JP2016087848A - Liquid consuming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid consuming system suppressing jetting-out of liquid from a clearance between an injection port of a tank and a nozzle of a bottle.SOLUTION: A liquid consuming system includes: an ink tank 100 in which an ink chamber 111 for storing ink, an injection port 112 for injecting ink into the ink chamber 111 and an ink outflow passage for flowing out ink from the ink chamber 111 are formed; an annular elastic member 92 which can be fluid-tightly adhered to a peripheral edge portion of the injection port 112 by elastic deformation; and an ink bottle 136 which has a nozzle 137 which is adhered to the elastic member 92 so as to be insertable into the injection port 112 and a body 138 which is capable of flowing out the stored ink through the nozzle 137.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid consumption system in which a bottle nozzle is inserted into an inlet of a tank and the liquid in the bottle flows out into a liquid storage chamber of the tank.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printer (an example of a liquid consumption system) having a tank that can be refilled with ink and a recording head that records an image on recording paper by discharging ink supplied from the tank from a nozzle is known (see FIG. For example, see Patent Document 1). When the liquid in the tank is consumed, the liquid stored in the bottle can be replenished through the inlet of the tank.

JP 20212-20495

  The tank is provided with an air communication hole or the like so that the liquid easily flows out from the tank when the liquid is consumed. In addition, in order to prevent liquid from leaking out from the air communication hole, the air communication hole may be covered with a semipermeable membrane. When the tank is refilled with liquid, the bottle is compressed and deformed with the nozzle of the bottle inserted into the inlet, and the liquid in the bottle is sent out to the tank. At this time, if the volume per unit time of the liquid flowing into the tank from the bottle is larger than the volume per unit time of the air flowing out of the tank through the air communication hole, the air pressure in the tank temporarily rises. To do. As a result, there is a risk that liquid existing around the injection port may be ejected from the gap between the injection port and the nozzle to the outside of the tank.

  On the other hand, tanks and bottles are generally manufactured as synthetic resin moldings, and there are limits to the accuracy of the inner diameter of the tank inlet, the outer diameter of the bottle nozzle, and the accuracy of the shape. It is difficult to bring the inlet and the nozzle into liquid-tight contact.

  This invention is made | formed in view of said situation, The objective is to provide the means which suppresses that a liquid ejects from the clearance gap between the inlet of a tank, and the nozzle of a bottle.

  The liquid consumption system according to the present invention includes a liquid storage chamber in which liquid is stored, an inlet for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber, and a tank in which a liquid outflow path for allowing liquid to flow out of the liquid storage chamber is formed. An annular elastic member that can be liquid-tightly attached to the peripheral portion of the injection port by elastic deformation, a nozzle that can be inserted into the injection port in close contact with the elastic member, and the stored liquid can flow out through the nozzle A bottle having a main body.

  By inserting the nozzle of the bottle into the inlet of the tank, the liquid can flow out from the bottle to the liquid storage chamber. When the nozzle of the bottle is inserted into the inlet, the nozzle comes into close contact with the elastic member. Further, the elastic member is in close contact with the peripheral portion of the injection port. Thereby, there is no gap between the nozzle and the elastic member and between the elastic member and the peripheral portion of the injection port through which the liquid can flow.

  According to the present invention, when the nozzle of the bottle is inserted into the inlet of the tank, the nozzle and the elastic member are in close contact, and the elastic member and the peripheral portion of the inlet are in close contact, so that the bottle is compressed and deformed. Even if the liquid flows out into the tank, the liquid is prevented from being ejected from the gap between the tank inlet and the bottle nozzle.

1A and 1B are external perspective views of the multifunction machine 10, in which FIG. 1A shows a state where the cover 70 is in the closed position, and FIG. 1B shows a state where the cover 70 is in the open position. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the carriage 23 and the ink tank 100. FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the ink tank 100. FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the ink tank 100. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the ink tank 100. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 9A is an external perspective view of the cap 113, the elastic member 92, and the holding member 93, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the cap 113, the elastic member 92, and the holding member 93. FIG. 10 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 with the cover 70 in the open position. FIG. 11 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 in a state where the movement of the cover 70 to the closed position is hindered by the holding member 93 holding the cap 113 in the open state. FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in which the cap 113 is attached to the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100 and the cover 70 is in the closed position. FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in which the cap 113 is attached to the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100 and the cover 70 is in the open position. FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in a state where the movement of the cover 70 to the closed position is hindered by the holding member 93 holding the cap 113 in the open state. 15A is an enlarged cross-sectional view around the ink bottle 136 in FIG. 7, and FIG. 15B is an enlarged cross-sectional view in a state where the posture of the ink bottle 136 is changed from the state of FIG. 15A. . FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view around the inlet 112 and the ink bottle 136 in a modified example.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. Further, in the following description, the advance from the starting point of the arrow to the ending point is expressed as the direction, and the traffic on the line connecting the starting point and the ending point of the arrow is expressed as the direction. In other words, the direction is a component of the direction. Further, the state in which the multifunction machine 10 is installed so as to be usable (the state shown in FIG. 1 and may be referred to as “use state”) or the posture (the posture in FIG. 1 and “use posture”). The vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to the front side (front surface) as the front side (front side) of the multifunction device 10 where the opening 13 is provided, and the multifunction device 10 is defined as the front side (front side). A left-right direction 9 is defined as viewed from the front. The upward and downward directions are each a component of the vertical direction 7 and are opposite to each other. The left direction and the right direction are each a component of the left-right direction 9 and are opposite to each other. The forward direction and the backward direction are each one component of the front-rear direction 8 and are opposite to each other. In this embodiment, the up-down direction 7 corresponds to the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 correspond to the horizontal direction.

[Overall configuration of liquid consumption system]
The liquid consumption system in the present embodiment includes a multifunction machine 10 and an ink bottle 136.

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

  An operation panel 17 is provided above the opening 13 in the front wall 14 </ b> A of the casing 14 of the printer unit 11. The operation panel 17 is provided with an input button 17A and a liquid crystal display 17B on the surface thereof. The operation panel 17 is configured to be horizontally long in the left-right direction 9 and its surface is directed obliquely upward. The operation panel 17 is disposed above an ink tank 100 described later.

  The ink bottle 136 shown in FIG. 7 is a container for storing ink therein. The ink stored in the ink bottle 136 is inserted into the injection port 112 formed in the ink tank 100 by the nozzle 137 formed on the bottom surface 139 </ b> A of the ink bottle 136, so that the ink chamber 111 of the ink tank 100 is passed through the nozzle 137. To be leaked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Ink tank 100]
As shown in FIG. 1, the ink tank 100 is accommodated in the housing 14. The ink tank 100 is fixed to the multifunction device 10 so that it cannot be easily removed from the multifunction device 10.

  The front surface of the ink tank 100 is exposed to the outside of the multifunction device 10 through the opening 22 formed in the front wall 14 </ b> A of the housing 14. The opening 22 is adjacent to the opening 13 in the left-right direction 9. The housing 14 is provided with a cover 70 that can be rotated between a closed position that covers the opening 22 (see FIG. 1A) and an open position that exposes the opening 22 (see FIG. 1B). ing. The cover 70 is supported by the housing 14 so as to be rotatable around a rotation shaft 70 </ b> A extending in the left-right direction 9 on the lower end side in the vertical direction 7. The rotating shaft 70A is provided at a position closer to the lower end 72 than the upper end 71 of the cover 70 when the cover 70 closes the opening 22 (the state shown in FIG. 1A) (see FIG. 1). 12).

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ink tank 100 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The ink tank 100 includes a front wall 101, a right wall 102, a left wall 103, an upper wall 104, and a lower wall 105. Each of the walls 101 to 105 has a light-transmitting property such that ink in an ink chamber 111 to be described later can be visually recognized from the outside of the ink tank 100. The front wall 101 is composed of a standing wall 101A (an example of a front wall) that extends from the lower wall 105 in the vertical direction 7 and an inclined wall 101B that is continuous with the upper end of the standing wall 101A and the front end of the front wall 101.

  The right wall 102 has a right surface 122 extending along the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. The left wall 103 has a left surface (not shown) extending along the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. The upper wall 104 has an upper surface 124 that extends along the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9. Note that the upper surface 124 is configured in two upper and lower stages in the front-rear direction 8, and the front portion of the upper surface 124 is located below the rear portion of the upper surface 124. The upper surface of the lower wall 105 constituting the bottom surface of the ink chamber 111 is inclined downward to the right. The standing wall 101 </ b> A has a front surface 121 </ b> A that extends along the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9. The inclined wall 101B has an inclined surface 121B that is inclined with respect to the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8.

  The rear surface of the ink tank 100 is open. The film 106 is welded to the rear end surfaces of the right wall 102, the left wall 103, the upper wall 104, and the lower wall 105, whereby the rear surface of the ink tank 100 is sealed. The film 106 constitutes the rear wall of the ink tank 100.

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

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

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

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

[Inlet 112]
As shown in FIG. 4, the inclined wall 101B of the ink tank 100 is provided with a plurality of inlets 112B, 112M, 112C, 112Y for injecting ink into the ink chambers 111 arranged in a line in the left-right direction 9. It has been. The inlet 112 is a hole that penetrates the inclined wall 101 </ b> B in the thickness direction, and connects the corresponding ink chamber 111 to the outside of the ink tank 100. The inclined wall 101 </ b> B has an inner surface facing the ink chamber 111 and an outer surface facing the outside of the ink tank 100. The inlet 112 directly connects the ink chamber 111 and the outside of the ink tank 100. Between the inlet 112 and the ink chamber 111, there is no flow path that has a smaller cross-sectional area than the inlet and is bent.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the cap 113 attached to the inclined wall 101B and the inlet 112 provided on the inclined wall 101B is positioned through the opening 22 by positioning the cover 70 in the open position. Exposed outside. In the present embodiment, the posture (injection posture) of the ink tank 100 when ink is injected into the ink chamber 111 through the injection port 112 coincides with the posture of the ink tank 100 when the multifunction machine 10 is in the use posture. When the multifunction machine 10 is in a use posture, ink is injected into the ink chamber 111 through the injection port 112.

  Since the inlet 112 is formed in the inclined wall 101B of the ink tank 100, it faces the outside of the housing 14 and obliquely upward. In other words, the virtual plane including the injection port 112 is along the inclined wall 101B, is inclined with respect to the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8, and is perpendicular to the virtual plane from the injection port 112 to the ink tank 100. The direction facing outward is obliquely upward.

  Each inlet 112 of the ink tank 100 is provided with a cap body for closing each inlet 112. The cap body is formed from an elastically deformable material such as rubber or elastomer. As shown in FIG. 9, the cap body includes an annular elastic member 92 attached to the inlet 112, a cap 113 that can be attached to and detached from the elastic member 92, and a holding member that connects the cap 113 and the elastic member 92. 93. A cap 113 is connected to one end of the holding member 93, and an elastic member 92 is connected to the other end of the holding member 93. In this embodiment, the elastic member 92, the cap 113, and the holding member 93 are integrally formed to constitute a cap body. Note that the elastic member 92, the cap 113, and the holding member 93 do not have to be integrally formed, and may be connected to each other, for example, by bonding or fitting with an adhesive.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the cap 113 attached to the elastic member 92 is attached to the elastic member 92 that is in close contact with the peripheral edge (the edge 77 described later) of the injection port 112 when inserted into the injection port 112. The injection port 112 is closed by closely contacting. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14, the cap 113 removed from the elastic member 92 opens the injection port 112. The cap 113 is attached to and detached from the elastic member 92 with the cover 70 positioned at the open position (see FIG. 13). By removing the cap 113 from the elastic member 92, ink can be injected into the ink chamber 111.

  As shown in FIG. 4, around the injection port 112 in the ink tank 100, two bosses 84 and protrusions 85, and an edge 77 that defines the edge of the injection port 112 in the inclined wall 101B are formed. . The bosses 84 are formed at the right rear and left rear of the inlet 112 in the inclined wall 101B. The boss 84 is a columnar protrusion protruding from the inclined wall 101B. The ridges 85 are formed on the right front and left front of the inlet 112 in the inclined wall 101B. The protrusion 85 extends around the inlet 112 along the circumferential direction of the inlet 112. The protrusion 85 is formed at a position where it comes into contact with the elastic member 92 attached to the edge 77 of the inlet 112. That is, the protrusion 85 protrudes from the periphery of the elastic member 92. In addition, the formation position, the number, and the shape of the boss 84 and the protrusion 85 are not limited to those described above.

[Ink outflow path and air communication hole]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a plurality of ink outflow paths 117B, 117M, 117C, and 117Y (an example of a liquid outflow path) are connected to each of the ink chambers 111B to 111Y. The ink outflow paths 117 </ b> B, 117 </ b> M, 117 </ b> C, and 117 </ b> Y are channels that allow the ink stored in the corresponding ink chambers 111 to flow out of the ink tank 100. The ink outflow paths 117B, 117M, 117C, and 117Y are formed in the ink tank 100. One ends of the ink outflow paths 117B, 117M, 117C, and 117Y are connected to the corresponding ink chambers 111, and the ink tubes 32 corresponding to the other ends of the ink outflow paths 117B, 117M, 117C, and 117Y are connected. As a result, the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 is supplied to the recording head 39 via the corresponding ink outflow paths 117B, 117M, 117C, and 117Y and the ink tube 32.

  Air communication holes 132B, 132M, 132C, and 132Y are provided in the ink chambers 111B to 111Y, respectively. The atmosphere communication holes 132B, 132M, 132C, and 132Y communicate the corresponding ink chambers 111 with the atmosphere. Thereby, the internal pressure of each ink chamber 111 is maintained at atmospheric pressure. As a result, an excessive supply of ink due to an increase in the internal pressure of the ink chamber 111 or a backflow of ink due to a decrease in the internal pressure of the ink chamber 111 is suppressed. Semi-permeable membranes 133B, 133M, 133C, and 133Y are attached to the air communication holes 132B, 132M, 132C, and 132Y to suppress ink leakage.

[Partition 135]
As shown in FIG. 6, partition walls 135 </ b> B, 135 </ b> M, 135 </ b> C, 135 </ b> Y extending in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 are provided inside the ink chamber 111. The partition wall 135 of the present embodiment extends substantially in the horizontal direction, but the direction of the partition wall 135 is not limited to this. For example, the partition wall 135 may be inclined downward in the rearward direction 8.

  The partition wall 135B is connected to the standing wall 101A, the right wall 102, the film 106, and the partition wall 107. The partition wall 135M is connected to the standing wall 101A, the film 106, and the partition walls 107 and 108. The partition wall 135C is connected to the standing wall 101A, the film 106, and the partition walls 108 and 109. The partition wall 135Y is connected to the standing wall 101A, the left wall 103, the film 106, and the partition wall 109. The partition wall 135 is provided below the injection port 112 inside the ink chamber 111. The partition wall 135 divides a part of the corresponding ink chamber 111 in the vertical direction 7. The partition wall 135 is separated from the upper wall 104 and the lower wall 105, and a space exists above and below the partition wall 135 in the vertical direction 7. Since the shapes of the partition walls 135B, 135M, 135C, and 135Y are generally the same, the partition wall 135M will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the partition wall 135M is provided at least in the intersection region. As an example, the intersecting region can be defined as a region that intersects an imaginary line (broken line in FIG. 7) passing through the inlet 112M and orthogonal to the inclined wall 101B. As another example, the intersecting region can be defined as a region intersecting with an imaginary line passing through the inlet 112M and extending in the penetration direction of the inlet 112M. As yet another example, the intersecting region can be defined as a region intersecting the outflow direction of the ink flowing out from the ink bottle 136 that is positioned by entering the ink chamber 111M through the injection port 112M. The partition wall 135M is provided in a region through which ink flowing into the ink chamber 111M through the injection port 112M passes. In other words, most of the ink injected into the ink chamber 111M through the injection port 112M hits the partition wall 135M.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the partition wall 135 </ b> M is provided in the entire region on the front side in the front-rear direction 8 (that is, the side close to the injection port 112 </ b> M in the horizontal direction) from the intersection region. In other words, the partition wall 135 continuously extends so as to be connected to the standing wall 101A and the partition walls 107 and 108 without a gap on the front side of the intersection region. The partition wall 135M separates the ink chamber 111M in the up-down direction 7 in the entire region on the front side from the intersection region. The partition wall 135M extends to the rear side in the front-rear direction 8 (that is, the side far from the injection port 112 in the horizontal direction) from the intersection region. However, a part of the partition wall 135M on the rear side from the intersecting region is opened. The area of the opening provided in the partition wall 135M (in the example of FIG. 8, the opening width in the left-right direction 9) increases as the distance from the injection port 112M increases. The shape of the opening is symmetric with respect to the direction away from the injection port 112M along the partition wall 135M (that is, the rearward direction 8). The shape of the opening in the present embodiment is an isosceles triangle with the apex facing forward.

[Cap 113]
The cap 113 shown in FIG. 9 is detachable from the elastic member 92 attached to the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100. The cap 113 is movable in a closed state in which the inlet 112 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 is closed and an open state in which the inlet 112 shown in FIG. 14 is opened. In the present embodiment, the closed state in which the injection port 112 is closed is a state in which the cap 113 closes the injection port 112 by closing the through hole 94 of the elastic member 92, and the injection port 112 of the ink tank 110 is externally connected. Refers to blocking. In the open state, even if the elastic member 92 is attached to the injection port 112, the cap 113 is removed and the through hole 94 of the elastic member 92 is opened, thereby opening the injection port 112 and opening the outside of the ink tank 110. In this state, the ink can be injected into the ink chamber 111. As shown in FIG. 10, the cap 113 has four caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y corresponding to the four inlets 112B, 112M, 112C, and 112Y of the ink tank 100. Each cap 113B, 113M, 113C, 113Y is colored in the color of the ink stored in the corresponding ink chamber 111. Specifically, the cap 113B is colored black, the cap 113M is colored magenta, the cap 113C is colored cyan, and the cap 113Y is colored yellow. Since the shapes of the caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y are the same, the detailed configuration will be described below collectively as the cap 113.

  The cap 113 is formed from a material that can be elastically deformed, such as rubber or elastomer. As shown in FIG. 9, the cap 113 has an outer shape in which a convex portion 143 protrudes from the center of a generally disc-shaped disc portion 141.

  The convex portion 143 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and protrudes from the center of the back surface 141B of the disk portion 141 along a direction orthogonal to the back surface 141B. As will be described later, the convex portion 143 is inserted into a through hole 94 formed in the elastic member 92 to seal the inlet 112 in a liquid-tight manner. A concave portion 144 is formed at the center of the tip of the convex portion 143 toward the back surface 141B. Due to the concave portion 144, the outer surface 143 </ b> A of the convex portion 143 can easily fall down radially inward, and the convex portion 143 can be easily inserted into the injection port 112.

[Cover 70]
As shown in FIG. 1, the cover 70 is provided so that the opening 22 formed in the front wall 14 </ b> A of the housing 14 can be opened and closed. The cover 70 rotates around a rotation axis 70 </ b> A that extends along the mounting surface 6 on which the multifunction machine 10 is mounted, specifically, along the left-right direction 9. The cover 70 has an outer shape with a size corresponding to the opening 22 and has a box shape in which the opening 22 side opens. The cover 70 covers the standing wall 101A and the inclined wall 101B of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 in the closed position. When the cover 70 is located at the closed position, the cap 113 cannot be accessed from the outside of the multifunction machine 10. The cover 70 exposes the standing wall 101A and the inclined wall 101B of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 to the outside of the housing 14 in the open position. Since the cover 70 is positioned at the open position, the cap 113 can be accessed from the outside of the multifunction machine 10. Here, the access means that the user touches the cap 113 for the attachment / detachment operation of the cap 113 or the elastic member 92 in which the ink bottle 136 is in close contact with the injection port 112 for the replenishment operation of the ink chamber 111. It is to be inserted into the through hole 94.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the cover 70 has an outer surface 70 </ b> B that forms a part of the front wall 14 </ b> A of the housing 14 in the closed position, and an inner surface 70 </ b> C that faces the ink tank 100. On the upper end 71 side of the cover 70, an engaging portion 73 (see FIGS. 12 and 13) that protrudes from the inner surface 70C to the housing 14 side is provided. As shown in FIG. 12, the engaging portion 73 engages with an engaged portion 83 formed near the upper end of the opening 22 of the housing 14 to hold the cover 70 in the closed position. The cover 70 includes a first portion in which an engagement portion 73 is formed, a second portion that protrudes forward from the first portion and has a grip portion 80 that is gripped when the user opens the cover 70, A third portion extending downward from the second portion. A space in which the cap 113 and the holding member 93 can be accommodated is formed between the third portion and the ink tank 100 when the cover 70 is closed. On the other hand, the space above is narrow, and the holding member 93 cannot be accommodated in the closed position.

  In the cover 70 in the closed position, a window 74 is formed in the center of the up-down direction 7 and the left-right direction 9. The window 74 can transmit light between the outer surface 70B side and the inner surface 70C side of the cover 70. For example, the window 74 is configured by fitting a transparent material capable of transmitting visible light into the opening. The window 74 has such a size that the upper side from the lower end of the standing wall 101A of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 and the lower side from the upper end of the inclined wall 101B can be viewed from the front wall 14A side of the housing 14 in the vertical direction 7. In the left-right direction 9, the size of the front wall 101 other than the left end and the right end is visible.

  Note that the window 74 may be configured only by an opening, but in this case, the size of the window 74 is such that the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100 is blocked through the window 74 when the cover 70 is in the closed position. The size is preferably inaccessible to the cap 113. For example, in the case where the window 74 is composed of only an opening, the window 74 has a housing in the vertical direction 7 that is located above the lower end of the standing wall 101A of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 and below the upper end of the standing wall 101A. The size is preferably visible from the front wall 14 </ b> A side of the body 14.

[Elastic member 92]
As shown in FIG. 10, the elastic member 92 is provided as four elastic members 92B, 92M, 92C, and 92Y corresponding to the four caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y. Since the shape of each elastic member 92B, 92M, 92C, 92Y is the same, the detailed configuration will be described hereinafter collectively as the elastic member 92.

  The elastic member 92 is formed from a material that can be elastically deformed, such as rubber or elastomer. As shown in FIG. 9, the elastic member 92 is annular. A through hole 94 is formed in the elastic member 92 along the axial direction 75. A groove 95 is formed in the elastic member 92 along the peripheral surface 76.

  The diameter of the circle defined by the bottom surface 95 </ b> A of the groove 95 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the inlet 112. The width of the groove 95 is substantially the same as the thickness of the edge 77 (see FIG. 14) that defines the edge of the inlet 112 in the inclined wall 101B. An inclined surface 53 is formed on the back surface 52 side of the elastic member 92. Since the elastic member 92 is configured as described above, when the back surface 52 side of the elastic member 92 is pushed into the injection port 112, the elastic member 92 is elastically deformed so that the outer diameter thereof is reduced, and the injection port 112. Is inserted. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 14, the edge 77 is fitted in the groove 95 of the elastic member 92. As a result, the elastic member 92 is connected around the injection port 112.

  In a state where the edge 77 is fitted in the groove 95, the edge 77 and the groove 95 are in pressure contact with each other. The elastic member 92 is in liquid-tight contact with the edge 77 which is the peripheral portion of the injection port 112 by elastic deformation. The injection port 112 is sealed in a liquid-tight manner except for a portion of the elastic member 92 where the through hole 94 is formed. In a state where the elastic member 92 is connected around the injection port 112, members such as the ink bottle 136 and the cap 113 can access the injection port 112 through the through hole 94.

  12-14, the elastic member 92 is connected around the injection port 112 so that the connection side with the holding member 93 is the rear side. In other words, the elastic member 92 is connected around the inlet 112 so that the connecting side with the holding member 93 is at the highest position.

  By inserting the convex portion 143 of the cap 113 into the through hole 94 of the elastic member 92, the injection port 112 is completely liquid-tightly sealed. This will be described in detail below. The inner diameter of the through hole 94 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the convex portion 143 of the cap 113. Therefore, the convex portion 143 is inserted into the inlet 112 while being elastically deformed so that the outer diameter of the convex portion 143 is reduced. Further, the through-hole 94 is elastically deformed so that the inner diameter is enlarged when the projection 143 is inserted into the injection port 112. In a state where the convex portion 143 is inserted into the through hole 94, the outer surface 143A of the convex portion 143 and the inner surface 94A of the through hole 94 are in pressure contact with each other. Thereby, the inlet 112 is completely liquid-tightly sealed. At this time, the cap 113 is in a closed state.

  In the state in which the elastic member 92 is connected around the injection port 112, the peripheral surface 76 A of the peripheral surface 76 of the elastic member 92 is closer to the surface 51 than the groove 95 and is in front of the through hole 94. It is in contact with the strip 85. This makes it difficult for the user to hook the nail on the elastic member 92 from the front. As a result, the possibility that the elastic member 92 is mistakenly removed from the injection port 112 can be reduced. In addition, the protrusion 85 may be formed in the position which does not contact | abut the surrounding surface 76A on condition that the contact from the front of the elastic member 92 can be inhibited.

  A recess 98 is formed near the holding member 93 in the elastic member 92. Each recess 98 is formed at a position corresponding to a boss 84 (see FIG. 4) formed on the inclined wall 101 </ b> B of the ink tank 100. The inner diameter and depth of each recess 98 are substantially the same as the outer diameter and protruding length of the boss 84. In a state where the elastic member 92 is attached to the injection port 112, the boss 84 and the recess 98 are fitted.

  Each elastic member 92B, 92M, 92C, 92Y is colored in the color of ink stored in the corresponding ink chamber 111. Specifically, the elastic member 92B is colored black, the elastic member 92M is colored magenta, the elastic member 92C is colored cyan, and the elastic member 92Y is colored yellow.

[Holding member 93]
As shown in FIG. 10, the holding member 93 is provided as four holding members 93B, 93M, 93C, and 93Y corresponding to the four caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y and the elastic members 92B, 92M, 92C, and 92Y. It has been. Since the shapes of the holding members 93B, 93M, 93C, and 93Y are the same, the detailed configuration will be described below collectively as the holding member 93.

  The holding member 93 is formed from an elastically deformable material such as rubber or elastomer. As shown in FIG. 9, the holding member 93 extends from the peripheral surface 76 of the elastic member 92 and has a band shape. One end of the holding member 93 in the longitudinal direction is connected to the elastic member 92. The other end of the holding member 93 in the longitudinal direction is connected to the cap 113.

  Of the pair of flat surfaces 96 and 97 facing the thickness direction of the holding member 93, the flat surface 96 faces the same side as the back surface 52 of the elastic member 92 and the front surface 141 </ b> A of the disk portion 141 of the cap 113. Further, the flat surface 97 of the holding member 93 faces the same side as the front surface 51 of the elastic member 92 and the back surface 141B of the disk portion 141 of the cap 113.

  A pair of ribs 87 are formed at both ends of the holding member 93 in the short direction. The pair of ribs 87 protrudes from the plane 96 in the orthogonal direction orthogonal to the plane 96 and protrudes from the plane 97 in the orthogonal direction. The pair of ribs 87 extend along the longitudinal direction of the holding member 93. A concave surface 88 is formed by the plane 96 and the inner surface 78 in the short direction of the pair of ribs 87. A concave surface 89 is formed by the flat surface 97 and the inner surface 79 in the short direction of the pair of ribs 87.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 14, the holding member 93 extends in a straight line in a predetermined state where no force is applied from the outside. At this time, the holding member 93 extends in a state of being supported by a part of the housing 14 located behind the holding member 93. In this state, the cap 113 is separated from the inlet 112 and is held open.

  When a force is applied to the holding member 93 in the predetermined state, the holding member 93 is elastically deformed. Thereby, the holding member 93 will be in the state curved in circular arc shape, as FIG. 12, 13 shows. At this time, the concave surface 88 shown in FIG. 9 is a surface in which the curved outer surface of the curved holding member 93 is recessed inwardly. Further, the concave surface 89 shown in FIG. 9 is a surface in which the curved inner surface of the curved holding member 93 is recessed outwardly. When no force is applied to the holding member 93, the holding member 93 returns to its elastic state and extends almost straight.

  The rib 87 may not be formed on the condition that the holding member 93 is elastically restored when no force is applied to the holding member 93. The ribs 87 may protrude from only one of the planes 96 and 97 instead of the pair. Further, the concave surfaces 88 and 89 may be curved surfaces instead of the curved surfaces formed by the ribs 87 and the flat surfaces 96 and 97.

[Ink bottle 136]
The ink bottle 136 shown in FIG. 7 is formed of a material having a smaller friction coefficient than the elastic member 92. In the present embodiment, the ink bottle 136 is formed of silicon. The elastic member 92 is only required to be formed of a material having a coefficient of friction larger than that of the ink bottle 136 at least in the portion where the injection port 112 is formed (the peripheral portion of the through hole 94). Further, the ink bottle 136 only needs to be formed of a material having a friction coefficient smaller than that of the elastic member 92 at least in a nozzle 137 described later.

  The ink bottle 136 includes a generally cylindrical main body 138 in which a space for storing ink is formed, and a nozzle 137 provided on the bottom surface 139A of the pair of bottom surfaces 139A and 139B of the main body 138. I have.

  The nozzle 137 has a conical shape with a smaller diameter as it is closer to the protruding tip side. The diameter at the protruding tip of the nozzle 137 is smaller than the diameter of the through hole 94 of the elastic member 92. The diameter of the protruding base end of the nozzle 137 is larger than the diameter of the through hole 94. The diameter at the position P <b> 1 between the protruding tip and the protruding proximal end of the nozzle 137 is the same as the diameter of the through hole 94. That is, the diameter of the nozzle 137 on the protruding tip side from the position P1 is smaller than the diameter of the through hole 94, and the diameter of the nozzle 137 on the protruding proximal side from the position P1 is larger than the diameter of the through hole 94.

  The ink bottle 136 is inserted into the inlet 112 of the ink chamber 111 when the ink chamber 111 is replenished with ink. Specifically, the nozzle 137 of the ink bottle 136 is inserted into the through hole 94 of the elastic member 92 that is in close contact with the injection port 112. When the nozzle 137 is inserted into the through hole 94, the through hole 94 is elastically deformed so that the inner diameter is expanded by being pushed by the side surface of the nozzle 137. As a result, the nozzle 137 is pushed into the through hole 94. As a result, there is no gap between the nozzle 137 and the elastic member 92 through which ink can flow. As described above, the nozzle 137 can be inserted into the injection port 112 in close contact with the elastic member 92. In addition, the nozzle 137 does not interfere with the partition wall 135 when inserted in the through hole 94.

  The ink bottle 136 is configured to have a size and a shape that do not come into contact with the holding member 93 in a state where the ink bottle 136 is pushed into the through hole 94 to such an extent that a gap through which ink can flow is not generated between the nozzle 137 and the elastic member 92. ing. Therefore, when the ink bottle 136 is inserted into the through hole 94, the cap 113 connected to the holding member 93 does not fall down to the ink bottle 136 side. Therefore, the ink bottle 136 is not stained with the ink attached to the cap 113.

  The elastic member 92 is elastically deformed so that the posture of the ink bottle 136 can be changed in a state where the nozzle 137 is in close contact and is inserted into the injection port 112.

  This will be described in detail below. In a state where the nozzle 137 is in close contact with the elastic member 92, a force is exerted from the side surface of the nozzle 137 toward the elastic member 92 in a direction in which the elastic member 92 expands in diameter. On the other hand, a reaction force is applied from the elastic member 92 toward the side surface of the nozzle 137, which is a force opposite to the force in the direction of expanding the diameter.

  As shown in FIG. 15A, when the nozzle 137 is in close contact with the elastic member 92, a force (for example, a force in the direction of the arrow 151) that changes the posture of the ink bottle 136 acts on the ink bottle 136. The nozzle 137 pushes the elastic member 92. Specifically, the nozzle 137 pushes a portion 137A of the elastic member 92 located in front of the nozzle 137. Alternatively, as in the present embodiment, when the user releases the hand with the nozzle 137 of the ink bottle 136 inserted into the through hole 94 formed in the inclined wall 101B, the ink bottle 136 is moved to the arrow by the weight of the ink bottle 136. Since the nozzle 137 is inclined in the direction of 151, the nozzle 137 pushes the portion 137A of the elastic member 92 located in front of the nozzle 137. As a result, the portion 137A of the elastic member 92 located in front of the nozzle 137 is elastically deformed so as to shrink. As a result, the posture of the ink bottle 136 changes from the posture shown in FIG. 15A to the posture shown in FIG. On the other hand, the portion 137B of the elastic member 92 located behind the nozzle 137 is elastically deformed so as to extend following the nozzle 137 of the ink bottle 136 whose posture has changed due to the reaction force. Thereby, even if the attitude | position of the ink bottle 136 changes, the state which the nozzle 137 contact | adhered to the elastic member 92 is maintained. In this state, a portion 137A of the elastic member 92 positioned in front of the nozzle 137 serves as a fulcrum, a portion 137B of the elastic member 92 positioned behind the nozzle 137 serves as a point of action, and the elastic member 92 further has the ink bottle 136. Therefore, the ink bottle 136 can be maintained in the state of being inserted into the through hole 94. That is, the portions 137 </ b> A and 137 </ b> B (an example of a support portion) in the elastic member 92 support the ink bottle 136 in a state where the nozzle 137 is inserted into the injection port 112.

  The force for changing the posture of the ink bottle 136 is not limited to the force in the direction of the arrow 151. For example, a force opposite to the arrow 151 may act on the ink bottle 136. In this case, contrary to the above, the nozzle 137 pushes the portion 137B of the elastic member 92 located behind the nozzle 137. Further, a portion 137A of the elastic member 92 located in front of the nozzle 137 is elastically deformed so as to follow the nozzle 137 of the ink bottle 136 whose posture has changed.

  A hole 140 is formed at the protruding tip of the nozzle 137. The hole 140 is connected to a space for storing ink formed in the main body 138. Thus, in a state where the ink bottle 136 is inserted into the injection port 112 (that is, in a state where the ink bottle 136 is inserted into the through hole 94 of the elastic member 92 and is in close contact with the elastic member 92), the ink stored in the main body 138 passes through the nozzle 137. It can flow out into the chamber 111.

[Removal of the cap 113 to the inlet 112]
When the multifunction machine 10 is in a usable state (used state), the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100 is sealed with a cap 113 and an elastic member 92 as shown in FIGS. . Specifically, the elastic member 92 is connected around the injection port 112, and the cap 113 is inserted into the through hole 94 of the elastic member 92, so that the injection port 112 is sealed in a liquid-tight manner. At this time, the cap 113 is in a closed state.

  When the cap 113 is in the closed state, the holding member 93 is elastically deformed and curved in an arc shape. At this time, a restoring force is applied to the holding member 93 so as to return to a substantially straight state as shown in FIGS. However, since the pressing force acting between the convex portion 143 of the cap 113 and the inner surface 94A of the through hole 94 is larger than the restoring force, the state where the convex portion 143 is inserted into the through hole 94 is maintained. . In other words, the cap 113 is kept closed. In this state, the cap 113 and the curved holding member 93 do not interfere with the cover 70 in the closed position.

  When the multifunction machine 10 is in use, the opening 22 (see FIG. 1B) of the front wall 14A of the housing 14 is closed by the cover 70 in the closed position. When the multifunction machine 10 is in use, the front wall 14A extends in a direction that intersects the placement surface 6 on which the multifunction machine 10 is placed.

  When ink is consumed in each ink chamber 111 of the ink tank 100, as shown in FIG. 13, the cover 70 is rotated from the closed position to the open position by the user. As a result, the cap 113 of the ink tank 100 can be accessed through the opening 22 in the front wall 14A of the housing 14.

  After the cover 70 is rotated to the open position, the user removes the cap 113 corresponding to the ink chamber 111 to be replenished with ink from the through hole 94 of the elastic member 92 as shown in FIG.

  When the cap 113 is removed from the through hole 94, the pressure contact force does not act on the cap 113. Thereby, the holding member 93 is elastically restored by the restoring force and is in a state of extending almost straight. At this time, the cap 113 is in an open state. As a result, the cap 113 changes from the closed state to the open state, and the holding member 93 holds the cap 113 in the open state.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the holding member 93 that extends substantially straight is substantially upward from the elastic member 92 along the frame 99 of the multi-function device 10 that is disposed behind and above the inclined wall 101 </ b> B. It extends to. Thereby, the holding member 93 holds the cap 113 in the opened state above the injection port 112 as shown in FIGS.

  By removing the cap 113 from the through hole 94, the user can access the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100. After the cap 113 is removed from the through hole 94, the user inserts the nozzle 137 of the ink bottle 136 into the through hole 94 and replenishes ink into the ink chamber 111 as shown in FIG. 7.

  Here, the nozzle 137 inserted into the through hole 94 is in close contact with the elastic member 92. Therefore, the ink does not leak from the ink chamber 111 to the outside through the through hole 94. Further, the elastic member 92 is elastically deformed so that the posture of the ink bottle 136 can be changed in a state in which the nozzle 137 is in close contact and is inserted into the injection port 112. Therefore, the insertion angle of the ink bottle 136 with respect to the through hole 94 has a certain degree of freedom according to the shape of the elastic member 92 and the like.

  After replenishing the ink, the user inserts the cap 113 into the through hole 94 to seal the injection port 112. At this time, the holding member 93 is elastically deformed and curved in an arc shape. Moreover, the cap 113 has changed from the open state to the closed state. That is, the holding member 93 is curved in an arc shape when the cap 113 is in a closed state. Thereafter, the user rotates the cover 70 from the open position to the closed position.

  If the user replenishes ink into the ink chamber 111, the cover 70 is opened with the cap 113 in an open state held above the inlet 112 without sealing the inlet 112 with the cap 113. Suppose that an attempt is made to rotate from a position to a closed position.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 14, the convex portion 143 that is a part of the cap 113 held above the inlet 112 and its peripheral portion protrude outward from the region 86 occupied by the cover 70 in the closed position. ing. Here, the outline of the cover 70 in the closed position is shown by a broken line in FIG. That is, the area 86 is an area closer to the ink tank 100 than the broken line shown in FIG. More specifically, the space between the upper portion (first portion) of the cover 70 and the housing 14 is narrower than the space between the portion forming the window 74 (third portion) and the ink tank 110. Therefore, even if the cap 113 in the open state tries to enter the region between the first portion of the cover 70 and the housing 14 in the closed position, the cap 113 cannot be accommodated in the region therebetween.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, before the cover 70 reaches the closed position from the open position, the inner surface 70 </ b> C of the cover 70 comes into contact with the cap 113 held above the inlet 112. In other words, the upper end 71, which is the rotation tip portion when the cover 70 rotates from the open position to the closed position, abuts the cap 113 in the opened state. Note that portions other than the upper end 71 of the cover 70 may contact the cap 113 in the opened state.

  That is, the cap 113 held above the inlet 112 is interposed between the standing wall 101 </ b> A of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 and the inner surface 70 </ b> C of the cover 70. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 14, the cover 70 is prevented from rotating to the closed position.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
According to the present embodiment, the nozzle 137 of the ink bottle 136 is inserted into the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100, so that the ink can flow out from the ink bottle 136 to the ink chamber 111. When the nozzle 137 of the ink bottle 136 is inserted into the inlet 112, the nozzle 137 comes into close contact with the elastic member 92. The elastic member 92 is in close contact with the edge 77 of the inlet 112. As a result, there is no gap between the nozzle 137 and the elastic member 92 and between the elastic member 92 and the edge 77 of the injection port 112 where ink can flow. As a result, even if the ink bottle 136 is compressed and deformed and the ink flows out to the ink tank 100, the ink is suppressed from being ejected from the gap between the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100 and the nozzle 137 of the ink bottle 136.

  According to the present embodiment, the elastic member 92 is elastically deformed so that the posture of the ink bottle 136 can be changed. Therefore, the angle of the ink bottle 136 with respect to the inclined wall 101B in which the injection port 112 is formed can be changed variously. That is, when ink is injected from the ink bottle 136 into the ink chamber 111, the angle of the ink bottle 136 with respect to the inclined wall 101B can be freely determined to some extent.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the elastic member 92 is fitted to the boss 84 provided around the injection port 112, the elastic member 92 can be prevented from being detached from the ink tank 100.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the ink tank 100 has the protrusion 85 protruding from the periphery of the elastic member 92, the cap 113 is tried to be removed from the inlet 112 by hooking the cap 113 from the protrusion 85 side. The user who accidentally hooks the claw on the elastic member 92 and removes the elastic member 92 from the ink tank 100 can be prevented.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, ink leakage from the ink chamber 111 can be prevented by closing the cap 113. Ink can be replenished into the ink tank 100 by opening the cap 113. Since the cap 113 is connected to the elastic member 92 via the holding member 93, the cap 113 in the opened state can be prevented from being lost.

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, since the holding member 93 holds the cap 113 in the opened state, it is possible to prevent the opened cap 113 from returning to the closed state by mistake.

  Further, if the cap 113 with the holding member 93 in the open state is held below the inlet 112, there is a possibility that the cap 113 and the holding member 93 may hinder the visibility of the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 from the outside. is there. According to the present embodiment, since the holding member 93 holds the opened cap 113 above the injection port 112, there is no possibility that the visual recognition of the ink from the outside is hindered by the cap 113 and the holding member 93.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the holding member 93 is configured to be elastically deformable, the holding of the cap 113 by the holding member 93 to the opened state can be realized with a simple configuration.

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, since the holding member 93 has the concave surface 89, the holding member 93 is easy to elastically return to the state in which the cap 113 is opened.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the elastic member 92 is colored in the color of the ink stored in the corresponding ink chamber 111, the color of the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 is easily recognized from the outside. be able to.

[Modification]
In the embodiment described above, the elastic member 92 and the cap 113 are connected by the holding member 93, but the elastic member 92 and the cap 113 may not be connected by the holding member 93. That is, the liquid consumption system does not include the holding member 93, and the elastic member 92 and the cap 113 may be independent members.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the holding member 93 has a belt shape extending substantially straight in a predetermined state, and when no force is applied to the holding member 93, the holding member 93 is elastically deformed so as to return to a state of extending substantially straight. Was configured. However, the configuration of the holding member 93 is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the holding member 93 may be connected to the cap 113 and the elastic member 92 and may include an urging member such as a spring that urges the cap 113 toward the open state. The holding member 93 may be connected to the cap 113 and the elastic member 92, and may include a hinge that supports the cap 113 so as to be rotatable between a closed state and an open state.

  In the above-described embodiment, the injection port 112 is formed in the inclined wall 101B, the elastic member 92 is provided corresponding to each injection port 112, and the ink bottle 136 is formed on the elastic member 92 from obliquely above. Although the liquid consumption system is configured to be inserted into the through hole 94, the liquid consumption system is not limited to such a configuration. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the upper wall 104 of the ink tank 100 is formed so that the injection port 112 faces upward, and the ink bottle 136 is attached to the injection port 112 (specifically, attached to the injection port 112 from above). The present invention is also applied to the ink tank 100 of the type inserted into the through hole 94) of the elastic member 92.

  In the embodiment described above, the opening 22 is formed on the right side of the front wall 14A of the housing 14 and the ink tank 100 is disposed behind the opening 22. However, the opening 22 is formed on the left side of the front wall 14A. The ink tank 100 may be disposed behind the opening 22. Further, instead of the front wall 14 </ b> A of the housing 14, an opening 22 may be formed on the right side wall or the left side wall, and the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100 may be accessible from the right side or the left side.

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

84 Boss 85 Projection 92 Elastic member 93 Holding member 100 Ink tank (tank)
111 Ink chamber (liquid storage chamber)
112 Inlet 113 Cap 136 Ink bottle (bottle)
137 Nozzle 138 body

Claims (13)

A liquid storage chamber in which liquid is stored, an inlet for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber, and a tank in which a liquid outflow path for allowing liquid to flow out of the liquid storage chamber is formed;
An annular elastic member capable of being liquid-tightly adhered to the peripheral portion of the injection port by elastic deformation;
A liquid consumption system comprising: a nozzle that is in close contact with the elastic member and that can be inserted into the injection port; and a bottle that has a main body through which stored liquid can flow out through the nozzle.   2. The liquid consumption system according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is elastically deformed so that the posture of the bottle can be changed in a state where the nozzle is in close contact with and inserted into the injection port.   The liquid consumption system according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is fitted to a boss provided around the inlet.   The liquid consumption system according to claim 1, wherein the tank has a protrusion that protrudes from the periphery of the elastic member. A cap movable in a closed state in which the inlet is closed, and an open state in which the inlet is opened;
The liquid consumption system according to claim 1, further comprising a holding member that connects the elastic member and the cap.   The liquid consumption system according to claim 5, wherein the holding member holds the cap in the opened state.   The liquid consumption system according to claim 6, wherein the holding member holds the cap in the opened state above the inlet.   The liquid consumption system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the holding member is elastically restored and holds the cap in the open state when the cap is removed from the injection port.   The liquid consumption system according to claim 8, wherein the holding member has a belt shape that is curved in an arc shape when the cap is in the closed state, and a curved outer surface is a concave surface that is recessed toward the curved inner side. The tank is continuous with the front wall having a front surface extending along the vertical direction and the left-right direction, the upper wall having an upper surface extending along the left-right direction and the front-rear direction, and the front wall and the upper wall. And an inclined wall having an inclined surface inclined with respect to the front-rear direction,
The liquid consumption system according to claim 1, wherein the injection port is a hole penetrating the inclined wall. The tank includes a plurality of liquid storage chambers, a plurality of liquid outflow passages for allowing liquid to flow out from the plurality of liquid storage chambers, and a plurality of the injections for injecting liquid into each of the plurality of liquid storage chambers. And an entrance,
The plurality of liquid storage chambers store liquids of different colors,
The liquid consumption system according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member provided at each inlet of each liquid storage chamber is colored in the color of the liquid stored in the corresponding liquid storage chamber.   The liquid consumption system according to claim 1, wherein a friction coefficient of a portion of the elastic member forming the injection port is larger than a friction coefficient of the nozzle. The liquid consumption system according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member includes a support portion that supports the ink bottle in a state where the nozzle is inserted into the injection port.

Images