cartridge 1 from the cartridge insertion opening 120 of the inkjet printer 100. At this time, the user starts the ink cartridge from the rear wall 33 side where the bottom wall 31 of the ink cartridge 1 is on the bottom and the penetrating portion 338 (see FIG. 2) facing the second opening 702 (rubber plug 723) is provided. 1 is inserted.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink cartridge 1 is set such that the bottom wall 31 is placed on the placement surface 130 of the cartridge mounting portion. The mounting surface 130 is a plane extending in a substantially horizontal direction. That is, the ink cartridge 1 is set in the inkjet printer 100 so that the axis X of the bottom wall 31 and the plug 72 extends substantially horizontally. A connection part 140 having a hollow needle 141 is provided on the back side of the cartridge mounting part at a position facing the penetrating part 338 (port plug 72) when the ink cartridge 1 is set. A tube 142 that guides ink drawn from the ink bag 71 to the print head 114 is connected to the connection portion 140. When the ink cartridge 1 is set in the cartridge mounting portion, the hollow needle 141 of the connection portion 140 is stuck in the center portion of the rubber stopper 723 through the through portion 338. The hollow needle 141 passes through the rubber stopper 723, and the distal end portion thereof is disposed in the hollow portion 700. A hole through which ink flows is provided at the tip of the hollow needle 141, and the ink in the ink containing portion 717 passes through the first opening 701, the hollow portion 700, the hollow needle 141, and the tube 142 to print. It is supplied to the head 114.

  At the start of use of the ink cartridge 1, the ink container 717 of the ink bag 71 is fully filled with ink, so that the inner surfaces of the two layers of sheets forming the ink bag 71 are separated from each other with the ink interposed therebetween. It is in the state. During printing, ink is gradually ejected from the print head 114 to form an image on the fabric. When ink is ejected, approximately the same amount of ink as the ejected amount is sucked from the ink cartridge 1 and replenished. As ink is consumed in printing, the ink stored in the ink storage portion 717 gradually decreases and the ink bag 71 is deflated. That is, the inner surfaces of the two-layer sheet having flexibility approach each other.

  When the remaining amount of ink decreases to a certain extent, the inner surfaces of the sheets come into contact with each other around the ink bag 71. As a result, the ink is divided by the portion where the inner surfaces of the sheets are in contact with each other due to the surface tension and gravity of the ink, and a plurality of isolated ink reservoirs exist in the ink containing portion 717. Further, in a state where the bottom wall 31 is placed on the substantially horizontal placement surface 130, the two-layer sheets of the ink bag 71 are arranged so that the surfaces extend substantially in the vertical direction. Therefore, the ink flows downward along the inner surface of the sheet to some extent due to gravity, and accumulates along the first end portion 711 (see FIG. 4) in the ink containing portion 717. However, when the ink is reduced and the ink surface is lowered from the hole at the tip of the hollow needle 141, the suction force of the print head 114 is weak even if the ink remains in the ink storage portion 717. It becomes difficult to suck ink.

  The ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment is removed from the ink jet printer 100 and the ink remaining in the ink containing portion 717 is removed in more detail by the plug 72 even when it becomes difficult to suck the ink due to the above-described configuration. Can be efficiently collected toward the first opening 701. This effect will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 8, the user removes the first corner 334 and the second corner 335 of the ink cartridge 1 in a state where the remaining amount of ink is reduced and the ink is accumulated to some extent along the first end 711. On the lower side, the ink cartridge 1 is placed so that the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are in contact with the support surface 9 which is a substantially horizontal surface. That is, the direction of the axis line X that substantially coincides with the longitudinal direction of the ink storage portion 717 is closer to the vertical state than when ink is supplied to the inkjet printer 100.

  In the present embodiment, the outer surfaces of the step portions 351 and 352 of the inclined surface portion 332 on the line L (see FIG. 5) connecting the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are also in contact with the support surface 9 and supported. Supported by surface 9. The portion sandwiched between the step portions 351 and 352 of the slope portion 332 is in a state slightly separated from the support surface 9. The support surface 9 may be a flat surface such as an upper surface of a desk or may not be a flat surface. The distal end portion 724 on the side of the second opening 702 (see FIG. 5) of the plug 72 has a line L, and further, an inner surface direction of the case 2 relative to the outer surface 333 inside the line L (in this embodiment, a slope portion). Therefore, when the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are in contact with the support surface 9, the plug 72 does not interfere with the support surface 9.

  In the ink cartridge 1, the longitudinal direction of the case 2 and the ink bag 71 (the axis X of the plug 72) is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, and the second opening 702 of the plug 72 is directed obliquely downward. That is, the ink cartridge 1 is changed from the posture when the ink cartridge 1 is set to the inkjet printer 100 (the posture where the axis X of the plug 72 is substantially horizontal) to the inclined posture. In the ink bag 71 in the case 2, the first end portion 711 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, and the two layers of sheets forming the ink containing portion 717 are placed on the placement surface 130 whose bottom wall 31 is substantially horizontal. As in the case of being placed, the surface is arranged so as to extend substantially along the vertical direction. A part of the ink moves in the ink containing portion 717 by the force applied when the posture of the ink cartridge 1 is changed. In the state in which the axis X of the spigot 72 is substantially horizontal (see FIGS. 4 and 6) before the posture of the ink cartridge 1 is changed, the ink scattered in the ink containing portion 717 is distributed between the inner surfaces of the sheets. It was in a state where it could not move any more because it was in contact. At this time, the direction of gravity acting on the scattered ink is substantially perpendicular to the axis X of the plug 72. On the other hand, when the posture is changed as shown in FIG. 8, the direction of action of gravity on the scattered ink changes in an oblique direction with respect to the axis X of the plug 72.

  If the user continues to hold the ink cartridge 1 in a tilted state for a while after changing the posture in this way, as shown in FIG. 9, the ink in the ink containing portion 717 moves the ink accompanying the above-described posture change. Due to gravity, it starts to move downward along the inner surface of the sheet. As described above, since the surface of the sheet extends substantially in the vertical direction, the ink can smoothly move downward. Further, the ink accumulated along the first end portion 711 in the ink containing portion 717 is in a state where the first end portion 711 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The plug 72 flows toward the first corner 334 provided in the vicinity. Also, some of the plurality of isolated ink reservoirs begin to descend due to gravity. Then, a part of the ink merges with another ink reservoir in the middle of lowering, descends as a larger ink reservoir, and flows toward the plug 72 along the first end portion 711.

  The first corner portion 334 forms an obtuse angle, and the axis line X of the plug 72 is located at a position closer to the end portion on the bottom wall 31 side having the first corner portion 334 in the case 2. When the ink cartridge 1 is inclined with the corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 on the lower side and the inclined surface portion 332 substantially horizontal, the stopper 72 is disposed at a position closer to the support surface 9. Therefore, ink tends to gather near the first opening 701 of the plug 72. In addition, the axis X is located near one end (first end 711) of the ink bag in the direction orthogonal to the axis X, and the width of the ink bag 71 on the first end 711 side is the boundary from the axis X. Since the width of the ink bag 71 on the opposite side is narrower, if the ink cartridge 1 is inclined with the inclined surface portion 332 substantially horizontal, the ink tends to gather near the first opening 701 of the plug 72.

  If the state in which the ink cartridge 1 is further tilted continues, as shown in FIG. 10, most of the ink remaining as ink pools in the ink containing portion 717 remains in the first opening 701 of the plug 72. Gather around. In the longitudinal direction of the ink bag 71, most of the inner surface of the sheet is in contact with the fourth end portion 714 on the side opposite to the side where the plug 72 is provided and the periphery thereof.

  In this state, the user collects the ink around the first opening 701, and then sets the ink cartridge 1 in the inkjet printer 100 again with the bottom wall 31 facing down, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, more ink is collected around the first opening 701 than in the state shown in FIG. Moreover, since most of the inner surfaces of the two sheets are in contact with each other around the fourth end 714 of the ink bag 71 and the periphery thereof, the bottom wall 31 is placed on the placement surface 130 and the first end 711 is placed. The ink is prevented from moving from the periphery of the first opening 701 in the direction of the fourth end 714 to some extent even if is made substantially horizontal. Therefore, the ink surface can be maintained in a state above the hole at the tip of the hollow needle 141 pierced by the rubber stopper 723. Therefore, the remaining ink can be supplied to the print head 114.

  As described above, the ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment has the case 2 in which the axial direction X of the stopper 72 of the ink bag 71 is the longitudinal direction and the width W3 in the left-right direction is narrower than the width W4 in the up-down direction. A first corner 334 and a second corner 335 are provided. The first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are located on the first opening 701 side and the opposite side with respect to the distal end portion 724 of the second opening 702 in the axial direction of the plug 72, respectively. The axis line X of the plug 72 is located near the end of the bottom wall 31 side having the first corner portion 334 in the case 2. The first corner 334 and the second corner 335 are corners that form an obtuse angle.

  Therefore, when the remaining amount of ink is low, the user uses the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 as described above to stably incline the ink cartridge 1 with respect to the horizontal direction. It can be. When the user holds the ink cartridge 1 in the air, the hand may slip for some reason and the ink cartridge 1 may be dropped. At this time, if the ink cartridge 1 is in such a posture that the plug 72 is positioned above, the flow of ink toward the plug 72 is hindered. However, as described above, since the ink cartridge 1 is suitable for placing the inclined surface portion 332 on the substantially horizontal support surface 9, by placing the inclined surface portion 332 on the support surface 9, the ink is removed by gravity. However, the downward flow is stabilized, and the possibility that a force in the opposite direction is applied to the ink is reduced. Therefore, the ink remaining in the ink bag 71 can be efficiently collected toward the plug 72.

  Moreover, since the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are placed so as to be in contact with a surface such as a desk and can be easily held in an inclined state, the ink cartridge is held in an inclined state in the air. However, power is not required and user convenience is high. In particular, in the present embodiment, a part of the outer surface of the step portions 351 and 352 connected to the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 is on the line L connecting the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335. Therefore, the inclined state can be more easily maintained. Further, since the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are made obtuse, when the ink cartridge is placed on an article in which the ink cartridge sinks, such as a carpet, the first corner portion 334 The 334 and the second corner 335 are not easily caught by the article, and the posture of the ink cartridge can be easily changed.

  Furthermore, the outer surface of the portion between the step portions 351 and 352 of the slope portion 332 is substantially parallel to the line L and inside the line L. Therefore, even if the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are placed and held so as to be in contact with a surface such as a desk, the penetrating portion 338 provided in the inclined surface portion 332 does not contact this support surface. . Therefore, even if ink adheres in the vicinity of the second opening 702, the possibility that the ink adheres to the support surface can be reduced. Further, since the distal end portion 724 of the plug 72 is located on the inner side of the outer surface 333 of the slope portion 332, the plug 72 can be protected by the slope portion 332. However, the distal end portion 724 of the plug 72 only needs to be positioned at least inward of the case 2 with respect to the line L.

  When the ink cartridge 1 is removed from the ink jet printer 100, the ink may leak from the plug 72. When the ink cartridge 1 is disposed with the bottom wall 31 facing down, the leaked ink travels down the tip 724 of the rubber plug 723 and falls along the lower end of the main body 721 due to surface tension. . In the present embodiment, since the receiving surface portion 310 disposed substantially horizontally is provided below the spout 72, the receiving surface portion 310 can receive the transferred ink. Further, since the portion extending from the first corner 334 to the penetrating portion 338 of the inclined surface portion 332 is inclined upward, the ink received by the receiving surface portion 310 moves in the direction of the penetrating portion 338 and leaks from the penetrating portion 338. The possibility can be reduced. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the ink jet printer 100 and the finger of the user who handles the ink cartridge 1 will be stained with ink.

  Ink for the ink jet printer 100 is often a pigment-based ink containing a pigment. That is, in the ink cartridge 1, the ink bag 71 is often filled with pigment-based ink. As for the pigment-based ink, there is a possibility that the pigment in the ink may precipitate, and when the ink cartridge 1 is shaken and the ink therein is stirred, the ink is scattered in a wide range in the ink bag 71. According to the ink cartridge 1, even in such a case, the remaining ink is collected toward the plug by using the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 so that the ink cartridge 1 is inclined, and the ink is wasted. To be reduced. Among pigment-based inks, titanium oxide tends to precipitate particularly in white ink containing titanium oxide. However, according to the ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment, the ink cartridge 1 is inclined using the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, so that the axial direction of the plug 72 is horizontal with respect to the horizontal direction. Due to the inclination, the pigment is less likely to settle in the first opening 701 of the plug 72 than when the axis X is vertical. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a state in which the pigment (particularly titanium oxide) precipitates in the first opening 701 and the ink composition is divided into two, and cannot be used for printing.

  In addition, a so-called emulsion ink containing an emulsion is often used as the ink for the inkjet printer 100. Emulsion inks have a higher viscosity when compared to inks that do not contain emulsions. Therefore, even if the ink cartridge 1 is tilted, it is difficult for the ink to move, so it takes time to collect the ink downward. According to the ink cartridge 1 of this embodiment, the first corner 334 and the second corner 335 are placed in contact with a support surface such as a desk, and the ink cartridge 1 can be easily held in an inclined state. This is especially effective compared to when you have a long time in the air. Further, when the emulsion ink also contains a pigment, the emulsion ink can be efficiently collected while preventing the pigment from precipitating in the first opening 701 of the plug 72 as described above.

  Further, by providing the case 2 with the inclined surface portion 332 that connects the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, the impact received by the plug 72 when the ink cartridge 1 falls can be reduced. Specifically, the first corner portion 334 where the slope portion 332 of the case 2 is connected to the bottom wall 31 forms an obtuse angle. A plug 72 is disposed in the vicinity of the first corner 334. Such obtuse corners are less likely to concentrate stress when an impact is applied than in the case of right angle corners. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that a strong impact is applied to the corner portion as compared with the right-angle corner portion, and the plug 72 in the vicinity is damaged or the arrangement position is largely shifted. Further, for example, at the time of shipment, it is assumed that the ink cartridge 1 is packed in a rectangular parallelepiped box having substantially the same size. In such a case, a triangular prism-shaped space is formed between the inclined surface portion 332 and the box, so that even if the box falls and receives an impact, this space serves as a cushioning material and the plug 72 receives. The shock is alleviated.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when the axis X of the plug 72 of the ink cartridge 1 is substantially horizontal, the upper surface (inner surface) of the inclined surface portion 332 passes below the front end portion 724 toward the front end of the front end portion 724. It is overhanging. Therefore, when the hollow needle 141 is pulled out from the spigot 72, even if the ink falls downward from the tip portion 724, the ink collides with the upper surface of the inclined surface portion 332. The ink moves along the inclination of the inclined surface portion 332 toward the inside of the ink cartridge 1 (the first opening 701 side). Accordingly, contamination of the periphery of the ink cartridge 1 by ink is prevented.

  The anti-contamination effect can be expected not only when the hollow needle 141 for supplying ink to the inkjet printer 100 is removed from the plug 72. For example, when a hollow needle used for newly filling, adding, or refilling ink into the ink bag 71 is removed, the ink may drop. Therefore, a similar effect can be expected even in such a case. In the state as shown in FIG. 5, when ink adheres to the tip portion 724 as the hollow needle 141 is inserted or removed, the ink may be located at the lower end portion of the tip portion 724. When the ink cartridge 12 is tilted as shown in FIG. 9 in the ink state, the upper surface (inner surface) of the inclined surface portion 332 is below the lower end portion of the tip portion 724 in the state shown in FIG. Even if the ink falls downward from the tip end portion 724, the ink collides with the upper surface of the slope portion 332. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce contamination of the surroundings of the ink cartridge 1 with ink.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the above-described ink cartridge 1 is an example in which the inclined surface portion 332 having the step portions 351 and 352 is provided between the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 that form an obtuse angle. It is. However, as long as the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are placed so as to be in contact with a substantially horizontal surface and the longitudinal direction of the case 2 can be kept inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 can be maintained. The shape and the like of the corner portion 334, the second corner portion 335, and the portion between the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 can be changed as appropriate. Hereinafter, some modified examples will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The ink cartridge 11 of the first modified example shown in FIG. 11 eliminates the step portion 352 of the ink cartridge 1 shown in FIG. 5, and has a lower end of the back surface portion 331 that forms a right angle, that is, a second corner portion 335 and an upper end of the inclined surface portion 332. It is equivalent to what connected. Similar to the ink cartridge 1, the first corner portion 334 is an obtuse corner portion, and the inclined surface portion 332 is substantially parallel to the line L connecting the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, and from the line L. Is also located in the inner direction of the case 2.

  Therefore, as with the ink cartridge 1, the ink cartridge 11 is also placed so that the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are in contact with the support surface when the ink remaining amount is low, and the ink cartridge 1 is inclined. Can be held in a state of being allowed to enter. Therefore, the ink remaining in the ink bag 71 can be efficiently collected toward the first opening 701 of the plug 72. Of the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, the first corner portion 334 forms an obtuse angle, so that the ink cartridge 11 also sinks, for example, like a carpet, like the ink cartridge 1. Even when placed on the article, at least the first corner 334 is not easily caught on the article, and the posture of the ink cartridge 11 can be easily changed. In addition to the present modification, only the second corner 335 of the first corner 334 and the second corner 335 may be formed to form an obtuse angle. The corner portion that is not obtuse is not limited to a right angle, but may be an acute corner portion or a corner portion formed of a curved surface.

  In the ink cartridge 12 of the second modified example shown in FIG. 12, instead of the inclined surface portion 332 of the ink cartridge 1, a first corner portion 334 and a second corner portion are provided between the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335. This is an example in which a surface portion 336 having an outer surface that is not parallel to the line L connecting 335 is provided. As shown in FIG. 12, the surface portion 336 is connected to the lower end of the back surface portion 331, extends forward along the rear end portion of the right wall 30 having a substantially inverted L shape in side view, and is bent downward. Further, the plug 72 extends between the two flanges 727 and 728 provided on the outer periphery of the main body 721. Further, slightly forward from the rear end of the bottom wall 31, it extends from the upper surface of the bottom wall 31 (the inner surface of the case 2) to the space between the two flanges 727 and 728 of the plug 72. The bottom wall 31 extends substantially horizontally at the lower end of the ink cartridge 1 to below the flange 727 on the rear end side (left side in the drawing) of the two flanges 727 and 728. Below the flange 727, the bottom wall 31 is connected to an inclined portion 361 that is inclined slightly upward rearward from a portion extending substantially horizontally.

  In the ink cartridge 12, the corner portion where the bottom wall 31 and the inclined portion 361 are connected is the first corner portion 334, and the corner portion where the back surface portion 331 and the surface portion 336 are connected is the second corner portion 335. The first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are both corner portions that form an obtuse angle. Specifically, the angle formed by the outer surface (bottom surface) of the bottom wall 31 and the outer surface of the inclined portion 361 and the angle formed by the outer surface (back surface) of the back surface portion 331 and the outer surface of the surface portion 336 are both obtuse. The angle between them is different. Specifically, the first corner 334 has a wider angle than the second corner 335.

  Even in the ink cartridge 12 having such a configuration, when the ink remaining amount is low, the ink cartridge 12 is inclined by placing the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 in contact with the support surface. Can be held in. Therefore, the ink remaining in the ink bag 71 can be efficiently collected toward the first opening 701 of the plug 72. Even when the ink cartridge 12 is placed on an article that sinks, the first corner 334 and the second corner 335 are not easily caught by the article, and the posture of the ink cartridge 12 can be easily changed.

  In this example, in order to close the lower back portion of the case 2 in a state where the surface portion 336 is in contact with the outer periphery of the main body portion 721 of the plug 72, the case 2 is not divided in the manner shown in FIG. The main body 3 and the lid may be divided along the center line, and the bottom wall 31, the upper wall 32, the back surface 331, the surface 336, and the front wall 34 may be provided respectively. The surface portion 336 has a function of securely arranging and fixing the plug 72 to the case 2 at an accurate position, like the fixing portion 381 (see FIG. 5) of the ink cartridge 1. In addition, since the ink cartridge 12 also has the receiving surface portion 310 similar to the ink cartridge 1, when the ink cartridge 12 is removed from the inkjet printer 100, the receiving surface portion 310 is disposed when the bottom wall 31 is disposed downward. By receiving the ink that has been transferred from the spout 72, the possibility of ink leaking out of the case 2 can be reduced.

  The ink cartridge 13 of the third modified example shown in FIG. 13 is the same as the ink cartridge 12 (see FIG. 12) of the second modified example in that a surface portion 336 continuous from the back surface portion 331 and the bottom wall 31 is provided. The first corner 334 and the second corner 335 are different in that the corners are rounded, that is, the corners are formed by curved surfaces. Even in the first corner portion 334 and the third corner portion 335 having round corners, the ink cartridge 13 is held in an inclined state, and the ink remaining in the ink bag 71 is efficiently put into the first opening 701 of the plug 72. You can collect it. Even when the ink cartridge 13 is placed on an article that sinks, the first corner 334 and the second corner 335 are not easily caught by the article, and the posture of the ink cartridge 13 can be easily changed. Note that only one of the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 may be a corner portion formed by a curved surface, and the other may be a corner portion that forms one of an acute angle, a right angle, and an obtuse angle.

  The ink cartridge 14 of the fourth modified example shown in FIG. 14 is replaced with step parts 351 and 352 having outer surfaces extending along the line L provided on the inclined surface part 332 of the ink cartridge 1 shown in FIG. This is an example in which inclined portions 354 and 355 configured by surfaces inclined with respect to the line L are provided when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the paper surface. A corner portion where the rear end of the bottom wall 31 and the inclined portion 354 are connected is a first corner portion 334, and a corner portion where the lower end of the back surface portion 331 and the inclined portion 355 are connected is a second corner portion 335. The first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are both corner portions that form an obtuse angle. Specifically, the angle formed by the outer surface (bottom surface) of the bottom wall 31 and the outer surface of the inclined portion 354 and the angle formed by the outer surface (back surface) of the back surface portion 331 and the outer surface of the inclined portion 355 are both obtuse. is there.

  Even in the ink cartridge 14 having such a configuration, when the ink remaining amount is low, the ink cartridge 1 is inclined by placing the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 in contact with the support surface. Can be held in. Therefore, the ink remaining in the ink bag 71 can be efficiently collected toward the first opening 701 of the plug 72. Even when the ink cartridge 12 is placed on an article that sinks, the first corner 334 and the second corner 335 are not easily caught by the article, and the posture of the ink cartridge 12 can be easily changed.

  Further, since a surface portion 337 substantially parallel to the line L is provided on the inner side of the line L connecting the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are connected to a desk or the like. The penetrating portion 338 does not contact the support surface even if it is placed and held so as to contact the surface. Therefore, even if ink adheres in the vicinity of the second opening 702, the possibility that the ink adheres to the support surface can be reduced. Further, since the distal end portion 724 of the plug 72 is located inside the outer surface of the surface portion 337, the plug 72 can be protected by the surface portion 337. The tip portion 724 is positioned with a gap with respect to the inner surface (the right surface in FIG. 14) of the lower end portion of the surface portion 337 in the axis X direction, and between the surface portion 337 and the tip portion 724 (below the tip portion 724 in FIG. 14). ), The ink is movable. The possibility of ink leaking out of the case 2 can be reduced by receiving the ink that has been transferred from the stopper 72 by the lower end of the surface portion 337 below the front end portion 724 in FIG.

  In the ink cartridge 14 of the present modification, only the inclined portions 354 and 335 of the surface portion 337 may be left, and the planar portion connecting them may be omitted. Similarly, in the ink cartridge 1 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, only the step portions 351 and 352 of the inclined surface portion 332 may be left, and the planar portion connecting them may be omitted. In other words, the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 which are corner portions forming an obtuse angle may be left, and there may be no surface portion between the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335. Even in such a case, the effect that the ink remaining in the ink bag 71 can be efficiently collected toward the first opening 701 of the plug 72 using the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 is the same. is there.

  The ink cartridge 15 of the fifth modified example shown in FIG. 15 is substantially parallel to the line L on the inner side of the line L connecting the first corner part 334 and the second corner part 335, as in the ink cartridge 1 shown in FIG. This is an example in which a surface portion 383 having an extending outer surface is provided. However, the surface portion 383 is not a surface portion continuously formed on the right wall 30 or the lid portion 4 (see FIG. 3), but a felt material formed in a triangular prism shape is used for the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335. In between. The outer surface of the surface portion 383 is disposed substantially parallel to the line L on the inner side of the line L connecting the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335. The surface portion 383 is provided with a through portion 338 having an opening diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the body portion 721 of the plug 72 at a position facing the second opening 702 of the plug 72. Only the end of the penetrating portion 338 on the inside of the case 2 has an opening diameter that is increased in accordance with the outer diameter of the main body 721.

  Further, the rear end surface 314 of the bottom wall 31 is inclined upward toward the rear (left side in the figure), and the lower end surface 315 of the back surface portion 331 is inclined downward toward the front. In the ink cartridge 15, the corner formed by the outer surface (bottom surface) of the bottom wall 31 and the rear end surface 314 is the first corner portion 334, and the corner formed by the outer surface (back surface) of the back surface portion 331 and the lower end surface 315. Is the second corner 335. The bottom surface and the rear end surface 314, and the back surface and the lower end surface 315 all form an obtuse angle.

  Even in the ink cartridge 15 having such a configuration, when the ink remaining amount is low, the ink cartridge 15 is inclined by placing the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 in contact with the support surface. Can be held in. Further, even when the ink cartridge 15 is placed on an article that sinks, the first corner 334 and the second corner 335 are not easily caught by the article, and the posture of the ink cartridge 15 can be easily changed. Further, the distal end portion 724 of the plug 72 is fitted into a portion having a wide opening diameter provided at the inner end of the case 2 of the penetrating portion 338 so that the plug 72 is accurately positioned with respect to the case 2. Can be placed and fixed.

  Regarding the wall surface other than the portion corresponding to the inclined surface portion 332 of the ink cartridge 1 of the embodiment, the case 2 includes the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, and the relationship between the case 2 and the ink pack 7 is described above. It can be omitted as long as it can be defined as follows. For example, the ink pack 7 is sandwiched between the opposed right wall 30 and the lid 4, and part of the outer surface of the two-layer sheet forming the ink bag 71 is placed on the inner surface of the right wall 30 and the lid 4, respectively. The ink cartridge may be attached within a range that can be expanded and contracted to form an ink cartridge. In this case, in order to securely fix the plug 72 at an accurate position, it is preferable to provide a fixing portion 381 (see FIG. 11) of the plug 72. In this example, the posture of the ink bag 71 can be maintained in a stable state by the right wall 30 and the lid portion 4 facing each other with the ink bag 71 interposed therebetween, and the shapes of the right wall 30 and the lid portion 4 are shown in FIG. By doing so, the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 that are obtuse angles at the same position can be formed without the bottom wall 31, the back surface portion 331, and the slope portion 332. The same effect as that of the ink cartridge 1 can be obtained.

  In the description of the action of collecting the ink of the ink cartridge 1 toward the plug 72 (see FIGS. 8 to 10), the user places the first corner 334 and the second corner 335 on the substantially horizontal support surface 9. An example was given in which the ink cartridge 1 was held by hand while being in contact. However, while the first corner 334 and the second corner 335 are in contact with the substantially horizontal support surface 9, the front wall 34 of the ink cartridge 1 is placed on a substantially vertical surface (for example, a wall) indicated by a one-dot chain line Y in FIG. In this case, the user does not need to hold the ink cartridge 1 by hand. As described above, when the ink cartridge 1 is inclined and leans against a wall or the like, the ink cartridge 1 may be left in this state for a long time (for example, overnight). That is, the fact that the ink cartridge 1 can stand on its own in a tilted state may cause the user to look away and leave the ink cartridge 1 in a tilted state. This is especially true if the ink cartridge 1 can maintain a stable posture in such a state that the ink cartridge 1 is leaning against a wall or the like. When left in an inclined state for a long time, in the ink bag 71 of the ink cartridge 1, a pigment (for example, titanium oxide in the case of white ink) precipitates downward, and the ink is divided into two layers for printing. It will be unsuitable. Therefore, it may be troublesome to repeat the operation of tilting the ink cartridge 1 in order to stir the ink by holding the ink cartridge 1 again by hand and to collect the ink around the plug 72.

  Therefore, if the ink cartridge 1 is configured not to be self-supporting when it is tilted, the ink cartridge 1 cannot be maintained tilted and falls down with the right wall 30 or the lid portion 4 up if the user releases the hand. Further, if the support surface 9 is a carpet or the like where the ink cartridge 1 sinks, the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 that contact the support surface 9 are obtuse, so the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 Compared to the case where the corner 335 is an acute angle or a right angle, there is generally little catching with the support surface 9. Therefore, compared with the case where the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are acute angles or right angles, the stability when the ink cartridge 1 is leaned against a wall or the like is low, and the possibility of the ink cartridge 1 falling is increased. Therefore, the possibility that the ink cartridge 1 is left for a long time can be reduced.

  As described above, the ink cartridge 1 is placed on the support surface 9 and has a stable posture, and is more efficient and labor-saving than the case where the ink is held by hand in the air. On the other hand, compared with the case where the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are acute angles or right angles, the possibility of being left for a long time is reduced.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 11-15 Ink cartridge 2 Case 30 Right wall 334 1st corner | angular part 335 2nd corner | angular part 337, 383 Surface part 338 Through | through part 381 Fixing part 4 Lid part 71 Ink bag 72 Plug 700 Hollow part 701 1st opening 702 1st 2 opening 724 tip

Claims (7)

An ink bag formed into a bag shape including at least two flexible sheets disposed opposite to each other, and containing ink therein;
A stopper provided in the ink bag and having a hollow portion communicating from a first opening communicating with the ink bag to a second opening opening to the outside;
A case in which the ink bag is accommodated, and the axial direction of the stopper of the accommodated ink bag is a longitudinal direction;
The end of the case on the second opening side is
A first corner portion that is a corner portion located on the first opening side with respect to a distal end portion on the second opening side of the plug in the axial direction of the plug;
In the axial direction of the plug, at least a second corner that is a corner located on the opposite side of the first opening with respect to the tip of the plug on the second opening side,
In the case, a width in a first direction which is a direction in which a line connecting the first corner portion and the second corner portion extends and a direction orthogonal to the axial direction is orthogonal to the first direction and the axial direction. Narrower than the width in the second direction,
The ink bag is accommodated in the case such that the axis of the plug is positioned closer to one end of the case on the side having the first corner in the second direction,
The distal end portion of the plug on the second opening side is located in an inner direction of the case than the line connecting the first corner portion and the second corner portion,
An ink cartridge, wherein at least one of the first corner and the second corner forms an obtuse angle or a curved surface.   The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first corner and the second corner each form an obtuse angle or a curved surface. The case is
A surface portion connected to the first corner portion and the second corner portion and extending substantially parallel to the line connecting the first corner portion and the second corner portion;
A through portion provided at a position facing the second opening of the plug of the surface portion;
3. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the surface portion is on an inner side than the line connecting the first corner portion and the second corner portion.   The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the case includes a fixing portion for fixing the plug to the case.   The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the case does not include a surface portion arranged on the line connecting the first corner portion and the second corner portion. The case is
A first side surface facing one of the two-layer sheets of the ink bag;
A second side surface facing the other of the two-layer sheets and facing the first side surface with the ink bag interposed therebetween,
The first side surface and the second side surface are spaced apart in the first direction,
The ink according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the first side surface and the second side surface is shorter than a width of the first side surface and the second side surface in the second direction. cartridge.   The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the ink is a pigment-based ink containing titanium oxide as a pigment.

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