JP2017065140A - Printing fluid cartridge and opening/closing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide means for stabilizing operation of an opening/closing unit for opening an opening/closing part for a printing fluid cartridge.SOLUTION: An opening/closing unit 160 is attachable to an ink cartridge 30. A guide groove 179 in the opening/closing unit 160 has: a first portion 182 with which a guide pin 177 engages when the leading-end face 176 of an abutting pin 175 is located near a first position; and a second portion 183 with which the guide pin 177 engages when the leading-end face 176 of the abutting pin 175 is located near a second position. A first angle A1, which is an obtuse angle at which a first imaginary line in the extending direction of the first portion 182 intersects an imaginary plane orthogonal to the rotation axis of a release part 171, is smaller than a second angle A2, which is an obtuse angle at which a second imaginary line in the extending direction of the second portion 183 intersects the imaginary plane.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

  The present invention relates to an opening / closing unit capable of opening / closing an opening / closing part of a printing fluid cartridge.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image recording apparatus that records an image on a recording sheet using an ink that is an example of a printing fluid is known. This image recording apparatus includes an ink jet recording head, and selectively ejects ink droplets from a nozzle of the recording head toward a recording sheet. The ink droplets land on the recording paper, whereby a desired image is recorded on the recording paper. This image recording apparatus is provided with an ink cartridge for storing ink to be supplied to the recording head. The ink cartridge can be mounted on a mounting portion provided in the image recording apparatus.

  In order to prevent the gas from being dissolved in the stored ink during storage or transportation of the ink cartridge, the gas layer in the ink storage chamber may be decompressed. In this case, the pressure in the storage chamber of the ink cartridge is lower than the atmospheric pressure. Further, the atmospheric pressure may differ between the environment in which the ink cartridge is manufactured and the environment in which the ink cartridge is used. Thus, when the ink cartridge is used, if there is a difference between the atmospheric pressure and the atmospheric pressure of the storage chamber, when the storage chamber is opened, the gas flows between the outside and the storage chamber. Ink droplets may scatter from the storage chamber to the outside. In order to solve such a problem, when the ink cartridge is used, a configuration is known in which a release unit that is mounted so as to cover the atmosphere communication port of the ink cartridge is operated to open the storage chamber to the atmosphere. (See Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-129171 A

  In the release unit described in Patent Document 1, when the lever portion of the operation lever is rotated, the release portion rotates and moves in a direction to open the atmosphere communication port of the ink cartridge. The mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the lever portion as the movement of the release portion is configured by inserting a boss provided in the release portion into a groove formed around the rotation axis of the release portion, and the release portion rotates. As a result, the release portion moves in the direction of the rotation axis while being guided by the spiral groove.

  If an attempt is made to increase the distance that the release portion moves along the rotation axis while keeping the rotation angle of the lever portion constant, the obtuse angle formed by the direction in which the spiral groove extends with respect to the virtual plane orthogonal to the rotation axis is Get smaller. That is, the boss of the release part comes into contact with the end face of the groove at an acute angle. If it does so, force required in order to rotate a lever part against the urging | biasing force of the coil spring which urges | biases the valve | bulb which opens and closes an atmosphere communicating port to a closed position will become large. In addition, there is a problem that the boss may be deformed due to an increase in the load on the boss of the release portion, or sliding friction between the boss and the end face of the groove increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide means for stabilizing the operation of an opening / closing unit for opening an opening / closing portion of a printing fluid cartridge.

  (1) The present invention provides a cartridge main body having a storage chamber for storing a printing fluid, an opening / closing portion provided on the front surface of the cartridge main body for closing or opening an opening communicating with the storage chamber and the outside, The present invention relates to a printing fluid cartridge comprising an opening / closing unit that can be attached to a cartridge body. The opening / closing part urges the valve to the closed position, and closes the opening of the cartridge main body to the closed position and the open position to open the opening. And an urging member that increases the urging force applied to the valve as it moves from the position to the open position. The opening / closing unit is rotatably supported relative to the unit main body and the unit main body, and is slidably supported between a first position and a second position in a direction intersecting the rotation direction. An operating lever having a release portion and a lever portion coupled to the release portion. One of the unit main body and the release part has a guide groove extending spirally around the rotation axis of the release member. The other of the unit main body and the release part has a guide pin engaged with the guide groove. The release portion is configured to release the valve from the closed position while abutting the valve when the unit main body is slid from the first position to the second position when the unit main body is mounted on the cartridge main body. It has a contact part to move to a position. The guide groove is engaged with the first portion with which the guide pin is engaged when the contact portion is in the vicinity of the first position, and with the guide pin when the contact portion is in the vicinity of the second position. A second portion to be joined. The first angle that is an obtuse angle at which the first imaginary line along the direction in which the first part extends intersects the imaginary plane orthogonal to the rotation axis of the release part is the second angle along the direction in which the second part extends. The imaginary line is smaller than the second angle that is an obtuse angle intersecting the imaginary plane.

  Since the first angle is smaller than the second angle, the first portion and the second portion of the guide groove are engaged with the guide pin, and the first portion is guided when the contact portion is guided in the sliding direction by the rotation of the lever portion. Near the position, the sliding amount of the contact portion is relatively large with respect to the rotation angle of the lever portion, and near the second position, the sliding amount of the contact portion is relatively small with respect to the rotation angle of the lever portion. Thereby, the contact portion can be slid largely in the region where the urging force of the urging member is relatively small, and the contact portion can be slid small in the region where the urging force of the urging member is relatively large. The force required for the turning operation is not excessive.

  In the region where the urging force of the urging member is relatively small, the angle at which the guide pin contacts the end surface defining the guide groove is made relatively small, and in the region where the urging force of the urging member is relatively large, the guide Since the angle at which the pin comes into contact with the end face defining the guide groove can be made relatively large, the guide pin is hardly deformed by the force applied from the biasing member to the guide pin.

  (2) Preferably, the guide pin has a contact surface in contact with an end surface close to the first position among a pair of end surfaces defining the guide groove in the second portion of the guide groove.

  According to the above configuration, since the force per unit area applied from the urging member to the guide pin is reduced, the guide pin is not easily deformed.

  (3) Preferably, the contact surface is rougher than the end surface.

  According to the above configuration, sliding friction between the contact surface and the end surface is reduced.

  (4) Preferably, the first angle is less than 135 degrees, and the second angle is 135 degrees or more.

  (5) Preferably, the guide groove further includes a connecting portion that connects the first portion and the second portion, and the connecting portion is in a spiral direction around the rotation axis of the release member. Is curved.

  According to the said structure, a guide pin can move smoothly from a 1st part to a 2nd part.

  (6) Preferably, the unit main body has an outer wall disposed with at least the abutting portion at the second position interposed therebetween, and the abutting portion at the second position is located outside the outer wall. Don't stick out.

  According to the said structure, it can suppress that a user touches a contact part carelessly.

  (7) Preferably, the cartridge main body has at least a main body portion having the front surface, a first wall facing the front surface, and a second wall extending in the front-rear direction continuously to the first wall. A bracket provided to be movable relative to the main body in a direction in which the second wall is in contact with and away from the main body, and an access portion provided on the bracket. The main body is attachable to the main body portion and the bracket, and restricts relative movement of the main body portion and the bracket as the second wall of the bracket and the main body portion are in contact with each other in the mounted state. It is.

  When the opening / closing unit is attached to the printing fluid cartridge, the second wall of the bracket and the main body are brought into contact with each other in the printing fluid cartridge, and the relative movement between the main body and the bracket is restricted. . Since the second wall of the bracket is reinforced from the inside by the main body portion, when an external force is applied from the outside to the inside of the bracket, the bracket is difficult to be deformed so as to bend inward.

  In the present invention, the restriction means that the opening / closing unit is attached to the printing fluid cartridge by a force required for the bracket to move relative to the main body in a state where the opening / closing unit is not attached to the printing fluid cartridge. In this state, it is only necessary that a force necessary for the bracket to move relative to the main body is large, and it is not necessary to firmly fix the bracket to such an extent that the bracket cannot move relative to the main body at all.

  (8) Preferably, the unit main body further includes a first engagement portion that engages with the main body portion, a second engagement portion that engages with the bracket, and the first engagement. And the second engagement portion are engaged with the main body portion and the bracket in a state where the main body portion and the bracket are aligned in the relative movement direction.

  According to the said structure, it is easy to maintain the state which the 2nd wall of the bracket contact | abutted to the main-body part.

  (9) Preferably, at least one of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion is elastically deformable, and the unit main body is engaged with the main body and the bracket. The main body or the bracket is biased in a direction in which the second wall comes into contact with the main body.

  According to the above configuration, when the opening / closing unit is mounted regardless of the position of the bracket with respect to the main body, the bracket is fixed to the main body until the second wall of the bracket is in contact with the main body. It is moved relative.

  (10) Preferably, the access part is provided on the second wall of the bracket.

  (11) Preferably, the access unit is an electrical interface.

  (12) Preferably, the opening / closing part opens at least the storage chamber to the atmosphere.

  (13) Preferably, the lever portion extends from the release portion in a direction intersecting with the rotation axis of the release portion, and has a curved surface at at least one corner at an extended end thereof.

  Thereby, when the printing fluid cartridge with the opening / closing unit mounted is dropped on the floor or the like, the impact of the drop transmitted to the printing fluid cartridge is reduced by the curved surface coming into contact with the floor.

  (14) Preferably, the release part has a cylindrical part provided with the guide pin on a surface thereof, and a protruding part protruding from the cylindrical part in the rotation axis direction of the release member, The contact portion is provided at the tip of the protruding portion, and the guide groove is formed in the unit main body.

  (15) The present invention provides a cartridge main body having a storage chamber for storing printing fluid, an opening / closing portion provided on the front surface of the cartridge main body for closing or opening an opening communicating with the storage chamber and the outside, A valve that is provided in the opening / closing section and that is movable to a closed position that closes the opening of the cartridge main body, and an open position that opens the opening; and the valve is urged to the closed position. And an urging member that increases an urging force applied to the valve as the valve moves from the closed position to the open position. The opening / closing unit is rotatably supported relative to the unit main body and the unit main body, and is slidably supported between a first position and a second position in a direction intersecting the rotation direction. An operating lever having a release portion and a lever portion coupled to the release portion. One of the unit main body and the release part has a guide groove extending spirally around the rotation axis of the release member. The other of the unit main body and the release part has a guide pin engaged with the guide groove. The release portion is configured to release the valve from the closed position while abutting the valve when the unit main body is slid from the first position to the second position when the unit main body is mounted on the cartridge main body. It has a contact part to move to a position. The guide groove is engaged with the first portion with which the guide pin is engaged when the contact portion is in the vicinity of the first position, and with the guide pin when the contact portion is in the vicinity of the second position. A second portion to be joined. The first angle that is an obtuse angle at which the first imaginary line along the direction in which the first part extends intersects the imaginary plane orthogonal to the rotation axis of the release part is the second angle along the direction in which the second part extends. The imaginary line is smaller than the second angle that is an obtuse angle intersecting the imaginary plane.

  According to the present invention, the operation of the opening / closing unit for opening the opening / closing part of the printing fluid cartridge is stabilized.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an internal structure of a printer 10 including a cartridge mounting unit 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the ink cartridge 30 as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the ink cartridge 30. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the frame 31 and the films 37 and 38. 5A is a perspective view of the frame 31 viewed in the forward direction 57, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the frame 31 viewed in the backward direction 58. FIG. FIG. 6A is a right side view of the frame 31, and FIG. 6B is a left side view of the frame 31. FIG. 7A is an exploded perspective view in which each component for opening and closing the valve chamber 47 is viewed obliquely from the rear, and FIG. 7B is an oblique view of each component for opening and closing the valve chamber 47. It is the disassembled perspective view seen from the front. FIG. 8A is an external perspective view of the valve body 77 viewed obliquely from the front, and FIG. 8B is an external perspective view of the valve body 77 viewed obliquely from the rear. FIG. 9A is a right side view when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 110. The cartridge cover 131 and the films 37 and 38 are not shown. FIG. 9B is a BB cross-sectional view of FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the same position as the BB cross section of FIG. 9A when the valve body 77 is in the first state. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the same position as the BB cross section of FIG. 9A when the valve body 77 is in the intermediate state. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the same position as the BB cross section of FIG. 9A at the moment when the valve body 77 is in the second state. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the same position as the BB cross section of FIG. 9A when a predetermined time has elapsed since the valve body 77 is in the second state. FIG. 14A is a perspective view of the opening / closing unit 160 viewed in the rearward direction 58, and FIG. 14B is a perspective view of the opening / closing unit 160 viewed in the forward direction 57. FIG. 15A is a right side view of the unit main body 161, and FIG. 15B is a rear view of the unit main body 161. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the operation lever 162. FIG. 17 is a right side view of the ink cartridge 30 with the opening / closing unit 160 attached. FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 with the opening / closing unit 160 attached. 19A is an enlarged view showing a state in which the guide pin 177 is in the first portion 182 of the guide groove 179, and FIG. 19B is a state in which the guide pin 177 is in the connecting portion 184 of the guide groove 179. FIG. 19C is an enlarged view showing a state in which the guide pin 177 is in the second portion 183 of the guide groove 179. FIG. 20 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the same position as the BB cross section of FIG. 9A when the valve body 77 is brought into the second state by the contact pin 175.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiment described below is merely an example in which the present invention is embodied, and it is needless to say that the embodiment can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Overview of Printer 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 records an image by selectively ejecting ink droplets onto a sheet based on an ink jet recording method. The printer 10 includes a recording head 21, a cartridge mounting unit 110, and an ink tube 20 that connects the recording head 21 and the cartridge mounting unit 110.

  An ink cartridge 30 (an example of a printing fluid cartridge) can be mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 110. An opening 112 is provided on one surface of the cartridge mounting portion 110. The ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge mounting part 110 in the insertion direction 51 through the opening 112. Further, the ink cartridge 30 is extracted from the cartridge mounting portion 110 in the removal direction 52.

  The ink cartridge 30 stores ink (an example of a printing fluid) that can be used by the printer 10. In a state where the ink cartridge 30 is in the use posture, the ink cartridge 30 and the recording head 21 are communicated by the ink tube 20.

  The recording head 21 is provided with a sub tank 28. The sub tank 28 temporarily stores the ink supplied through the ink tube 20. The recording head 21 selectively ejects the ink supplied from the sub tank 28 from the nozzles 29 by the ink jet recording method. Specifically, a drive voltage is selectively applied from the head control board 21A provided on the recording head 21 to the piezo elements 29A provided corresponding to the nozzles 29. Thereby, ink is selectively ejected from the nozzles 29.

  The sheet fed from the sheet feeding tray 15 to the conveying path 24 by the sheet feeding roller 23 is conveyed onto the platen 26 by the conveying roller pair 25. The recording head 21 selectively ejects ink onto a sheet that passes over the platen 26. Thereby, an image is recorded on the paper. The sheet that has passed through the platen 26 is discharged by a discharge roller pair 27 to a discharge tray 16 provided on the most downstream side of the transport path 24.

  The recording head 21 is mounted on a movable carriage 22. The recording head 21 can be moved by a movement of the carriage 22 to a printing position directly above the transport path 24 and a retreat position retracted from just above the transport path 24. The recording head 21 is positioned at a printing position when ink is ejected onto the paper, and is positioned at a retracted position when ink is sucked by a purge mechanism (not shown).

[Cartridge mounting part 110]
As shown in FIG. 1, the ink cartridge 30 can be mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110. In the state where the ink cartridge 30 is in the use posture, the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 is sent to the ink tube 20 via the cartridge mounting portion 110 and is sent from the ink tube 20 to the recording head 21. The cartridge mounting unit 110 includes a case 101 and an ink needle 102. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the ink cartridge 30 is completely installed in the cartridge mounting unit 110 and the ink cartridge 30 is in a use posture. The cartridge mounting portion 110 can accommodate four ink cartridges 30 corresponding to each color of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

[Ink needle 102]
As shown in FIG. 1, an opening 112 is formed at the end of the case 101 in the removal direction 52. The case 101 has a back surface at the end in the insertion direction 51. The ink needle 102 protrudes from the back surface of the case 101 in the removal direction 52. The ink needle 102 is disposed on the back surface of the case 101 at a position that can face the ink supply unit 32 of the ink cartridge 30. The ink needle 102 is a tubular resin needle having a liquid channel formed therein. A communication hole 104 (see FIG. 12) is provided on the peripheral wall of the protruding end of the ink needle 102 (the end in the removal direction 52). The ink tube 20 is connected to the base end portion (the end portion in the insertion direction 51) of the ink needle 102. The outside and the inside of the ink needle 102 are in communication with each other through a communication hole 104 so that ink can flow. In addition, the needle (needle) in this specification does not necessarily indicate the pointed end of the projecting end (the end in the withdrawal direction 52), but includes a generally long and narrow tube.

[Contact 106]
A contact 106 is provided on the upper surface that defines the internal space of the case 101. The contact 106 is disposed at a position facing each electrode 119 of the IC substrate 121 of the ink cartridge 30 in use. A plurality of contacts 106 corresponding to each electrode 119 are arranged side by side along the right direction 55 and the left direction 56. Each contact 106 is electrically connected to a control unit (not shown) of the printer 10. The control unit is mounted with the IC substrate 121 via each contact 106 and is electrically connected to the memory so that information can be written to and read from the memory.

[Ink cartridge 30]
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the ink cartridge 30 includes a frame 31 (an example of a main body) in which a storage chamber 36, a valve chamber 47, and a communication path 130 are formed, and a cartridge cover 131 that covers the frame 31. And a bracket 120. The cartridge cover 131 is composed of two members that can be fitted to each other, and covers the frame 31 so as to sandwich about half of the rear direction 58 of the frame 31. The bracket 120 covers about half of the front direction 57 of the frame 31. An opening 123 is formed in the front wall 122 (an example of the first wall) of the bracket 120. The ink supply unit 32 protrudes from the opening 123. The frame 31, the cartridge cover 131, and the bracket 120 constitute a cartridge body. The outer surface of the front wall 122 constitutes the front surface. In addition, the front surface which the front wall 122 comprises is a surface which has the component which faces the front direction 57, and if the surface which makes the outer surface of the front wall 122 is comprised by several surfaces like this embodiment, the surface Each of the plurality of surfaces is a front surface.

  The ink cartridge 30 supplies the ink stored in the storage chamber 36 to the outside through the ink supply unit 32 (an example of an opening / closing unit). The ink cartridge 30 is inserted into and removed from the cartridge mounting portion 110 in the standing state shown in FIG.

[Bracket 120]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bracket 120 includes side walls 124 and 125 that are spaced apart from each other in the right direction 55 and the left direction 56, and an upper wall that is spaced apart from each other in the upward direction 53 and the downward direction 54. 126 (an example of a second wall) and a lower wall 127 are configured to extend from the front wall 122 in the rearward direction 58, and have a box shape opened toward the rearward direction 58. Inside the bracket 120, a frame 31 (an example of a main body) is inserted through an opening. That is, the bracket 120 covers a front portion of the frame 31 that is not covered by the cartridge cover 131.

  A first protrusion 128 and a second protrusion 129 are provided on the front wall 122 of the bracket 120. The first protrusion 128 extends in the front direction 57 at the upper end of the bracket 120. The tip of the first protrusion 128 forms part of the front wall 122. The second projecting portion 129 extends in the front direction 57 below the lower end of the front wall 122 of the bracket 120, that is, below the cap 72 attached to the frame 31 described later. A projecting piece 116 projecting in the downward direction 54 is provided on the surface 118 that forms the lower surface of the first projecting portion 128. The projecting piece 116 is elongated in the right direction 55 and the left direction 56.

  An IC substrate 121 (an example of an access unit or an electrical interface) is provided on the upper wall 126 of the bracket 120. The IC substrate 121 is electrically connected to four contacts 106 (see FIG. 1) arranged in the right direction 55 and the left direction 56 while the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 110, and the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge. Even when attached to the portion 110, the contact 106 is electrically connected.

  On the IC substrate 121, an IC (not shown in each figure) and four electrodes 119 are mounted. The four electrodes 119 are arranged along the right direction 55 and the left direction 56. The IC is a semiconductor integrated circuit, and stores information about the ink cartridge 30 such as data indicating information such as a lot number, date of manufacture, and ink color in a readable manner.

  Each electrode 119 is electrically connected to the IC. Each electrode 119 extends along the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58, and the four electrodes 119 are spaced apart in the right direction 55 and the left direction 56. Each electrode 119 is exposed to be electrically accessible on the upper surface of the IC substrate 121.

  A through hole 132 extending in the right direction 55 and the left direction 56 is formed in the vicinity of the upper wall 126 of the side surface 124 of the bracket 120. The engaging claw 33 of the frame 31 is fitted into the through hole 132. The dimension along the upward direction 53 and the downward direction 54 of the through-hole 132 is longer than the dimension along the upward direction 53 and the downward direction 54 of the engaging claw 33. Therefore, in a state where the bracket 120 is assembled to the frame 31, the bracket 120 can move relative to the frame 31 in the upward direction 53 and the downward direction 54. As a result, the upper wall 126 of the bracket 120 contacts and separates from the upper wall 39 of the frame 31.

[Frame 31]
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the frame 31 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, is thin in the right direction 55 and the left direction 56, and has dimensions of the upper direction 53 and the lower direction 54, the insertion direction 51, and the removal direction 52. The flat shape is larger than the dimensions in the right direction 55 and the left direction 56. The frame 31 is integrally formed of resin.

  The frame 31 includes a front wall 40 (a wall constituting the front surface) and a rear wall 41 that overlap at least partially when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed in the insertion direction 51 or the removal direction 52, and the ink cartridge 30 in the upward direction 53 or An upper wall 39 and a lower wall 42 that at least partially overlap when viewed in the downward direction 54 are provided.

  When the ink cartridge 30 is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion 110, the front wall 40 is the front and the rear wall 41 is the rear. The upper wall 39 connects the upper ends of the front wall 40 and the rear wall 41. The lower wall 42 connects the lower ends of the front wall 40 and the rear wall 41.

  The frame 31 is opened in the right direction 55 and the left direction 56. The right and left surfaces of the opened frame 31 are liquid-tightly sealed with films 37 and 38, respectively. 5 and 6, illustration of the films 37 and 38 is omitted. The outer shape of the film 37 substantially matches the outer shape of the frame 31 when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed from the right.

  Ink is stored as a storage chamber 36 in the internal space surrounded by the front wall 40, the rear wall 41, the upper wall 39, and the lower wall 42 of the frame 31. Below the internal space of the frame 31, an inner wall 146 is formed that extends in the rear direction 58 from the front wall 40 and bends in the lower direction 54. The left side of the space defined by the front wall 40, the lower wall 42, and the inner wall 146 is closed by the inner wall 141. The right side of the space defined by the front wall 40, the lower wall 42, and the inner wall 146 is blocked by the film 37 being thermally welded. Thereby, a valve chamber 47 is formed in the internal space of the frame 31.

  The storage chamber 36 and the valve chamber 47 are communicated with each other via a communication path 130. The communication path 130 is in communication with the valve chamber 47 through the opening 136. The communication path 130 is in communication with the lower end portion of the storage chamber 36 through the opening 135 and the opening 137.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the frame 31 includes a cylindrical wall 46. The cylindrical wall 46 extends from the front wall 122 toward the front direction 57. The cylindrical wall 46 is open at the end in the front direction 57. An end portion in the rear direction 58 of the cylindrical wall 46 is also open, and the opening communicates with the valve chamber 47. The inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46 has an annular cross section perpendicular to the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58. The annular shape is not limited to a circular shape, and may be an elliptical shape or a rectangular shape. The cylindrical wall 46 constitutes a part of the ink supply unit 32.

[Valve chamber 47]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first gas flow path 60, the second gas flow path 63, and the communication path 130 are connected to the valve chamber 47. A seal member 70 and a cap 72 are attached to the front end portion of the cylindrical wall 46 in the forward direction 57. Inside the cylindrical wall 46, a valve body 77 (an example of an opening / closing part) and a coil spring 86 (an example of an urging member) are accommodated.

[First Gas Channel 60 and Second Gas Channel 63]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first gas flow path 60 is a flow path for allowing a gas to flow between the valve chamber 47 and the outside of the ink cartridge 30. The first gas flow path 60 allows the valve chamber 47 to communicate with the atmosphere. One end of the first gas flow path 60 is continuous with the valve chamber 47 through the opening 61, and the other end is continuous with the outside of the ink cartridge 30 through the labyrinth 69. The second gas flow path 63 is a flow path for allowing gas to flow between the valve chamber 47 and the storage chamber 36. One end of the second gas flow path 63 is continuous with the valve chamber 47 through the opening 64, and the other end is continuous with the upper end portion of the storage chamber 36 through the opening 65. The first gas channel 60 and the second gas channel 63 are spaces defined by the frame 31 and the film 37. The direction in which the first gas channel 60 and the second gas channel 63 extend may be set as appropriate.

[Seal member 70]
As shown in FIG. 7, the seal member 70 has a generally disc shape. The outer diameter dimension of the seal member 70 substantially matches the inner diameter dimension of the cylindrical wall 46. The seal member 70 is in liquid-tight contact with the tip of the cylindrical wall 46. The seal member 70 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, for example.

  The seal member 70 is formed with a through hole 71 that penetrates the central portion in the thickness direction (front direction 57 and rear direction 58). The through hole 71 is a hole that allows the outside of the ink cartridge 30 to communicate with the valve chamber 47, and the ink stored in the storage chamber 36 circulates therethrough. The outer diameter of the ink needle 102 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the through hole 71.

[Cap 72]
As shown in FIG. 7, the cap 72 attached to the cylindrical wall 46 includes a disc-shaped lid portion 73, a cylindrical cylindrical portion 74 protruding from the surface facing the rear direction 58 of the lid portion 73, and a cylindrical portion The engaging part 75 protrudes in the removal direction 52 from the protruding end of 74. The lid 73 is formed with a through hole 76 that penetrates the central portion in the thickness direction (front direction 57 and rear direction 58). The diameter of the through hole 76 is larger than the through hole 71.

  The lid 73 abuts on the seal member 70 from the opposite direction to the cylindrical wall 46. That is, the seal member 70 is sandwiched between the front end portion of the cylindrical wall 46 and the lid portion 73 in the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58. The cylindrical portion 74 covers the outer peripheral surface of the seal member 70 and a part of the outer surface of the cylindrical wall 46. The engaging portion 75 is engaged with an engaged portion 40 </ b> A provided on the front wall 40. The cap 72 holds the seal member 70 at the tip of the cylindrical wall 46.

[Valve 77]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the valve body 77 (an example of a valve) is disposed in the valve chamber 47. The valve body 77 is movable along the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58 in the valve chamber 47.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the valve body 77 includes a holding portion 79 and a cylindrical elastic member 82. The elastic member 82 is formed with a through hole 81 penetrating in the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58. A part of the holding portion 79 is inserted into the through hole 81. The holding part 79 is made of, for example, a resin material. The elastic member 82 is formed of a material having lower rigidity than the holding portion 79, for example, an elastic material such as rubber.

  The holding part 79 includes a main body part 150, a cylindrical part 151, and a locking part 153. The main body 150 has a generally bar shape extending along the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58. The cylindrical portion 151 is provided at the end portion 150 </ b> A of the main body portion 150 in the front direction 57. The locking portion 153 is provided at an end portion in the rear direction 58 of the main body portion 150.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the main body 150 is inserted into the through hole 81. The diameter of the main body 150 is smaller than the inner diameter of the through hole 81. Accordingly, a gap is generated between the main body 150 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 155 of the elastic member 82 that partitions the through hole 81. The ink stored in the storage chamber 36 is circulated through the gap. That is, the liquid flow path passes between the elastic member 82 and the holding portion 79 in the through hole 81 when passing through the valve chamber 47. That is, the liquid channel extends from the storage chamber 36 to the through hole 71 through the through hole 81.

  An end portion 150 </ b> A (see FIG. 10) connected to the cylindrical portion 151 in the main body portion 150 has a shorter diameter than other portions of the main body portion 150. This end 150A is inserted through the opening 81A. The opening 81 </ b> A constitutes an end of the through hole 81 in the insertion direction 51, and is formed in the bottom wall 154 of the elastic member 82.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cylindrical portion 151 is positioned in the forward direction 57 with respect to the elastic member 82 in a state where the main body portion 150 is inserted into the through hole 81. The column portion 151 includes a disc portion 151A, a contact portion 151B, and a convex portion 151C.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the contact portion 151B is formed on a surface 151D facing the main body 150 in the disc portion 151A. Specifically, a plurality of contact portions 151 </ b> B (four in the present embodiment) are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the disc portion 151 </ b> A, and are connected to the end of the main body 150. The contact portion 151 </ b> B is in contact with the peripheral portion of the opening 81 </ b> A in the bottom wall 154 of the elastic member 82.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the convex portion 151C protrudes in the front direction 57 from the back surface of the surface 151D. The convex portion 151C has a columnar shape. The convex portion 151 </ b> C can be inserted into the through hole 71 formed in the seal member 70. The diameter of the convex portion 151 </ b> C is larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 71. Thus, the convex portion 151 </ b> C is inserted into the through hole 71 while being in contact with the inner peripheral surface 70 </ b> A of the seal member 70 that defines the through hole 71 and elastically deforming the inner peripheral surface 70 </ b> A. As a result, the through hole 71 is liquid-tightly sealed by the convex portion 151C. The convex portion 151 </ b> C slides in close contact with the inner peripheral surface 70 </ b> A of the seal member 70 when the valve body 77 moves. As the valve body 77 moves in the rearward direction 58 from the position shown in FIG. 10, the convex portion 151C is separated from the seal member 70 (see FIG. 12). Thereby, the through hole 71 is opened. As described above, the convex portion 151C closes the through hole 71 so as to be openable.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the locking portion 153 is located in the rear direction 58 with respect to the elastic member 82 in a state where the main body portion 150 is inserted into the elastic member 82. A plurality (three in this embodiment) of the locking portions 153 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the main body portion 150. The locking portion 153 protrudes from the main body portion 150 in a direction orthogonal to the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58. The locking portion 153 is in contact with the peripheral portion of the opening 81B. The opening 81 </ b> B constitutes an end portion in the rear direction 58 of the through hole 81, and is formed in the cylindrical wall 155 of the elastic member 82.

  In a state where the main body 150 is inserted into the elastic member 82, the contact portion 151B is in contact with the peripheral portion of the elastic member 82 around the opening 81A, and the locking portion 153 is the peripheral portion of the elastic member 82 around the opening 81B. Abut. As a result, the elastic member 82 moves in the valve chamber 47 along the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58 together with the holding portion 79.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the elastic member 82 includes a bottom wall 154, a cylindrical wall 155 extending from the bottom wall 154 along the rear direction 58, and a gas flow path block having two sealing portions 84 and 85. A portion 157 and a sealing portion 87 are included. The bottom wall 154, the cylinder wall 155, the gas flow path blocking portion 157, and the sealing portion 87 are configured as a single body. The bottom wall 154 is formed with an opening 81 </ b> A that constitutes an end of the through hole 81 in the insertion direction 51. An opening 81 </ b> B that constitutes an end of the through-hole 81 in the removal direction 52 is formed at the end of the tubular wall 155 in the removal direction 52.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the sealing portions 84, 85, and 87 are flanges that protrude in the radial direction from the outer surface of the cylindrical wall 155, and are annular when viewed in the insertion direction 51. In the present embodiment, the sealing portions 84, 85, 87 have a circular annular shape corresponding to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46, but when the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46 is an annular shape other than a circular shape, It becomes a ring other than a circle.

  The sealing portions 84, 85, and 87 are provided to be separated in the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58. The sealing portion 85 is provided in the forward direction 57 from the sealing portion 84. The sealing portion 87 is provided in the rear direction 58 from the sealing portion 84.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the sealing portions 84, 85, and 87 are in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46 in a liquid-tight and air-tight manner. In a state where the valve body 77 is not inserted into the valve chamber 47 (the state shown in FIGS. 7 and 8), the outer diameters of the sealing portions 84, 85, 87 are larger than the inner diameter of the cylindrical wall 46. Therefore, in the state in which the valve body 77 is inserted into the valve chamber 47 (the state shown in FIG. 10), the sealing portions 84, 85, and 87 that are in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46 are oriented to reduce the outer diameter. It is elastically deformed.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the sealing portions 84, 85, and 87 are brought into close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46, whereby the first space 148 including the end portion in the rearward direction 58 of the valve chamber 47, The second space 149 including the front end 57 of the chamber 47 is blocked between the outer peripheral surface of the elastic member 82 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46.

  On the other hand, ink can flow through the through hole 81 between the first space 148 and the second space 149 which are part of the liquid flow path. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, when ink is supplied from the storage chamber 36 to the outside of the ink cartridge 30, the ink can be circulated from the first space 148 to the second space 149 in the ink supply direction. Here, the ink flowing out of the storage chamber 36 is located between the two locking portions 153 adjacent in the circumferential direction of the main body 150, the opening 81 </ b> B of the cylindrical wall 155, and the inside of the main body 150 and the cylindrical wall 155 in the through hole 81. The clearance space between the peripheral surface, the opening 81 </ b> A of the cylindrical wall 155, the space between the two contact portions 151 </ b> B adjacent in the circumferential direction of the main body portion 150, and the space between the bottom wall 154 and the cylindrical portion 151. To do.

  Further, as described in detail below, the sealing portions 84, 85, and 87 are brought into close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46, so that the space between the sealing portion 84 and the sealing portion 85 is gas. Can become a closed space in which it can circulate.

  When the valve body 77 is at the position (closed position) shown in FIG. 10, the sealing portion 84 is located between the opening 61 and the opening 64. As a result, the space between the first gas channel 60 and the second gas channel 63 is blocked by the sealing portion 84. The sealing portions 84, 85, and 87 slide while closely contacting the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46 when the valve body 77 moves. When the valve body 77 moves in the rearward direction 58 from the position shown in FIG. 10, the opening 61 and the opening 64 are positioned between the sealing portion 84 and the sealing portion 85 as shown in FIG. 13. (Open position). As a result, the first gas channel 60 and the second gas channel 63 are communicated through the space between the sealing portion 84 and the sealing portion 85. As a result, the storage chamber 36 communicates with the outside of the ink cartridge 30, and the storage chamber 36 is opened to the atmosphere. That is, the gas flow path closing part 157 opens the gas flow path when the valve body 77 moves. From the above, the gas flow path closing part 157 closes the gas flow path so as to be openable.

  A bottom wall 154 shown in FIGS. 7B and 8A is a flexible film-like member. As shown in FIG. 10, the bottom wall 154 includes a first surface 158 that faces the removal direction 52, a second surface 159 that is the back surface of the first surface 158 and faces the insertion direction 51, and a second surface 159. And an annular rib 156 (see FIG. 7B).

  The first surface 158 defines a part of a gap space between the main body 150 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 155 in the through hole 81. The second surface 159 defines a part of the space between the bottom wall 154 and the cylindrical portion 151. Here, the gap space between the main body 150 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 155 in the through hole 81 is located upstream of the space between the bottom wall 154 and the cylindrical portion 151 in the ink supply direction.

  As described above, the bottom wall 154 is provided in the liquid channel. The first surface 158 faces upstream in the ink supply direction from the storage chamber 36 toward the through hole 71. The second surface 159 faces downstream in the ink supply direction.

  The first surface 158 faces the surface 151D of the cylindrical portion 151 of the holding portion 79.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, the rib 156 protrudes in the forward direction 57 from the periphery of the opening 81 </ b> A in the second surface 159. Further, the rib 156 is located on the outer side in the radial direction of the disk portion 151A than the contact portion 151B. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 13, the rib 156 can be brought into contact with and separated from the surface 151 </ b> D when the bottom wall 154 is bent. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the space between the bottom wall 154 and the cylindrical portion 151 is blocked by the rib 156 when the bottom wall 154 is bent and the rib 156 is in contact with the surface 151D. That is, the liquid channel is closed. At this time, the bottom wall 154 is in a closed state. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, the space between the bottom wall 154 and the cylindrical portion 151 is opened when the rib 156 is separated from the surface 151 </ b> D by relaxing the bending of the bottom wall 154. . That is, the liquid channel is opened. At this time, the bottom wall 154 is in an open state. As described above, the bottom wall 154 can open and close the liquid flow path.

  The rib 156 may not be formed on the first surface 158. In this case, when the bottom wall 154 is bent, the first surface 158 can contact and separate from the surface 151D.

  The bottom wall 154 changes state between the closed state shown in FIG. 10 and the open state shown in FIG. 13 by the pressure acting on the first surface 158 and the second surface 159, respectively. The pressure acting on the first surface 158 is a pressure acting in the insertion direction 51 from the space forming the through hole 81 toward the first surface 158. The pressure acting on the second surface 159 is a pressure acting in the removal direction 52 from the space between the bottom wall 154 and the cylindrical portion 151 toward the second surface 159.

  The bottom wall 154 bends so that the rib 156 is in contact with the surface 151D on condition that the value obtained by subtracting the pressure acting on the second surface 159 from the pressure acting on the first surface 158 is equal to or greater than a threshold value described later. As a result, the closed state shown in FIG. 10 is obtained. On the other hand, in the bottom wall 154, the rib 156 is separated from the surface 151D on the condition that the value obtained by subtracting the pressure acting on the second surface 159 from the pressure acting on the first surface 158 is less than the threshold value. It becomes an open state shown in.

  The threshold is a value determined by the thickness of the bottom wall 154, the areas of the first surface 158 and the second surface 159, the material of the material constituting the bottom wall 154, and the like. In this embodiment, the threshold value is determined by the purge mechanism (not shown) from the recording head 21 based on the pressure acting on the first surface 158 when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 110 and the gas flow path is opened. Is set to a value larger than the value obtained by subtracting the pressure acting on the second surface 159 when ink is sucked from the nozzle 29.

[Coil spring 86]
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the coil spring 86 is disposed between the inner wall 146 and the valve body 77. Specifically, one end of the coil spring 86 is in contact with the inner wall 146, and the other end is in contact with the locking portion 153 of the holding portion 79 of the valve body 77. The coil spring 86 urges the valve body 77 in the forward direction 57. Accordingly, in the valve chamber 47, the valve body 77 is held in the first state (see FIG. 10) in contact with the seal member 70. Instead of the coil spring 86, another urging member such as a leaf spring may be used.

[Operation for Mounting Ink Cartridge 30 to Cartridge Mounting Unit 110]
Hereinafter, the movement of the valve body 77 in the process of mounting the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge mounting portion 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13.

  As shown in FIG. 10, in the ink cartridge 30 before being attached to the cartridge attachment portion 110, the valve body 77 is in the first state in which it abuts on the seal member 70 by the urging force of the coil spring 86. When the valve body 77 is in the first state, the convex portion 151 </ b> C of the holding portion 79 has entered the through hole 71 of the seal member 70 and is in liquid-tight contact with the inner peripheral surface 70 </ b> A of the seal member 70. Thereby, the through hole 71 is closed. As a result, the liquid channel is blocked from the outside of the ink cartridge 30 at the position of the through hole 71.

  The sealing portion 84 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46 between the openings 61 and 64. Thereby, the communication of the gas between the opening 61 and the opening 64 is interrupted. That is, the communication of the gas between the first gas channel 60 and the second gas channel 63 is blocked. Therefore, the storage chamber 36 is not communicated with the atmosphere. Note that the sealing portion 84 may overlap a part of the openings 61 and 64 as long as gas communication between the first gas channel 60 and the second gas channel 63 is blocked.

  The sealing portion 85 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46 at a position in the insertion direction 51 from the opening 61. Thereby, the communication of the gas and the ink between the first gas flow path 60 and the through hole 71 is blocked. Note that the sealing portion 85 may overlap a part of the opening 61 as long as the gas and ink communication between the first gas flow path 60 and the through hole 71 is blocked.

  The sealing portion 87 is in liquid-tight contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46 at a position in the removal direction 52 from the opening 64. Thereby, the communication of the gas and the ink between the second gas flow path 63 and the second valve chamber 47B is blocked. Note that the sealing portion 87 may overlap a part of the opening 64 as long as the communication between the gas and the ink between the second gas flow path 63 and the second valve chamber 47B is blocked.

  As described above, when the valve body 77 is in the first state, the storage chamber 36 is not communicated with the atmosphere. Therefore, the pressure in the storage chamber 36 is not always atmospheric pressure. In this embodiment, when the valve body 77 is in the first state, the pressure in the storage chamber 36 is higher than atmospheric pressure. Specifically, the pressure in the storage chamber 36 is greater than the above-described threshold value than the atmospheric pressure.

  Since the pressure in the storage chamber 36 is greater than the atmospheric pressure by a threshold value or more, the value obtained by subtracting the pressure acting on the second surface 159 from the pressure acting on the first surface 158 on the bottom wall 154 of the elastic member 82 is equal to or greater than the threshold value. It is. Therefore, the bottom wall 154 is in a closed state in which the rib 156 comes into contact with the surface 151D and is bent so as to close the liquid flow path. As a result, the liquid flow path is blocked from the outside of the ink cartridge 30 not only at the position of the through hole 71 but also at a position between the bottom wall 154 and the cylindrical portion 151.

  FIG. 11 shows a state in the valve chamber 47 while the ink cartridge 30 is being attached to the cartridge attachment portion 110 (the ink needle 102 has been inserted into the through hole 71 of the seal member 70 halfway). In the ink cartridge 30 that is in the middle of being mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110, the valve element 77 resists the biasing force of the coil spring 86 by being pressed by the ink needle 102 that has entered the valve chamber 47 through the through holes 76 and 71. Thus, the intermediate state moves from the first state in the removal direction 52.

  When the valve body 77 is in the intermediate state, a part of the convex portion 151 </ b> C enters the through hole 71 of the seal member 70. That is, the convex portion 151 </ b> C is in liquid-tight contact with the inner peripheral surface 70 </ b> A of the seal member 70. Therefore, the communication between the communication hole 104 formed at the end of the ink needle 102 in the removal direction 52 and the first valve chamber 47A is blocked by the convex portion 151C. That is, the liquid flow path is closed with respect to the outside of the ink cartridge 30 at the position of the through hole 71.

  The sealing portion 84 is located between the front end 57 and the rear end 58 of the opening 64. Thereby, the opening 61 and the opening 64 are communicated so that gas can flow. That is, the first gas channel 60 and the second gas channel 63 are communicated. Therefore, the storage chamber 36 is communicated with the atmosphere through the first gas flow path 60, the space (valve chamber 47) between the sealing portion 84 and the sealing portion 85, and the second gas flow path 63. That is, the gas flow path is opened.

  The sealing portion 85 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46 at a position in the forward direction 57 from the opening 61. Thereby, the communication between the first gas channel 60 and the second gas channel 63 and the through hole 71 is blocked.

  The sealing portion 87 is in liquid-tight contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46 at a position in the rear direction 58 from the opening 64. Thereby, the communication of the gas and the ink between the second gas flow path 63 and the second valve chamber 47B is blocked.

  As described above, when the valve body 77 is in the intermediate state, the storage chamber 36 is communicated with the atmosphere. Therefore, when a predetermined time elapses after the valve body 77 is in the intermediate state, the pressure in the storage chamber 36 becomes atmospheric pressure.

  In the present embodiment, the valve body 77 is moved from the first state to the second state, which will be described later, through the intermediate state in a short time. Therefore, the valve body 77 moves in the backward direction 58 from the intermediate state before the predetermined time elapses after the intermediate state. Therefore, when the valve body 77 is in the intermediate state, the pressure in the storage chamber 36 is maintained in a state higher than the atmospheric pressure as in the case where the valve body 77 is in the first state. Therefore, when the valve body 77 is in the intermediate state, the bottom wall 154 maintains the closed state. As a result, the liquid flow path is blocked from the outside of the ink cartridge 30 not only at the position of the through hole 71 but also at a position between the bottom wall 154 and the cylindrical portion 151.

  FIG. 12 shows a state in the valve chamber 47 at the moment when the ink cartridge 30 is completely installed in the cartridge mounting unit 110 (a state where ink can flow out from the ink cartridge 30). In the ink cartridge 30 that has been installed in the cartridge mounting unit 110, the valve body 77 is released from the intermediate state against the urging force of the coil spring 86 by being pressed by the ink needle 102 that has further entered the valve chamber 47. The second state moves in the removal direction 52.

  When the valve body 77 is in the second state, the convex portion 151 </ b> C is separated from the inner peripheral surface 70 </ b> A that defines the through hole 71 in the seal member 70. That is, the holding portion 79 is completely removed from the through hole 71 of the seal member 70.

  The ink needle 102 is further inserted into the through hole 71 of the seal member 70. Thereby, the communication hole 104 of the ink needle 102 passes through the through hole 71 and enters the valve chamber 47. As a result, the second space 149 of the valve chamber 47 communicates with the outside of the ink cartridge 30 through the communication hole 104 and the liquid flow path inside the ink needle 102. However, since the bottom wall 154 is kept closed at the time of FIG. 12, the ink in the storage chamber 36 flows outside the ink cartridge 30 through the communication hole 104 and the liquid flow path inside the ink needle 102. It will never be done.

  The sealing portion 84 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46 at a position in the rear direction 58 from the opening 61. Thereby, similarly to when the valve body 77 is in the intermediate state, the first gas channel 60 and the second gas channel 63 are communicated, and the gas channel is opened.

  The sealing portion 85 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 46 at a position in the forward direction 57 from the opening 61. Thereby, the communication between the first gas channel 60 and the second gas channel 63 and the through hole 71 is blocked.

  The sealing part 87 is located in the same position as the recessed parts 67 and 68 (refer FIG. 5) in the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58 by moving to the back direction 58 rather than the cylinder wall 46. FIG. The recesses 67 and 68 are portions where the inner diameter of the valve chamber 47 is increased. Thereby, the sealing part 87 will be in the state which is not closely_contact | adhered with the wall surface which divides the valve chamber 47. FIG. As a result, the number of sealing portions that are in close contact with the wall surface is reduced from three (sealing portions 84, 85, 87) to two (sealing portions 84, 85), so that the valve body 77 receives friction from the wall surface. Resistance decreases.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the valve body 77 is moved from the first state to the second state to be described later in a short time through the intermediate state. Therefore, at the moment when the valve body 77 is in the second state (the state shown in FIG. 12), the pressure in the storage chamber 36 is less than the atmospheric pressure as in the case where the valve body 77 is in the first state and the intermediate state. Is also maintained at a high level. Therefore, at the moment when the valve body 77 is in the second state, the bottom wall 154 is kept closed. As a result, although the liquid flow path is open at the through hole 71, the liquid flow path is blocked from the outside of the ink cartridge 30 at a position between the bottom wall 154 and the cylindrical portion 151.

  FIG. 13 shows a state in the valve chamber 47 when the predetermined time elapses after the ink cartridge 30 is completely installed in the cartridge mounting unit 110. In other words, FIG. 13 shows a state in the valve chamber 47 when the predetermined time elapses after the valve body 77 enters the second state. At this time, as the predetermined time elapses, the pressure in the storage chamber 36 is atmospheric pressure. That is, the difference between the pressure in the storage chamber 36 and the atmospheric pressure is less than the threshold value. That is, in the bottom wall 154, a value obtained by subtracting the pressure acting on the second surface 159 from the pressure acting on the first surface 158 is less than the threshold value. Therefore, the bending of the bottom wall 154 that has been bent by the pressure in the storage chamber 36 acting on the first surface 158 until then is relieved. Accordingly, the rib 156 is separated from the surface 151D, and the bottom wall 154 is opened. As a result, the liquid flow path is opened at a position between the bottom wall 154 and the cylindrical portion 151.

  Therefore, the ink in the storage chamber 36 is communicated between the communication passage 130, the valve 47, the first space 148, the two locking portions 153 adjacent in the circumferential direction of the main body 150, the opening 81 </ b> B of the cylindrical wall 155, and the through hole 81. The gap between the main body 150 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 155, the opening 81A of the cylindrical wall 155, the two abutting portions 151B adjacent in the circumferential direction of the main body 150, the bottom wall 154 and the cylindrical portion 151, the second space 149, the communication hole 104, and the liquid flow path inside the ink needle 102 can be circulated to the outside of the ink cartridge 30.

[Opening / closing unit 160]
The ink cartridge 30 is mounted with an opening / closing unit 160 during storage or transportation until it is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 110. Hereinafter, the details of the opening and closing unit 160 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 14 to 18, the opening / closing unit 160 includes a box-shaped unit main body 161 having an opening in one direction, and an operation lever 162. When the unit main body 161 is mounted on the ink cartridge 30, the front wall 163 facing the front wall 122 of the bracket 120, and the upper wall 164 and the lower wall 165 that are connected to the front wall 163 and orthogonal to the front wall 163. , Side walls 166 and 167 (an example of an outer wall), and has a box shape in which the side facing the front wall 163 is open. The dimensions along the right direction 55 and the left direction 56 of the front wall 163 are substantially the same as the dimensions along the right direction 55 and the left direction 56 of the front wall 122 of the bracket 120. The dimensions along the upward direction 53 and the downward direction 54 of the front wall 163 are slightly longer than the dimensions along the upward direction 53 and the downward direction 54 of the front wall 122 of the bracket 120. The dimensions along the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58 of the upper wall 164, the lower wall 165, and the side walls 166, 167 are shorter than the dimensions along the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58 of the ink cartridge 30.

  The front wall 163 is provided with a hook 168A extending in a direction away from the front wall 163 above the lower wall 165, that is, in the rear direction 58. The hook 168A has a hook-shaped tip, and the hook 168A can be engaged with a protrusion 116 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) provided on the surface 118 of the bracket 120 of the ink cartridge 30 by the hook shape. The hook 168A is elastically deformable toward the lower wall 165. The dimension of the hook 168A protruding from the front wall 163 of the main body 150 is such that when the opening / closing unit 160 is attached to the ink cartridge 30, the tip of the hook 168A (the end in the rearward direction 58) protrudes from the surface 118 of the bracket 120. It is set as appropriate as long as it can be positioned in the rear direction 58 from 116. The front end 190 of the hook 168A protrudes in the front direction 57 from the front wall 163 of the unit main body 161.

  The front wall 163 is provided with a guide cover portion 169 (an example of a second engaging portion) that extends in a direction away from the front wall 163, that is, the rear direction 58, below the hook 168 </ b> A. The guide cover portion 169 has a substantially cylindrical shape with the direction along the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58 as the axial direction, and has a cylindrical inner space that opens toward the rear direction 58. The guide cover portion 169 can be engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the cap 72 of the ink cartridge 30.

  The front wall 163 is provided with a hook 168B (an example of a first engagement portion) extending in a direction away from the front wall 163 above the lower wall 165, that is, in the rear direction 58. In a state where the opening / closing unit 160 is mounted on the ink cartridge 30, the hook 168 </ b> B is aligned with the hook 168 </ b> A and the guide cover portion 169 in the upward direction 53 and the downward direction 54. The hook 168B is disposed below the guide cover portion 169. The hook 168 </ b> B has a hook-shaped tip that is hook-shaped, and can be engaged with the upper surface 117 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the second protrusion 129 in the bracket 120 of the ink cartridge 30 by the hook shape. The hook 168B can be elastically deformed toward the guide cover portion 169. The dimension of the hook 168B projecting from the front wall 163 of the main body 150 is such that the end of the hook 168B can abut on the upper surface 117 of the second projecting portion 129 of the bracket 120 when the opening / closing unit 160 is attached to the ink cartridge 30. It is appropriately set within a range.

  The operation lever 162 is provided in the front direction 57 from the front wall 163 of the unit main body 161. The operation lever 162 includes a lever portion 170 and a release portion 171. The lever portion 170 extends in a direction orthogonal to the rotation shaft 173 of the release portion 171. The extended end 174 of the release portion 171 has a flat plate shape that is curved into an arc shape centering on the rotation shaft 173. A curved surface 187 is formed at a corner of the extended end 174 facing the front direction 57. The curved surface 187 is a circumferential surface around the center along the right direction 55 and the left direction 56.

  The release part 171 has a rotating shaft 173 (an example of a cylindrical part) that extends in a direction orthogonal to the lever part 170. The rotating shaft 173 has a cylindrical shape. A hole 172 communicating with the internal space of the guide cover portion 169 is formed in the front wall 163 of the unit main body 161, and the rotation shaft 173 is inserted into the hole 172, so that the rotation shaft 173 is connected to the guide cover portion 169. It is fitted inward. In this state, the rotation shaft 173 can rotate relative to the unit body 161 around the rotation center along the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58. A contact pin 175 (an example of a protruding portion) extending on the coaxial line is provided at the tip of the rotating shaft 173. The contact pin 175 is inserted into a through hole 189 extending along the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58 on the inner wall 188 extending along the upper direction 53 and the lower direction 54 in the inner space of the guide cover portion 169. A front end surface 176 (an example of a contact portion) of the contact pin 175 can contact the valve body 77 of the ink cartridge 30.

  The rotation shaft 173 is provided with a guide pin 177 that protrudes in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface thereof. Two guide pins 177 are provided at positions different from the rotation center of the rotation shaft 173 by 180 °. Of the side surfaces extending in the radial direction of the guide pin 177, the surface facing the rear direction 58 is a contact surface 178 that contacts the end surface 180 positioned in the rear direction 58 among a pair of end surfaces that define a guide groove 179 described later. is there. The contact surface 178 is rougher than the end surface 180. For example, when the operation lever 162 is a resin molded product, the contact surface 178 having a rougher front surface than the end surface 180 is formed by blasting the surface of the mold for forming the contact surface 178. .

  At the boundary between the rotating shaft 173 and the lever portion 170, a projecting piece 186 that protrudes in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 173 is provided. The protruding piece 186 protrudes in the right direction 55 in a state where the lever portion 170 extends from the rotating shaft 173 along the upward direction 53 (see FIG. 14). The protruding piece 186 protrudes in the upward direction 53 in a state where the lever portion 170 extends from the rotating shaft 173 in the left direction 56 and comes into contact with the front end portion 190 of the hook 168A from below. As a result, the hook 168A is elastically deformed so that the end in the rearward direction 58 of the hook 168A, that is, the end engaged with the protruding piece 116 of the bracket 120 moves downward 54, and the rearward direction of the hook 168A. The end of 58 is spaced downward 58 from the protruding piece 116 of the bracket 120.

  A guide groove 179 that extends in a spiral shape in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 173, that is, the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the guide cover portion 169. The guide groove 179 is a space defined by an end surface 180 extending in a spiral shape and an end surface 181 extending in a spiral shape in parallel with the end surface 180 in the forward direction 57 from the end surface 180.

  A guide pin 177 provided on the rotation shaft 173 of the operation lever 162 is fitted in the guide groove 179. Therefore, when the release portion 171 rotates in the internal space of the guide cover portion 169, the release portion 171 moves in the forward direction 57 and the backward direction 58 with respect to the guide cover portion 169. The position of the front end surface 176 when the release portion 171 is positioned in the most forward direction 57 is referred to as a first position. The position of the front end surface 176 when the release portion 171 is located in the most rearward direction 58 is referred to as a second position. The front end surface 176 at the second position is in the front direction 57 with respect to the rear end surfaces of the side walls 166 and 167. That is, the tip surface 176 at the second position does not protrude outward (rearward direction 58) from the side walls 166, 167.

  A pair of guide grooves 179 are arranged in parallel at positions different by 180 ° with respect to the center along the front direction 57 and the rear direction 58 on the inner peripheral surface of the guide cover portion 169. Since the pair of guide grooves 179 have the same shape except for the arrangement, the detailed configuration will be described using one guide groove 179 as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 15A, the guide groove 179 includes a first portion 182 with which the guide pin 177 engages when the tip surface 176 is in the vicinity of the first position, and a tip surface 176 in the vicinity of the second position. The second portion 183 with which the guide pin 177 engages at one time, the connecting portion 184 that connects the first portion 182 and the second portion 183, and the end of the first portion 182 opposite to the connecting portion 184 are continuous. And a lock portion 185. The first portion 182 is located in the forward direction 57 from the second portion 183. The first portion 182, the second portion 183, and the connecting portion 184 are spaces in which the guide pin 177 is continuously movable.

  In the guide groove 179, the first angle A1, which is an obtuse angle at which the first imaginary line L1 along the direction in which the first portion 182 extends intersects the imaginary plane P orthogonal to the rotation axis O of the release portion 171, The second imaginary line L2 along the direction in which 183 extends is smaller than the second angle A2 that is an obtuse angle intersecting the imaginary plane P (A1 <A2). Preferably, the first angle A1 is less than 135 degrees and the second angle A2 is greater than 135 degrees. The obtuse angle at which the contact surface 176 of the guide pin 177 intersects the virtual plane P is substantially the same as the second angle A2. Thereby, the contact surface 176 is in surface contact with the end surface 180 of the second portion 183.

  The connecting portion 184 is curved so that the first portion 182 and the second portion 183 are smoothly continuous. That is, the obtuse angle at which the tangential direction of the arc along the connecting portion 184 intersects the virtual plane P gradually increases from the first portion 182 toward the second portion 183. As a result, the connecting portion 184 is curved with respect to both the first portion 182 and the second portion 183 in the spiral direction.

  The lock portion 185 extends in parallel with the virtual plane P from the end portion of the first portion 182 in the front direction 57. By inserting the guide pin 177 into the lock portion 185, the front end surface 176 can be moved from the first position to the second position even if an external force in the rearward direction 58 is applied without the operation lever 162 rotating around the rotation shaft 173. Moving toward the position is prevented.

[Release of storage chamber 36 by opening / closing unit 160]
As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the opening / closing unit 160 can be mounted so as to cover the front wall 122 of the bracket 120 of the ink cartridge 30. For example, after the ink cartridge 30 is manufactured, the opening / closing unit 160 is mounted on the ink cartridge 30 until the user uses the ink cartridge 30. When the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the opening / closing unit 160, the ink supply unit 32 is covered with the opening / closing unit 160. Therefore, for example, a bar or the like is inserted into the through hole 71, and the valve body 77 is moved from the first state. It is prevented.

  In the mounted state, the hook 168 </ b> A of the opening / closing unit 160 engages with the protruding piece 116 of the bracket 120, and the guide cover portion 169 engages with the outer peripheral surface of the cap 72 attached to the cylindrical portion 74 of the frame 31. Further, the hook 168 </ b> B of the opening / closing unit 160 is engaged with the upper surface 117 of the second discharge portion 129 of the bracket 120. In a state where the opening / closing unit 160 is mounted on the ink cartridge 30, the operation lever 162 is in a state where the lever portion 170 extends upward from the rotation shaft 173 and is placed on the front wall 163 of the unit main body 161. .

  In the state shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the bracket 120 and the frame 31 are sandwiched and held by the hook 168 </ b> B and the guide cover portion 169, and the opening / closing unit 160 is fixed to the bracket 120. Further, the hook 168 </ b> B biases the bracket 120 in the downward direction 54 while the frame 31 is fixed by the guide cover portion 169. As a result, the bracket 120 is moved in the lower direction 54 relative to the frame 31, and the upper wall 126 of the bracket 120 comes into contact with the upper wall 39 of the frame 31.

  The opening / closing unit 160 is removed when the ink cartridge 30 is used. When the lever portion 170 of the operation lever 162 is rotated around the rotation shaft 173 in the left direction 56 from the state shown in FIG. 14, the guide pin 177 of the release portion 171 is moved as shown in FIG. The guide groove 179 moves from the lock portion 185 to the first portion 182. When the lever portion 170 is further rotated, the rotation shaft 173 of the release portion 171 rotates and the guide pin 177 moves along the first portion 182. Thereby, the rotation shaft 173 moves relative to the unit body 161 in the rearward direction 58.

  With the relative movement of the rotation shaft 173 in the rearward direction 58, the front end surface 176 of the contact pin 175 also moves from the first position (see FIG. 18) in the rearward direction 58, that is, toward the second position. On the other hand, since the bracket 120 of the ink cartridge 30 is fixed to the unit main body 161, the tip surface 176 of the contact pin 175 moves relative to the unit main body 161, so that the contact pin 175 The cap 72 enters the through hole 71, and the front end surface 176 contacts the valve body 77. The seal member 70 is in close contact with the periphery of the contact pin 175 in a liquid-tight manner.

  Then, when the contact pin 175 moves in the rearward direction 58, the tip surface 176 of the contact pin 175 resists the urging force of the coil spring 86 in the same manner as the ink needle 102 shown in FIG. To move from the first state toward the intermediate state. Since the coil spring 86 is compressed when the valve body 77 moves from the first state toward the intermediate state, the urging force applied to the release portion 171 through the valve body 77 is relatively weak. Therefore, even if the movement distance in the backward direction 58 with respect to the rotation angle of the rotation shaft 173 is set relatively large by the relatively small first angle A1 as in the first portion 182 of the guide groove 179, the lever portion is set by the user. 170 is smoothly rotated. The biasing force of the coil spring 86 is applied to the tip surface 176 of the contact pin 175, so that the opening / closing unit 160 is biased in the forward direction 57. However, due to the engagement between the hook 168A and the protruding piece 116 of the bracket 120, The relative positional relationship between the opening / closing unit 160 and the ink cartridge 30 in the forward direction 57 is maintained against the urging force of the coil spring 86.

  Further, the lever portion 170 is rotated to a position rotated about 90 ° from the initial position, whereby the guide pin 177 of the release portion 171 is moved to the first position as shown in FIGS. 19 (B) and 19 (C). It moves from the first portion 182 to the second portion 183 via the connecting portion 184. Since the first angle A1 of the first portion 182 and the second angle A2 of the second portion 183 are different, the connecting portion 184 is curved so as to gradually change from the first angle A1 to the second angle A2, The guide pin 177 smoothly moves from the first portion 182 to the second portion 183, and the lever portion 170 is smoothly rotated by the user.

  As shown in FIG. 20, when the guide pin 177 moves in the second portion 183, the contact pin 175 further moves relative to the unit main body 161 in the rearward direction 58. As a result, the distal end surface 176 moves to the second position, and the valve body 77 moves against the urging force of the coil spring 86 to the second state by the distal end surface 176. When the valve body 77 is in the second state, the openings 61 and 64 are located between the sealing portions 84 and 85 so that the first gas channel 60 and the second gas channel 63 communicate with each other, and the storage chamber 36 Is opened to the atmosphere.

  When the valve body 77 moves to the second state, the coil spring 86 is compressed, so that the urging force applied to the release portion 171 through the valve body 77 is relatively strong. Accordingly, the relatively long second angle A2 as in the second portion 183 of the guide groove 179 sets the movement distance in the backward direction 58 with respect to the rotation angle of the rotation shaft 173 to be relatively small. The force (operation load) required to rotate 170 is reduced. Further, an excessive load is prevented from being generated at a contact portion between the contact surface of the guide pin 177 and the end surface 180 of the second portion 183, and the collapse of the guide pin 177 is suppressed.

  Further, when the protruding piece 186 of the operation lever 162 contacts the front end 190 of the hook 168A, the hook 168A is elastically deformed in a direction away from the protruding piece 116 of the bracket 120 (downward direction 54). Thereby, the engagement between the hook 168A and the protruding piece 116 of the bracket 120 is released. Further, since the distal end surface 176 of the release portion 171 is pushed in the forward direction 57 by the biasing force of the coil spring 86, the unit main body 161 of the opening / closing unit 160 is moved in a direction away from the bracket 120. As a result, the opening / closing unit 160 can be easily detached from the ink cartridge 30. By removing the opening / closing unit 160 from the ink cartridge 30, the bracket 120 can be moved relative to the main body 31. Further, when the opening / closing unit 160 is removed from the ink cartridge 30, the contact pin 175 comes out of the through hole 76 of the seal member 70, and the valve body 77 is biased by the coil spring 86 and the front end surface 176 of the contact pin 175. And move to the first state. Thereby, the through hole 76 of the seal member 70 is sealed by the valve body 77.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
In the guide groove 179 of the opening / closing unit 160, since the first angle A1 of the first portion 182 is smaller than the second angle A2 of the second portion 183, the first and second portions 182 and 183 of the guide groove 179 and the guide pin 177 When the distal end surface 178 of the contact pin 175 is moved by the rotation of the lever portion 170 due to the engagement, the movement amount of the distal end surface 178 is compared with the rotation angle of the lever portion 170 near the first position. In the vicinity of the second position, the amount of movement of the distal end surface 178 relative to the rotation angle of the lever portion 170 is relatively small. As a result, in the region where the biasing force of the coil spring 86 is relatively small, the distal end surface 178 is greatly moved with respect to the rotation angle of the lever portion 170, and in the region where the biasing force of the coil spring 86 is relatively large, the lever portion 170 rotates. Since the tip surface 178 can be moved small relative to the corner, the force required for the turning operation of the lever portion 170 does not become excessive.

  In the region where the biasing force of the coil spring 86 is relatively small, the angle at which the guide pin 177 contacts the end surface 180 defining the guide groove 179 is relatively small, and in the region where the biasing force of the coil spring 86 is relatively large, Since the angle at which the guide pin 177 contacts the end surface 180 that defines the guide groove 179 can be made relatively large, the force applied to the guide pin 177 from the coil spring 86 makes it difficult for the guide pin 177 to deform. As a result, the operation of the opening / closing unit 160 for releasing the ink cartridge 30 to the atmosphere is stabilized.

  Further, since the guide pin 177 has a contact surface 178 that contacts the end surface 180 in the second portion 183 of the guide groove 179, the force per unit area applied from the coil spring 86 to the guide pin 177 is reduced. 177 is difficult to deform.

  Further, since the contact surface 178 is rougher than the end surface 180, sliding friction between the contact surface 178 and the end surface 180 is reduced.

  Further, since the guide groove 179 has a connecting portion 184 that connects the first portion 182 and the second portion 183, the guide pin 179 can smoothly move from the first portion 182 to the second portion 183.

  Moreover, since the front end surface 176 of the contact pin 175 in the second position does not protrude outward from the side walls 166 and 167 of the unit main body 161, it is possible to prevent the user from inadvertently touching the contact pin 175.

  In addition, when the opening / closing unit 160 is attached to the ink cartridge 30, the upper wall 126 of the bracket 120 and the frame 31 are brought into contact with each other, and the relative movement between the frame 31 and the bracket 120 is restricted. . Thereby, since the upper wall 126 of the bracket 120 is reinforced from below by the frame 31, when an external force is applied from the outside to the inside of the bracket 120, the bracket 120 is hardly deformed so as to bend inward.

  Further, the unit main body 161 has a guide cover portion 169 that engages with the frame 31 and a hook 168B that engages with the bracket, so that the upper wall 126 of the bracket 120 is kept in contact with the frame 31. Easy to do.

  In addition, when the unit main body 161 is engaged with the frame 31 and the bracket 120, the bracket 120 is urged in a direction in which the upper wall 126 of the bracket 120 contacts the frame 31, so that the opening / closing unit 160 is attached to the ink cartridge 30. Before the opening / closing unit 160 is attached to the ink cartridge 30, the bracket 120 is in a state where the upper wall 126 of the bracket 120 is in contact with the frame 31. 120 is moved relative to the frame 31.

  In addition, since the lever portion 170 has a curved surface 187 at the corner of the extended end 174, when the ink cartridge 30 with the opening / closing unit 160 mounted falls on the floor or the like, the curved surface 187 contacts the floor. By contacting, the impact of the drop transmitted to the ink cartridge 30 is reduced.

[Modification]
In the above-described embodiment, the IC substrate 121 is provided in the ink cartridge 30 as an access unit. However, the access unit is electrically accessed such as an optically detected detection element in addition to the IC substrate 121. It may be other than what is done.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which both the gas flow path and the liquid flow path are opened by the movement of the valve body 77 in the ink cartridge 30 is shown. Each of the paths may be configured to be opened by a separate valve body.

  In the above-described embodiment, the ink car ridge 30 includes the bracket 120, but the bracket 120 is not necessarily provided. Therefore, for example, the frame 31 may be covered only by the cartridge cover 131 without the bracket 120. In such an embodiment, the opening / closing unit 160 can be attached to the cartridge cover 131 and the frame 31, and the IC substrate 121 is provided on the upper wall of the cartridge cover 131.

30 ... Ink cartridge (printing fluid cartridge)
31 ... Frame 32 ... Ink supply part (opening / closing part)
36 ... Reservoir 77 ... Valve (valve)
86: Coil spring (biasing member)
120 ... Bracket 121 ... IC board (access part)
122 ... Front wall (front, first wall)
126 ... Upper wall (second wall)
160: Opening / closing unit 161: Unit body 166, 167 ... Side wall 168B ... Hook (second engaging portion)
169 ... Guide cover part (first engaging part)
170 ... lever part 171 ... release part 173 ... rotating shaft (cylindrical part)
174 ... Extension end 175 ... Contact pin (protrusion)
176 ... Tip surface (contact portion)
177 ... Guide pin 178 ... Contact surface 179 ... Guide groove 180 ... End face 182 ... First part 183 ... Second part 184 ... Connection part 187 ... Curved surface

Claims (15)

A cartridge body having a storage chamber for storing printing fluid;
An opening / closing portion that is provided on the front surface of the cartridge body, and that closes or opens an opening communicating with the storage chamber and the outside;
An open / close unit attachable to the cartridge body, and a printing fluid cartridge comprising:
The opening / closing part
A closing position for closing the opening of the cartridge body, and a valve movable to an opening position for opening the opening;
An urging member that urges the valve to the closed position, and increases the urging force applied to the valve as the valve moves from the closed position to the open position;
The opening / closing unit
The unit body,
A release part that is rotatable relative to the unit main body and that is slidably supported between a first position and a second position in a direction intersecting the rotation direction, and connected to the release part And an operating lever having a lever portion formed,
One of the unit body and the release part has a guide groove that extends spirally around the rotation axis of the release member,
The other of the unit main body and the release part has a guide pin engaged with the guide groove,
The release portion is configured to release the valve from the closed position while abutting the valve when the unit main body is slid from the first position to the second position when the unit main body is mounted on the cartridge main body. Has a contact part to move to a position,
The guide groove is engaged with the first portion with which the guide pin is engaged when the contact portion is in the vicinity of the first position, and with the guide pin when the contact portion is in the vicinity of the second position. A second part to be joined,
The first angle that is an obtuse angle at which the first imaginary line along the direction in which the first part extends intersects the imaginary plane orthogonal to the rotation axis of the release part is the second angle along the direction in which the second part extends. A printing fluid cartridge in which a virtual line is smaller than a second angle that is an obtuse angle intersecting the virtual plane.   2. The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the guide pin has a contact surface that comes into contact with an end surface close to the first position among a pair of end surfaces defining the guide groove in a second portion of the guide groove.   The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the contact surface is rougher than the end surface.   The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first angle is less than 135 degrees, and the second angle is 135 degrees or more. The guide groove further includes a connecting portion that connects the first portion and the second portion,
The printing fluid cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connecting portion is curved with respect to a spiral direction around a rotation axis of the release member. The unit main body has an outer wall disposed with at least the contact portion of the second position interposed therebetween,
The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion at the second position does not protrude outward from the outer wall. The cartridge body is
A main body having the front surface;
It has at least a first wall that faces the front surface and a second wall that extends in the front-rear direction continuously to the first wall, and the main body portion moves toward and away from the main body portion. A bracket provided so as to be relatively movable,
An access portion provided on the bracket, and
The unit main body can be attached to the main body portion and the bracket, and the relative movement of the main body portion and the bracket is restricted in a state where the second wall of the bracket and the main body portion are in contact with each other in the attached state. The printing fluid cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   The unit main body further includes a first engagement portion that engages with the main body portion, and a second engagement portion that engages with the bracket, and the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion. The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the joining portion is engaged with the main body portion and the bracket in a state where the main body portion and the bracket are aligned in a relative moving direction.   At least one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion can be elastically deformed, and the second wall is in a state where the unit main body is engaged with the main body portion and the bracket. The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the main body part or the bracket is urged in a direction in which the main body part contacts the main body part.   The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the access portion is provided on a second wall of the bracket.   The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the access unit is an electrical interface.   The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the opening / closing part opens at least the storage chamber to the atmosphere.   The said lever part is extended in the direction which cross | intersects the rotating shaft of the said release part from the said release part, and has a curved surface in the at least 1 corner part in the extension end. Printing fluid cartridge. The release section above
A cylindrical portion provided with the guide pin on the surface;
A protruding portion protruding from the cylindrical portion in the direction of the rotation axis of the release member,
The contact portion is provided at the tip of the protrusion,
The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the guide groove is formed in the unit main body. A cartridge main body having a storage chamber for storing printing fluid; provided on the front surface of the cartridge main body; an opening / closing portion for closing or opening an opening communicating with the storage chamber and the outside; A closing position for closing the opening of the cartridge body and a valve movable to the opening position for opening the opening; and the valve is biased to the closing position, and the valve is moved from the closing position to the opening position. An urging member that increases the urging force applied to the valve as it moves to
The opening / closing unit
The unit body,
A release part that is rotatable relative to the unit main body and that is slidably supported between a first position and a second position in a direction intersecting the rotation direction, and connected to the release part And an operating lever having a lever portion formed,
One of the unit body and the release part has a guide groove that extends spirally around the rotation axis of the release member,
The other of the unit main body and the release part has a guide pin engaged with the guide groove,
The release portion is configured to release the valve from the closed position while abutting the valve when the unit main body is slid from the first position to the second position when the unit main body is mounted on the cartridge main body. Has a contact part to move to a position,
The guide groove is engaged with the first portion with which the guide pin is engaged when the contact portion is in the vicinity of the first position, and with the guide pin when the contact portion is in the vicinity of the second position. A second part to be joined,
The first angle that is an obtuse angle at which the first imaginary line along the direction in which the first part extends intersects the imaginary plane orthogonal to the rotation axis of the release part is the second angle along the direction in which the second part extends. An opening / closing unit in which a virtual line is smaller than a second angle that is an obtuse angle intersecting the virtual plane.

Images