JP2016132165A - Liquid consuming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To notify a user of the fact that a cap is not appropriately attached to an inject port of a tank.SOLUTION: The liquid consuming device comprises: a liquid consuming part; a tank having a liquid storing chamber and an injection port; a cap removably attached to the injection port; an arm, formed of an elastic material, whose tip part is joined to the cap; and an enclosure having a cover which can move relative to the tank between a closed position and an opened position. The cover has a protruding part protruding from an inner face toward the tank. The protruding part has wall parts which when the cover is in the closed position and the cap is attached to the injection port, are positioned around an operation protrusion of the cap without contacting the cap and the arm, and contact the cap or the arm so that the cover is inhibited from moving from the opened position to the closed position by the cap or the arm which is interposed between the tank and the inner face of the cover, when the cap is not appropriately attached to the injection port.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid consuming apparatus such as an ink jet printer.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a liquid consuming device such as an ink jet printer that includes a tank for storing a liquid such as ink and that consumes the liquid stored in the tank is known. For example, an ink jet printer described in Patent Document 1 uses ink supplied to a liquid ejection head via a liquid tube separately from a housing that houses a liquid ejection head (liquid ejection head) that consumes ink. A storage case for storing a storage tank (storage container) is provided, and the storage case is detachably engaged with the housing. The inlet provided in the tank is provided with a cap that is removed when ink is injected. The upper part of the cap is covered with an upper surface cover that is rotatably provided on the upper part of the housing case. When injecting ink into the tank, the user first opens the top cover to expose the cap to the outside, then removes the cap from the inlet to open the inlet, and then opens it. Ink is injected into the ink chamber through the injection port.

JP 2013-226726 A

  By the way, in the liquid consuming apparatus as described above, after the ink is injected into the tank, the cap may be forgotten to be attached to the injection port. Also, when the cap is once attached to the inlet, but the cap floats or tilts, and the cap is not adequately attached to the inlet, the tank and cap may not be properly sealed . As described above, when the cap is not properly attached to the inlet of the tank, the water-tightness between the tank and the cap is not ensured, so that ink leakage may occur from the tank.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the above situation, The objective is to enable it to notify a user when the cap is not appropriately mounted | worn at the inlet of the tank. .

A liquid consuming apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes:
A liquid consumption unit;
A liquid storage chamber in which liquid consumed in the liquid consumption unit is stored, and a tank having an injection port for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber;
A cap that is detachably attached to the inlet and closes the inlet;
An arm made of an elastic material, which is combined with the cap and the tip,
A cover that is movable relative to the tank between a closed position that covers the surface of the tank on which the inlet is formed and an open position that exposes the surface of the tank on which the inlet is formed; The liquid consumption unit, the tank, the cap, and a housing in which the arm is accommodated.
The cap has an outer surface that intersects an opening center line of the inlet and faces the outside of the tank when the cap is attached to the inlet, and an operation protrusion that protrudes from the outer surface. ing.
The arm bends due to elastic deformation when the cap is attached to the inlet, and elastically recovers when the cap is removed from the inlet to hold the cap away from the inlet. As such, the base is coupled to the tank or the housing.
The cover has an inner surface facing the surface of the tank where the inlet is formed, and a protrusion protruding from the inner surface toward the tank.
Then, the protrusion of the cover does not contact the cap and the arm without contacting the cap and the arm when the cover is in the closed position and the cap is attached to the inlet. The cap or the arm interposed between the tank and the inner surface of the cover when the cap is not properly attached to the inlet, from the open position of the cover to the closed position It is characterized by having a wall part which contacts the said cap or the said arm so that movement of this may be inhibited.

  In the liquid consuming device, when the cap is not properly attached to the inlet, the movement of the cover from the open position to the closed position is inhibited by the cap 6 interposed between the tank and the inner surface of the cover. That is, the cover cannot be moved from the open position to the closed position. The user can know that the cap is not properly attached to the inlet by being unable to move the cover from the open position to the closed position.

  According to the present invention, when the cap is not properly attached to the inlet of the tank, this can be notified to the user.

1A and 1B are perspective views illustrating an example of an inkjet printer multifunction peripheral according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view with a cover in a closed position, and FIG. 1B is a cover in an open position; It is a perspective view of a certain state. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows typically the internal structure of a printer part. FIG. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the multi-function machine in a state where a cover is in a closed position and a cap is properly attached to an injection port. FIG. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the multi-function machine in a state where a cover is in an open position and a cap is properly attached to an injection port. It is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the inlet of the tank of a tank unit. It is a front view of a tank unit. FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the multi-function machine showing the tank unit and the cover in a state where the cover is in the open position and the cap is properly attached to the inlet. It is a perspective view of a cover. FIG. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the multifunction machine in a state where a cover is in a closed position and a cap attached to an injection port is moved in an insertion / extraction direction. FIG. 5 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the multi-function machine in a state where the cap is not properly attached to the inlet of the tank in the process of moving the cover from the open position to the closed position. It is a figure explaining the relationship between the rib provided in the cover, and the cap suitably attached to the inlet of the tank. It is a figure explaining the relationship between the rib provided in the cover, and the cap which is not appropriately attached to the inlet of the tank.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, as an example of the liquid consuming apparatus, a printer multifunction peripheral (hereinafter also simply referred to as “multifunction peripheral 10”) will be described as an example. The concepts of up / down / front / rear / left / right directions in the specification and claims are the same as the up / down direction 7, the front / rear direction 8 and the left / right direction 9 of the multifunction machine 10 shown in each drawing of FIG. Shall.

[Overall configuration of MFP 10]
1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an inkjet printer multifunction peripheral according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a cover 70 in a closed position, and FIG. ) Is a perspective view of the cover 70 in an open position. As shown in these drawings, the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment is generally formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and includes a scanner unit 13 provided in an upper part thereof, a printer unit 11 provided in a lower part thereof, And a control unit 12 that controls the operation of the multifunction machine 10. The printer unit 11 can form an image on the paper P (see FIG. 2) by an inkjet recording method. The multifunction machine 10 having the above configuration can exhibit a plurality of functions such as a copying machine, an ink jet printer, an image scanner, and a facsimile machine by controlling the operations of the scanner unit 13 and the printer unit 11 by the control unit 12. .

  The outer shape of the multifunction machine 10 is generally formed by a rectangular parallelepiped housing 14 and a top cover 28 that covers the top of the housing 14. An opening 14b is provided in a substantially central portion of the front wall 14a of the housing 14 in the left-right direction 9, and a discharge tray 21 and a feeding tray 20 are disposed in the opening 14b. Further, an operation panel 17 supported by the housing 14 so as to be tiltable is provided above the opening 14b. The operation panel 17 is provided with a liquid crystal display 17 a that is an output unit from the control unit 12, an input button 17 b that is an input unit to the control unit 12, and the like.

  Further, an opening 14c is provided in the right part of the front wall 14a of the housing 14 in the left-right direction 9, and the opening 14c is covered with an openable / closable cover 70 that can form a part of the front wall 14a. . The cover 70 can be rotated between a closed position (FIG. 1A) covering the opening 14c and an open position (FIG. 1B) exposing the opening 14c. The cover 70 will be described in detail later.

[Printer 11]
Next, the printer unit 11 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a schematic configuration of the printer unit 11. As shown in this figure, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding unit 15, a feeding tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a conveyance roller unit 18, a recording unit 24, a discharge roller unit 19, a platen 22, And a tank unit 100. Each component of the printer unit 11 is housed in a housing 14.

  The feeding unit 15 includes a feeding roller 15a that is biased toward the paper P stored in the feeding tray 20 by its own weight or an elastic force such as a spring. By the rotation of the feed roller 15a, the paper P stored in the feed tray 20 is sent out to the transport path 65 one by one.

  The conveyance path 65 is a path that extends upward from the rear end of the feeding tray 20 and makes a U-turn toward the front, and reaches the discharge tray 21 through the space between the recording unit 24 and the platen 22. A transport roller unit 18, a recording unit 24, and a discharge roller unit 19 are provided in this order from upstream to downstream along the transport path 65.

  The conveyance roller unit 18 includes a conveyance roller 18 a and a pinch roller 18 b that are opposed to each other in the vertical direction 7 with the conveyance path 65 interposed therebetween. The pinch roller 18b is rotated along with the rotation of the conveying roller 18a. The paper P is sandwiched between the transport roller 18a and the pinch roller 18b and sent out toward the recording unit 24.

  The recording unit 24 includes a liquid discharge head 25 and a carriage 23 on which the liquid discharge head 25 is mounted. The recording unit 24 is disposed to face the platen 22 in the up and down direction 7 with the conveyance path 65 interposed therebetween. That is, the recording unit 24 is disposed above the transport path 65 in the up-down direction 7 and so as to face the transport path 65. The platen 22 is disposed so as to face the recording unit 24 in the vertical direction 7, and the sheet P conveyed by the conveyance roller unit 18 is supported by the platen 22 from below.

  The carriage 23 includes a guide rail that extends in the left-right direction 9 and a carriage motor that reciprocates the liquid discharge head 25 in the left-right direction 9 along the guide rail (none of which is shown). Further, a flexible flat cable that electrically connects the control board on which the control unit 12 is mounted and the liquid discharge head 25 is extended from the carriage 23 (not shown). The flexible flat cable transmits a control signal output from the control unit 12 to the liquid ejection head 25. Further, an ink tube that connects the tank 4 of the tank unit 100 and the liquid discharge head 25 extends from the carriage 23 (not shown). The ink tube supplies the ink stored in the tank 4 to the liquid discharge head 25. More specifically, four ink tubes through which inks of respective colors (black, magenta, cyan, yellow) circulate are extended from the tank 4 and connected to the carriage 23 in a bundled state.

  The liquid discharge head 25 is an example of a liquid consumption unit. A plurality of nozzles 25 a are formed on the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 25. The liquid discharge head 25 discharges ink as fine ink droplets from the nozzles 25a toward the paper P supported by the platen 22 from below, whereby an image is formed on the paper P.

  The discharge roller unit 19 includes a discharge roller 19 a and a spur 19 b that are opposed to each other in the vertical direction 7 with the conveyance path 65 interposed therebetween. The spur 19b is rotated with the rotation of the discharge roller 19a. The paper P on which an image is formed by the recording unit 24 is sandwiched between the discharge roller 19a and the spur 19b and sent out toward the discharge tray 21. The feed roller 15a, the transport roller 18a, and the discharge roller 19a are driven by a transport motor (not shown) controlled by the control unit 12.

  The tank unit 100 includes a tank 4 that stores ink of each color, a cap 6 that closes an injection port 50 formed in the tank 4, and the like. Although the tank unit 100 is housed inside the housing 14, the front surface of the tank unit 100 is exposed to the outside of the housing 14 by opening the cover 70. That is, when the cover 70 is opened, the cap 6 of the tank unit 100 can be accessed through the opening 14 c of the housing 14.

[Tank unit 100]
Here, the tank unit 100 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in a state where the cover 70 is in the closed position and the cap 6 is properly attached to the injection port 50 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as “steady state”). FIG. 5 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the multi-function device 10 in a state where the cover 70 is in the open position and the cap 6 is properly attached to the inlet 50 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “cover open state”). FIG. 6 is a front view of the tank unit 100. FIG. In FIG. 4, the cap 6 and the arm 60 in a state where the cover 70 is in the open position and the cap 6 is removed and the injection port 50 is opened (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “cap open state”). It is indicated by a two-dot chain line. In FIG. 6, one of the four caps 6 is omitted in order to clarify the configuration of the arm connecting portion 48 provided in the tank 4.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the tank 4 has a wall in which an injection port 50 for injecting ink into an ink chamber 40 formed therein is formed. The tank 4 forms a front wall 41 that forms the front surface of the tank 4, two side walls 45 that form both side surfaces of the tank 4 in the left-right direction 9, an upper wall 46 that forms the upper surface of the tank 4, and a bottom surface of the tank 4. The outer shape of the bottom wall 47 is connected to the front wall 41 and the upper wall 46, and the outer surface is inclined upward. Of the walls forming the ink chamber 40, at least the front wall 41 is a transparent or translucent viewing wall so that the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 40 can be viewed. A plurality of partition walls 44 are provided between the left and right side walls 45, and the partition walls 44 divide the internal space of the tank 4 into a plurality of independent ink chambers 40. The rear surface of the tank 4 is sealed with a film 49 welded to the rear end surfaces of the partition wall 44, the side wall 45, the upper wall 46, and the bottom wall 47.

  The internal space of the tank 4 is partitioned into four ink chambers 40 in the left-right direction 9. The four ink chambers 40 store black ink, cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink, respectively. Each color ink is an example of a liquid. The number of ink chambers 40 and the color of ink are not limited to the above example. In addition, although the ink chamber 40 according to the present embodiment is formed by a resin wall, the ink chamber 40 may be formed by a resin bag or the like.

  The inclined wall 42 of the tank 4 is provided with an injection port 50 that is an opening for injecting ink into the ink chamber 40. The ink tank 40 communicates with the outside of the tank 4 through the injection port 50. The tank 4 according to this embodiment has four ink chambers 40, and four inlets 50 are provided in the inclined wall 42 in a line in the left-right direction 9 corresponding to each ink chamber 40.

  The tank 4 is provided with a cylindrical wall 43 that protrudes obliquely upward from the outer surface of the inclined wall 42. The injection port 50 is formed through the inclined wall 42 and the cylindrical wall 43. In other words, the inlet 50 is defined by the wall portion of the tank 4, that is, the part of the inclined wall 42 and the cylindrical wall 43. The cylindrical wall 43 according to the present embodiment protrudes from the inclined wall 42 toward the front upper direction that is non-orthogonal to the vertical direction 7 and is higher than the horizontal direction. Further, the cylindrical wall 43 protrudes from the inclined wall 42 in a direction orthogonal to the outer surface of the inclined wall 42. At the projecting end of the cylindrical wall 43, one end 50a of the injection port 50 opens to the outside of the tank 4 obliquely upward. On the other hand, the other end 50 b of the injection port 50 opens into the ink chamber 40 obliquely downward on the inner surface of the inclined wall 42.

  As described above, the inlet 50 provided on the front surface of the tank 4 is located outside the multi-function device 10 through the opening 14c of the housing 14 when the cover 70 is in the open position (see FIG. 1B). Exposed. A cap 6 independent of other caps 6 is attached to each injection port 50. The cap 6 is detachably attached to the injection port 50 and can close the injection port 50. When the cap 6 is removed from the inlet 50, the inlet 50 is opened. Ink can be injected into the ink chamber 40 through the opened injection port 50.

  An arm 60 that connects the cap 6 and the outer wall of the tank 4 or the housing 14 is coupled to the cap 6. In the present embodiment, the cap 6 and the arm 60 are integrally formed of a material that can be elastically deformed, such as rubber or elastomer. However, the cap 6 and the arm 60 may be combined after being molded.

  The cap 6 has a body 61 and a flange 62, which are integrally formed. The body 61 is a portion that is inserted into the injection port 50 and passes through one end 50 a of the injection port 50 when the cap 6 is attached to the injection port 50. When the cap 6 is attached to the injection port 50, the tip portion of the body 61 reaches the ink chamber 40.

  The body 61 generally has a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter that is substantially the same as or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the injection port 50. A claw portion 61 b is provided in a portion of the body 61 that is located in the ink chamber 40 when the cap 6 is attached to the injection port 50. The claw portion 61 b is an annular protrusion that protrudes radially from the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, and the annular protrusion has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the injection port 50. Moreover, the front-end | tip part 61a inserted initially in the injection port 50 among the bodies 61 has comprised the taper shape which an outer diameter reduces toward a front-end | tip. The outer diameter of the distal end of the distal end portion 61 a (that is, the distal end of the body 61) is smaller than the inner diameter of the injection port 50.

  The flange 62 is a portion that is not inserted into the injection port 50 and is located outside the injection port 50 when the cap 6 is attached to the injection port 50. The flange 62 has a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the injection port 50. The flange 62 has an outer surface 62 b that faces the outside of the tank 4 and intersects the opening center line L of the inlet 50 when the cap 6 is attached to the inlet 50. A tab 66 protrudes from the outer surface 62b. The tab 66 is an operation protrusion for the user to operate the cap 6 by picking it with a finger or the like when removing the cap 6 from the inlet 50 of the tank 4. The tab 66 protrudes not from the center of the outer surface 62b of the flange 62 but from a position off the center of the outer surface 62b. The tab 66 according to the present embodiment protrudes from a portion including the outer edge of the outer surface 62 b in the outer surface 62 b of the flange 62.

  The flange 62 has a nip surface N1 that forms a front and back surface with the outer surface 62b. A nip surface N2 that forms a pair with the nip surface N1 is provided on the claw portion 61b of the body 61. When the cap 6 is in a natural state (that is, when it is not elastically deformed), the two nip surfaces N1 and N2 are opposed to each other with a predetermined interval. That is, in the cap 6 in the natural state, the two nip surfaces N1 and N2 are separated by a distance slightly smaller than the length H (see FIG. 5) in the direction parallel to the opening center line L of the injection port 50. .

  The arm 60 is generally formed in a belt shape extending from the peripheral edge of the flange 62. The tip 60 a of the arm 60 is connected to the peripheral edge of the flange 62 of the cap 6. When the cap 6 and the arm 60 are in a natural state, the extension line of the tip 60a of the arm 60 extends in parallel with the outer surface 62b of the flange 62 of the cap 6.

  The base portion 60 b of the arm 60 is integrally provided with a root portion 69 that supports the arm 60. The root portion 69 projects rearward from the base portion 60 b of the arm 60. In the arm 60 in the natural state, the extending direction of the arm 60 and the extending direction of the root portion 69 are orthogonal to each other. The root portion 69 is provided with a locking piece 69 a that protrudes in a direction substantially orthogonal to the extending direction of the root portion 69.

  A root portion 69 of the arm 60 is connected to an arm connecting portion 48 provided in the tank 4. The arm connecting portion 48 is a wall that protrudes upward from the upper wall 46 of the tank 4 above and behind the inlet 50. A groove 48 a (see FIG. 5) extending in the vertical direction 7 is formed in the arm connecting portion 48 of the tank 4. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the root portion 69 is inserted from above into the groove 48 a of the arm connecting portion 48 so that the locking piece 69 a is located behind the arm connecting portion 48. The root portion 69 is locked to the arm connecting portion 48 by a locking piece 69a so as not to drop forward from the groove 48a of the arm connecting portion 48. Further, above the root portion 69, there is a vertical wall 14 f forming a part of the casing 14 (or the frame of the multifunction machine 10), and the root portion 69 is connected to the arm connecting portion 48 of the tank 4 by the vertical wall 14 f. Escaping upward from the groove 48a is prevented.

[Removal of the cap 6 to the inlet 50 of the tank 4]
When the cap 6 is attached to the inlet 50 of the tank 4, the user aligns the tip 61 a of the body 61 of the cap 6 with the one end 50 a of the inlet 50, and the flange 62 is the protruding end of the cylindrical wall 43. The body 61 of the cap 6 is pushed toward the injection port 50 until it comes into contact. Here, the user can push the body 61 through the one end 50a of the inlet 50 into the inlet 50 by pressing the outer surface 62b of the flange 62 with the belly of the finger. When the claw portion 61b whose diameter is reduced in the injection port 50 passes through the other end 50b of the injection port 50 and reaches the ink chamber 40, the claw portion 61b is elastically recovered and returns to its original shape.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, when the cap 6 is properly attached to the injection port 50, the flange 62 is located outside the tank 4, and the body 61 of the cap 6 includes the injection port 50 and the ink chamber. 40. The claw part 61 b and the tip part 61 a of the body 61 reach the ink chamber 40.

  In the state where the cap 6 is attached to the inlet 50 as described above, one nip surface N1 of the cap 6 is pressed against the protruding end of the cylindrical wall 43 defining one end 50a of the inlet 50, The other nip surface N <b> 2 of the cap 6 is pressed against the inner surface of the inclined wall 42 that defines the other end 50 b of the injection port 50. The cap 6 is elastically deformed so that the distance between the two nip surfaces N1 and N2 is equal to the length H in the direction parallel to the opening center line L of the injection port 50. Due to the elastic deformation of the cap 6, the cylindrical wall 43 and the inclined wall 42 are sandwiched and pressed by the two nip surfaces N1 and N2. In this way, one end 50 a of the injection port 50 is sealed by the flange 62 of the cap 6, and the other end 50 b of the injection port 50 is sealed by the claw portion 61 b of the cap 6. That is, the cap 6 and the tank 4 are sealed at two locations in a state where the cap 6 is attached to the injection port 50. Further, since the outer diameter of the portion of the body 61 located in the injection port 50 is substantially the same as or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the injection port 50, the body 61 has the wall portion of the tank 4 defining the injection port 50 ( That is, it closely adheres to the surface defining the injection port 50 in the cylindrical wall 43 and the inclined wall 42. Thereby, the injection port 50 is sealed by the outer peripheral surface of the body 61.

  When the cap 6 is attached to the injection port 50, the arm 60 is elastically deformed and bent. At this time, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4, the arm 60 has a restoring force from the elastic deformation so as to return to a standing posture with the tip portion 60 a connected to the cap 6 facing up. It works. However, of the two nip surfaces of the cap 6, the nip surface N2 provided on the claw portion 61b is caught by the inner wall surface of the inclined wall 42 around the other end 50b of the injection port 50, so Resisting the restoring force, as a result, the state in which the cap 6 is attached to the injection port 50 is maintained.

  When the cap 6 attached to the injection port 50 is removed from the injection port 50, the body 61 of the cap 6 inserted into the injection port 50 and the ink chamber 40 passes through one end 50 a of the injection port 50 to the outside of the tank 4. Extracted. Here, the user touches the first surface 66a of the tab 66 with one finger, and touches the second surface 66b of the tab 66 with the other finger, so that the tab 66 of the cap 6 is touched with two fingers. The body 61 of the cap 6 can be pulled out from the inlet 50 of the tank 4 to the outside of the tank 4 by picking and pulling the tab 66 obliquely upward, that is, forward and upward, or forward (that is, the front side of the user). it can.

  As described above, when the cap 6 is removed from the injection port 50, the arm 60 is elastically restored by the restoring force and is in a substantially upright state (cap open state). As the arm 60 stands up, the cap 6 coupled to the distal end portion 60 a of the arm 60 rotates upward about the base portion 60 b of the arm 60. In this way, when the cap 6 is removed from the inlet 50, the cap 6 moves to a position above and away from the inlet 50 and is held there.

[Cover 70]
Here, the cover 70 will be described in detail. FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 showing the tank unit 100 and the cover 70 in a state where the cover 70 is in the open position and the cap 6 is properly attached to the inlet 50, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the cover 70. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 3, 4, 7, and 8, the cover 70 can open and close the opening 14c formed in the front wall 14a of the housing 14. Is provided. The cover 70 rotates about a rotation axis 82 </ b> L extending in the direction along the mounting surface on which the multifunction machine 10 is mounted, specifically, the left-right direction 9. In the present embodiment, the housing 14 is provided with a rotating shaft 82 that extends in parallel with the left-right direction 9 protruding from the housing 14 into the opening 14c. The pivot shaft 82 is disposed such that its axis substantially coincides with the pivot axis 82L. A C-shaped bearing portion 72 formed integrally with the lower portion of the cover 70 is fitted on the rotating shaft 82. Thus, the cover 70 is supported by the housing 14 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis 82L extending in the left-right direction 9 passing through the lower portion thereof.

  The cover 70 has an outer shape with a size corresponding to the opening 14c, and has a box shape with an opening on the opening 14c side. The cover 70 covers the front wall 41 and the inclined wall 42 of the tank 4 in the closed position. When the cover 70 is positioned at the closed position, access to the cap 6 from the outside of the multifunction machine 10 becomes impossible. The cover 70 exposes the front wall 41 and the inclined wall 42 of the tank 4 to the outside of the housing 14 in the open position. When the cover 70 is positioned at the open position, the cap 6 can be accessed from the outside of the multifunction machine 10. Here, the access means that the user touches the cap 6 for the attaching / detaching operation of the cap 6 or the ink bottle is inserted into the injection port 50 for the ink replenishing operation to the ink chamber 40.

  The cover 70 has an outer surface 701 that forms part of the front wall 14 a of the housing 14 in the closed position, and an inner surface 702 that faces the tank 4. On the upper end side of the cover 70, an engaging portion 73 that protrudes from the inner surface 702 toward the housing 14 is provided. The engaging portion 73 holds the cover 70 in the closed position by engaging with an engaged portion 83 formed near the upper end of the opening 14 c of the housing 14.

  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 is capable of transmitting light between the outer surface 701 side and the inner surface 702 side of the cover 70, and is configured, for example, 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 front wall 41 of the tank 4 and the lower side from the upper end of the inclined wall 42 can be visually recognized from the front wall 14a side of the housing 14 in the vertical direction 7. In the direction 9, the size of the front wall 41 other than the left end and the right end is visible. The user can visually recognize whether or not the cap 6 is attached to the inlet 50 provided in the inclined wall 42 of the housing 14 through the window 74.

  The cover 70 has a first portion 70A in which an engaging portion 73 is formed, and a second portion 70B that protrudes forward from the first portion 70A and has a grip portion 80 that is gripped when the user opens the cover 70. And a third portion 70C extending downward from the second portion 70B. The window 74 is included in the third portion 70C. Between the second portion 70B, the third portion 70C, and the tank 4, a space S1 in which the cap 6 and the arm 60 can be accommodated is formed in the closed position of the cover 70. On the other hand, the space is narrow above the space S1, and the arm 60 cannot be accommodated when the cover 70 is in the closed position.

  On the inner surface 702 of the cover 70, ribs 75 (projections) protruding from the inner surface 702 are provided. The rib 75 is formed integrally with the other part of the cover 70. The rib 75 is located immediately above the window 74 in the third portion 70 </ b> C of the cover 70. The rib 75 protrudes into the space S1 from the inner surface 702 of the cover 70 toward the tank 4 when the cover 70 is in the closed position. The rib 75 has a function of preventing the cap 6 from coming out of the inlet 50 when the cover 70 is in the closed position, in addition to the original function of the rib that reinforces the flat cover 70 and increases the rigidity. ing.

  The rib 75 has an upper rib 75a and a lower rib 75b that are continuous in the left-right direction 9, and a plurality of vertical ribs 75c that connect the upper rib 75a and the lower rib 75b. When the cover 70 is viewed from the inner surface 702 side, the rib 75 as a whole has a lattice shape (ladder shape).

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 11, when the multi-function device 10 is in a steady state (that is, a state where the cover 70 is in the closed position and the cap 6 is properly attached to the inlet 50), the cap At least a part of the sixth tab 66 is located between the upper rib 75a and the lower rib 75b and between the vertical ribs 75c adjacent in the left-right direction 9. That is, the upper rib 75a, the lower rib 75b, and the adjacent vertical rib 75c form a space S3 that surrounds the tab 66 and in which at least a part of the tab 66 is inserted when the multifunction machine 10 is in a steady state. Has been.

  As described above, when the multifunction machine 10 is in the steady state, the tab 66 is located in the space S3 formed by the rib 75, and the cap 6 including the tab 66 and the rib 75 are not in contact with each other. Further, when the multifunction machine 10 is in a steady state, the arm 60 coupled to the cap 6 and the rib 75 are not in contact with each other. If the cap 6 and / or the arm 60 and the rib 75 are designed to come into contact with each other when the multifunction machine 10 is in a steady state, the cover 70 that presses the cap 6 and / or the arm 60 is removed. It becomes easy to open in response to the reaction force. Therefore, it is desirable that the rib 75 is not in contact with either the cap 6 or the arm 60 when the multifunction machine 10 is in a steady state.

  When the multi-function machine 10 is in a steady state, the tip of the lower rib 75b and the outer surface 62b of the flange 62 of the cap 6 are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap ΔG in a direction parallel to the insertion / removal direction of the cap 6. . The tip of the lower rib 75 b is a pressing portion 75 e that abuts against the outer surface 62 b of the flange 62 of the cap 6 and holds the cap 6 so that the cap 6 does not come out of the injection port 50. When the cap 6 moves in the insertion / removal direction in the insertion / removal direction in the steady state multifunction machine 10, the presser portion 75 e first comes into contact with the outer surface 62 b of the flange 62 of the cap 6. Therefore, there is nothing in the cap 6 between the outer surface 62b of the flange 62 and the pressing portion 75e.

  Further, it is desirable that the pressing portion 75e of the rib 75 is located on an extension line of the opening center line L of the injection port 50 in a steady state. As a result, when the cap 6 moves in the insertion / removal direction in the direction of removal from the inlet 50 in the steady state multifunction machine 10, the intersection of the opening center line L of the outer surface 62b of the flange 62 of the cap 6 and the presser portion 75e is abutted. The cap 6 is pressed with a good balance by the pressing portion 75e.

  In the present embodiment, the insertion / extraction direction of the cap 6 is parallel to the extending direction of the opening center line L of the injection port 50. The opening center line L of the injection port 50 is a line connecting the center of the one end 50a of the injection port 50 and the center of the other end 50b of the injection port 50, and an extension line thereof. In the present embodiment, the opening center line L is parallel to the direction in which the cylindrical wall 43 projects from the inclined wall 42. It can also be said that the opening center line L is parallel to the direction in which the injection port 50 penetrates the cylindrical wall 43 and the inclined wall 42. The direction in which the opening center line L of the injection port 50 extends is parallel to the insertion / extraction direction of the body 61 of the cap 6 from the injection port 50.

  In the above description, the “predetermined interval ΔG” refers to a movement that maintains good water tightness between the cap 6 and the tank 4 when the cap 6 is moved in the insertion / extraction direction from the MFP 10 in a steady state. The value is below the range of the quantity. Such a predetermined interval ΔG is determined by the relationship between the cap 6 and the wall portions (inclined wall 42 and cylindrical wall 43) that define the injection port 50. However, in order to avoid an increase in the size of the casing 14, the predetermined interval ΔG is desirably a small value. In the cap 6 according to the present embodiment, when the body 61 of the cap 6 moves in the direction of removal in the insertion / removal direction, the claw portion 61b enters the injection port 50. When the claw portion 61b is in the injection port 50, the outer peripheral surface of the body 61 is pressed against the outer periphery of the claw portion 61b and the inner wall of the cylindrical wall 43, and the watertightness between the tank 4 and the cap 6 is ensured. Yes. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as a preferred example of the size of the predetermined interval ΔG, a direction parallel to the extending direction of the opening center line L of the wall portion (the inclined wall 42 and the cylindrical wall 43) that defines the injection port 50. , That is, the length in the direction parallel to the extending direction of the opening center line L of the injection port 50.

  FIG. 9 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in a state where the cover 70 is in the closed position and the cap 6 attached to the injection port 50 is moved in the insertion / removal direction (direction parallel to the opening center line L). As shown in FIG. 3, when the cap 6 is properly attached to the injection port 50 in the multifunction machine 10 in the steady state, the surface of the pressing portion 75 e and the outer surface 62 b of the flange 62 of the cap 6 are substantially parallel. Is in a state. When the cap 6 moves in the insertion / removal direction in the direction of removal from the injection port 50, as shown in FIG. 9, the outer surface 62b of the flange 62 of the cap 6 comes into contact with the holding portion 75e provided on the lower rib 75b of the rib 75, Further movement of the cap 6 is restricted. When the outer surface 62b of the flange 62 of the cap 6 is in contact with the holding portion 75e of the rib 75, the claw portion 61b of the body 61 of the cap 6 enters the injection port 50, and the outer peripheral surface of the claw portion 61b is cylindrical. The inner wall of the wall 43 is pressed against the inner wall, thereby ensuring water tightness between the tank 4 and the cap 6. Thus, when the cover 70 is in the closed position, good water tightness between the cap 6 and the tank 4 is maintained. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, when the cap 6 moves along the opening center line L in the direction of coming out of the injection port 50 and the outer surface 62b and the pressing portion 75e come into contact with each other, the surface of the pressing portion 75e and the cap 6 Since the outer surface 62b of the flange 62 is in a substantially parallel state, the cap 6 is pressed in a balanced manner by the surface of the pressing portion 75e.

[Injection of ink into tank 4]
In the multi-function device 10 having the above configuration, when the multi-function device 10 is in a usable state (use state), as shown in FIGS. 1A and 3, the cover 70 is in the closed position and the tank 4 A cap 6 is appropriately attached to the injection port 50, and the injection port 50 is sealed by the cap 6. That is, the state in which the multifunction machine 10 can be used is the above-described steady state. When injecting ink into the ink chamber 40 of the tank 4 of the multifunction machine 10, the user first rotates the cover 70 from the closed position to the open position. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the multifunction device 10 in the steady state is in a cover open state in which the cap 6 of the tank 4 can be accessed through the opening 14 c in the front wall 14 a of the housing 14. .

  After the multifunctional machine 10 is in the cover open state, the user then removes the cap 6 corresponding to the ink chamber 40 to be replenished with ink from the injection port 50. As a result, in the multifunction machine 10 in the cover open state, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4, the arm 60 generally stands up and the cap 6 coupled to the tip of the arm 60 moves away from the injection port 50. The cap is held in the closed position. Specifically, when the cap 6 is removed from the injection port 50, the arm 60 that has been bent due to elastic deformation is elastically restored by the restoring force and is generally upright. As the arm 60 stands up, the cap 6 coupled to the distal end portion 60 a of the arm 60 rotates upward about the base portion 60 b of the arm 60. In this way, when the cap 6 is removed from the inlet 50, the cap 6 moves to a position above and away from the inlet 50 and is held there.

  Subsequently, the user inserts a nozzle of an ink bottle (not shown) into the injection port 50 opened by removing the cap 6, and injects ink in the ink bottle into the ink chamber 40 through the injection port 50. After finishing the ink injection, the user attaches the cap 6 to the injection port 50 and seals the injection port 50. Thereafter, the user rotates the cover 70 from the open position to the closed position.

  Suppose that after the user has injected ink into the ink chamber 40, the injection port 50 is not sealed with the cap 6 and the cover 70 is to be rotated from the open position to the closed position.

  As a case where the injection port 50 is not sealed with the cap 6, for example, when the arm 60 stands up and the cap 6 is held at a position above the injection port 50, or as shown in FIGS. In some cases, the inlet 50 is not properly mounted. 10 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in a state where the cap 6 is not properly attached to the inlet 50 of the tank 4 in the process of moving the cover 70 from the open position to the closed position. These are the figures explaining the relationship between the rib 75 provided in the cover 70, and the cap 6 which is not appropriately attached to the inlet 50 of the tank 4. When the cap 6 is not properly attached to the injection port 50, the claw portion 61 b of the body 61 is not inserted deep enough until the ink chamber 40 is reached, and the cap 6 is lifted from the injection port 50. A state in which the arm 60 is bent and the cap 6 is in the vicinity of the injection port 50 but the cap 6 has come out of the injection port 50 is exemplified.

  Since the space S2 between the first portion 70A of the cover 70 and the housing 14 is narrower than the space S1 between the second portion 70B, the third portion 70C, and the housing 14, the space S2 The cap 6 cannot be accommodated. Therefore, when the arm 60 stands up and the cap 6 is held at a position above the inlet 50, if the cover 70 is rotated from the open position toward the closed position, the movement of the cover 70 is changed to the arm 60 (or The cover 70 cannot reach the closed position because it is obstructed by the cap 6). In other words, before the cover 70 reaches the closed position, the inner surface 702 of the cover 70 comes into contact with the arm 60 (or the cap 6), and thus further upward rotation is restricted, so that the cover 70 is closed. Can't reach.

  Further, when the cap 6 is not properly attached to the injection port 50, the rib 75 provided on the inner surface 702 of the cover 70 interferes with the cap 6 and / or the arm 60 as shown in FIGS. . In the example shown in FIG. 10, the upper rib 75a of the rib 75 interferes with the cap 6 that is displaced upward from the steady state, and in the example shown in FIG. The vertical ribs 75 c interfere with the tab 66 or the flange 62 of the cap 6 that is displaced in the left-right direction 9 from the steady state.

  In the steady state multifunction machine 10, the space S <b> 1 formed by the second portion 70 </ b> B and the third portion 70 </ b> C of the cover 70, the casing 14, and the tank 4 is only the cap 6 that is appropriately attached to the inlet 50. Can be accommodated. Therefore, when the cover 70 is rotated from the open position to the closed position in a state where the cap 6 is not properly attached to the injection port 50, the cap 6 and / or the arm 60 interposed between the cover 70 and the tank 4. The movement of the cover 70 is hindered, and the cover 70 cannot reach the closed position. More specifically, before the cover 70 reaches the closed position, the rib 75 on the inner surface 702 of the cover 70 comes into contact with the cap 6 and / or the arm 60 to further prevent the cover 70 from rotating upward. Reaching the closed position, that is, the cover 70 cannot be closed.

  As described above, the MFP 10 that is the liquid consuming device according to the present embodiment includes the recording unit 24 that is a liquid consuming unit, and the ink chamber 40 that is a liquid storage chamber in which the liquid consumed by the recording unit 24 is stored. And the tank 4 having the injection port 50 for injecting the liquid into the ink chamber 40, the cap 6 that is detachably attached to the injection port 50 and closes the injection port 50, and the cap 6 and the tip 60a are combined. Between the closed arm 60 made of an elastic material, the closed position covering the surface of the tank 4 where the inlet 50 is formed, and the open position where the surface of the tank 4 where the inlet 50 is formed is exposed. And a casing 14 in which the recording unit 24, the tank 4, the cap 6, and the arm 60 are accommodated.

  The cap 6 is an outer surface 62b that intersects the opening center line L of the inlet 50 and faces the outside of the tank 4 when the cap 6 is attached to the inlet 50, and an operation protrusion that protrudes from the outer surface 62b. Tab 66. The arm 60 bends due to elastic deformation when the cap 6 is attached to the injection port 50, and elastically recovers when the cap 6 is removed from the injection port 50 to hold the cap 6 away from the injection port 50. As described above, the base portion 60 b is coupled to the tank 4 or the housing 14. The cover 70 includes an inner surface 702 facing the surface on which the inlet 50 of the tank 4 is formed, and a rib 75 that is a protrusion protruding from the inner surface 702 toward the tank 4. Then, the rib 75 of the cover 70 does not come into contact with the cap 6 and the arm 60 and does not come into contact with the tab 66 when the cover 70 is in the closed position and the cap 6 is properly attached to the inlet 50. The cap 70 or the arm 60 interposed between the tank 4 and the inner surface 702 of the cover 70 allows the cover 70 to move from the open position to the closed position when the cap 6 is not properly attached to the inlet 50. It has a wall part (at least one of the upper rib 75a, the lower rib 75b, and the vertical rib 75c) which contacts the cap 6 or the arm 60 so that it may be inhibited.

  In the multifunction machine 10, when the cap 6 is not properly attached to the inlet 50, the movement of the cover 70 from the open position to the closed position is hindered by the cap 6 interposed between the tank 4 and the inner surface of the cover 70. Is done. That is, the cover 70 cannot be moved from the open position to the closed position. The user can know that the cap 6 is not properly attached to the inlet 50 because the cover 70 cannot be moved from the open position to the closed position. A user who knows that the cap 6 is not properly attached to the injection port 50 causes the cap 6 to be appropriately attached to the injection port 50, thereby forgetting to attach the cap 6 or a defective attachment of the cap 6. Can be suppressed.

  Further, in the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment, the rib 75 of the cover 70 is opposed to a pair of wall portions (upper rib 75a and lower rib 75b or adjacent to each other with at least a part of the tab 66 interposed therebetween in a steady state. And the matching vertical ribs 75c).

  As a result, when the cap 6 is not properly attached to the injection port 50 by displacing from the steady state in the vertical direction 7, the tab 66 does not fit between the upper rib 75a and the lower rib 75b, so that the cover 70 is opened. When rotating from the position toward the closed position, the upper rib 75a or the lower rib 75b and any portion of the cap 6 abut. Further, when the cap 6 is not properly attached to the injection port 50 by displacing from the steady state in the left-right direction 9, the tab 66 does not fit between the adjacent vertical ribs 75 c, so that the cover 70 is closed from the open position. When rotating toward the position, the vertical rib 75c and any part of the cap 6 come into contact with each other. Thus, the cover 70 cannot reach the closed position by the cap 70 interposed between the cover 70 and the tank 4.

  Further, in the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment, the rib 75 of the cover 70 surrounds the periphery of the tab 66 in a steady state, and forms a wall portion (upper rib) that forms a space S3 into which at least a part of the tab 66 is inserted. 75a, lower rib 75b, and vertical rib 75c).

  Thus, in a state where the cap 6 is not properly attached to the inlet 50 of the tank 4, that is, in a state where the inlet 50 is not sealed, the tab 66 does not fit in the space S3, so the cover 70 is opened. When rotating from the position toward the closed position, the upper rib 75a or the lower rib 75b and any part of the cap 6 come into contact with each other. Thus, the cover 70 cannot reach the closed position by the cap 70 interposed between the cover 70 and the tank 4.

  In the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of ink chambers 40 and a plurality of caps 6 corresponding to the ink chambers 40 are provided side by side in the left-right direction 9 (first direction), and the ribs 75 of the cover 70 are provided. And two wall portions (upper rib 75a and lower rib 75b) extending in the left-right direction 9 and a wall portion (each vertical rib 75c) connecting these two wall portions.

  As a result, the rib 75 has a ladder shape (lattice shape) extending in the left-right direction 9, and in addition to forming a space S <b> 3 into which the tab 66 of the cap 6 is inserted, the rib originally increases the rigidity of the cover 70. It can be provided with the function.

  Note that the rib 75 according to the present embodiment is 2 more than the number of caps 6 in order to form a space S3 corresponding to or larger than the number of caps 6 so that the tabs 66 of each cap 6 can be individually accommodated. There are more or more vertical ribs 75c. Thus, when the space S3 is provided for each cap 6, the space S3 corresponding to the tab 66 of the cap 6 becomes small, and the rib 75 can easily catch the cap 6 that is not properly attached to the injection port 50. . However, one space S3 may be formed in the rib 75 for two or more caps 6.

  Further, in the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment, when the rib 75 of the cover 70 is in a steady state, it faces the outer surface of the cap 6 with a predetermined interval ΔG in a direction parallel to the insertion / extraction direction of the cap 6, and The cap 6 has a pressing portion 75e that first comes into contact with the outer surface 62b of the cap 6 when the cap 6 moves in the insertion / extraction direction from the injection port 50 in the insertion / extraction direction.

  As a result, when the cap 6 moves from the steady state in the insertion / removal direction so as to come out of the injection port 50, the outer surface 62b of the cap 6 and the pressing portion 75e of the rib 75 come into contact with each other and come out of the cap 6 from the injection port 50. Any further movements are restricted. Therefore, when the cover 70 is in the closed position, that is, when the cover 70 is closed, the cap 6 attached to the inlet 50 of the tank 4 is prevented from moving in the direction of coming out of the inlet 50, and the cap 6 can be prevented from coming off the inlet 50.

  Further, in the multifunction machine 10 of the present embodiment, the size of the predetermined interval ΔG is the same as that of the tank 4 when the cap 6 attached to the injection port 50 is moved in the insertion / extraction direction in the direction of coming out of the injection port 50. It is a value less than the range of the moving amount in the insertion / extraction direction in which the watertightness with the cap 6 is maintained.

  Thereby, when the cover 70 is in the closed position, that is, when the cover 70 is closed, even if the cap 6 appropriately attached to the inlet 50 of the tank 4 moves in a direction to come out from the inlet 50. The movement is limited to a range in which the watertightness of the tank 4 and the cap 6 is maintained. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink from leaking from the inlet 50 of the tank 4 when the cover 70 is in the closed position, that is, when the cover 70 is closed.

  Further, in the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment, the tank 4 has wall portions (the cylindrical wall 43 and the inclined wall 42) that define the injection port 50, and the cap 6 is attached to the injection port 50. In addition, a claw portion 61b is provided that engages with the opening edge on the ink chamber 40 side of the wall portion that is located in the ink chamber 40 and that defines the injection port 50. The size of the predetermined interval ΔG is the length in the direction parallel to the extending direction of the opening center line L of the injection port 50 in the wall portion that defines the injection port 50.

  Thereby, when the cover 70 is in the closed position, that is, when the cover 70 is closed, even if the cap 6 appropriately attached to the inlet 50 of the tank 4 moves in a direction to come out from the inlet 50. The movement is limited to a range in which the watertightness of the tank 4 and the cap 6 is maintained. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink from leaking from the inlet 50 of the tank 4 when the cover 70 is in the closed position, that is, when the cover 70 is closed.

  Further, in the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment, the presser portion 75e is positioned on the extended line of the opening center line L in the steady state.

  As a result, when the cap 6 appropriately attached to the inlet 50 of the tank 4 moves in a direction to come out of the inlet 50, the intersection of the outer surface 62 b of the cap 6 with the opening center line L of the inlet 50 is the rib 75. The presser part 75e. Therefore, the cap 6 is pressed in a balanced manner by the pressing portion 75e of the rib 75.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the above configuration can be modified as follows, for example.

  For example, in the cap 6 according to this embodiment, the body 61 is provided with the claw portion 61b, but the body 61 of the cap 6 may have a slim shape (without the claw portion 61b).

  Further, for example, in the cap 6 according to the present embodiment, the tab 66 is provided so as to protrude from the outer edge portion deviated from the center of the outer surface 62 b of the flange 62, and according to this configuration, the pressing portion 75 e of the rib 75 is used. The center of the outer surface 62b of the flange 62 can be pressed. However, the tab 66 may be provided in the cap 6 so as to protrude from the center of the outer surface 62 b of the flange 62. In this case, the pressing portion 75 e of the rib 75 is disposed so as to press a position off the center of the outer surface 62 b of the flange 62.

  Further, for example, the cover 70 according to the present embodiment is provided in the housing 14 so as to rotate in the vertical direction 7 around the rotation shaft 82 extending in the left-right direction 9. 7 may be provided in the housing 14 so as to rotate in the left-right direction 9 (or the front-rear direction 8) about a rotation axis extending to 7.

  From the foregoing description, many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention are obvious to one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be construed as illustrative only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and / or function may be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

4: Tank 6: Cap 10: Multi-function machine (an example of a liquid consuming device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11: Printer part 14: Housing | casing 15: Feeding part 17: Operation panel 18: Conveyance roller part 19: Discharge roller part 20: Feeding tray 21: Discharge tray 22: Platen 23: Carriage 24: Recording part (liquid consumption part) Example)
25: Liquid ejection head 25a: Nozzle 28: Top cover 40: Ink chamber (an example of a liquid storage chamber)
41: Front wall 42: Inclined wall 43: Cylindrical wall 44: Partition wall 45: Side wall 46: Top wall 47: Bottom wall 50: Injection port 60: Arm 61: Body 61a: Tip 61b: Claw 62: Flange 62b : Outer surface 65: transport path 66: tab (operation projection)
66a: first surface 66b: second surface 69: root portion 70: cover 70A: first portion 70B: second portion 70C: third portion 701: outer surface 702: inner surface 72: bearing portion 73: engaging portion 74 : Window 75: Rib (projection)
75a: Upper rib 75b: Lower rib 75c: Vertical rib 75e: Holding portion 80: Holding portion 82: Rotating shaft 83: Engaged portion 100: Tank unit L: Opening center line N1: Nip surface N2: Nip surface S1: Space S2: Space S3: Space

Claims (8)

A liquid consumption unit;
A liquid storage chamber in which liquid consumed in the liquid consumption unit is stored, and a tank having an injection port for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber;
A cap that is detachably attached to the inlet and closes the inlet;
An arm made of an elastic material, which is combined with the cap and the tip,
A cover that is movable relative to the tank between a closed position that covers the surface of the tank on which the inlet is formed and an open position that exposes the surface of the tank on which the inlet is formed; The liquid consuming unit, the tank, the cap, and a housing that houses the arm,
The cap has an outer surface that intersects an opening center line of the inlet and faces the outside of the tank when the cap is attached to the inlet, and an operation protrusion that protrudes from the outer surface. ,
The arm bends due to elastic deformation when the cap is attached to the inlet, and elastically recovers when the cap is removed from the inlet to hold the cap away from the inlet. The base is coupled to the tank or the housing,
The cover has an inner surface facing the surface where the inlet of the tank is formed, and a protrusion protruding from the inner surface toward the tank,
The protrusion of the cover is positioned around the operation protrusion without coming into contact with the cap and the arm when the cover is in the closed position and the cap is attached to the inlet. When the cap is not properly attached to the inlet, the cover or the arm interposed between the tank and the inner surface of the cover moves the cover from the open position to the closed position. Having a wall that contacts the cap or the arm such that
Liquid consuming device. The protrusion of the cover has a pair of wall portions facing each other with at least a part of the operation protrusion interposed therebetween in the steady state.
The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1. The protrusion of the cover includes a wall portion that surrounds the periphery of the operation protrusion in the steady state and forms a space into which at least a part of the operation protrusion is inserted.
The liquid consumption apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. A plurality of the liquid storage chambers and a plurality of the caps corresponding thereto are provided side by side in the first direction;
The protrusion of the cover has two wall portions extending in the first direction, and a wall portion connecting these two wall portions.
The liquid consumption apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-3. When the protrusion of the cover is in the steady state, the cover faces the outer surface of the cap at a predetermined interval in a direction parallel to the insertion and removal direction of the cap, and the cap is inserted and removed from the steady state. Having a presser portion that first comes into contact with the outer surface of the cap when moved in a direction to exit from the injection port in a direction,
The liquid consumption apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-4. The insertion / extraction that maintains the water tightness between the tank and the cap when the size of the predetermined interval is moved in the insertion / extraction direction in the direction of exiting the cap from the injection port. It is a value less than the range of movement in the direction
The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 5. The tank has a wall defining the inlet;
The cap has a claw portion that is located in the liquid storage chamber and that engages with the opening edge on the liquid storage chamber side of the wall portion that defines the injection port when the cap is attached to the injection port. ,
The size of the predetermined interval is a length in a direction parallel to the extending direction of the opening center line of the inlet of the wall defining the inlet.
The liquid consumption apparatus according to claim 5 or 6. In the steady state, the presser portion is located on an extension line of the opening center line.
The liquid consumption apparatus as described in any one of Claims 5-7.

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