JP6347202B2 - Liquid consumption device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid consuming apparatus that consumes liquid stored in a tank.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet printer or the like is known as an example of a liquid consuming device including a liquid consuming unit that consumes liquid stored in a liquid storage chamber. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ink jet printer including an ink tank that stores ink and a liquid ejecting unit that ejects ink supplied from the ink tank through a liquid outlet unit. In addition, the ink tank described in Patent Document 1 can be replenished with ink from an inlet provided on the upper surface of the liquid container.

Special table 2012-106363 gazette

  In the ink tank described in Patent Document 1, the liquid outlet portion is disposed above the bottom surface of the ink tank. For this reason, if the ink level falls below the position of the liquid outlet, air may enter the ink flow path from the ink tank to the liquid ejecting portion. However, it is difficult for the user to recognize the necessity of ink replenishment in a state where the ink is still stored in the space between the liquid outlet and the bottom surface of the ink tank.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to be supplied to a liquid consumption unit in a liquid consumption apparatus including a tank that can replenish liquid supplied to the liquid consumption unit through an inlet. It is intended to provide a means for suppressing air from entering the liquid.

  (1) A liquid consuming apparatus according to the present invention includes a liquid consuming unit that consumes liquid, a liquid storage chamber that stores liquid supplied to the liquid consuming unit, and an inlet for injecting liquid into the liquid storing chamber And a tank in which is formed. The tank has an outer surface that can be exposed to the outside of the liquid consuming device, an inner surface defines the liquid storage chamber, and extends in a direction intersecting the horizontal surface in a state where the liquid consuming device is installed on a horizontal surface. And a standing wall having a transmission surface for transmitting light, and a prism formed on the inner surface of the standing wall so as to form letters or symbols below the injection port. The prism allows the light transmitted through the transmission surface to enter the liquid storage chamber when in contact with the liquid in the liquid storage chamber, and reflects when not in contact with the liquid in the liquid storage chamber. When the first inclined surface and the reflected light from the first inclined surface are in contact with the liquid in the liquid storage chamber and are not in contact with the liquid in the liquid storage chamber A second inclined surface that reflects toward the transmission surface.

  According to the said structure, the character or symbol which appears with the reduction | decrease of the liquid in a liquid storage chamber can be made visible to a user from the exterior of a liquid consumption apparatus. Thereby, since it is possible to make the user recognize the necessity of replenishment of the liquid, it is possible to suppress the air from being mixed into the flow path from the liquid storage chamber to the liquid consumption unit.

  (2) Preferably, the liquid consuming device has a cap detachably attached to the tank so as to close the inlet, and the cap attached to the tank is connected to the outside of the liquid consuming device. And a cover that can be moved between a covering position for covering and an exposed position for exposing the cap mounted on the tank to the outside of the liquid consuming apparatus. And the said cover has a permeation | transmission window which makes the said permeation | transmission surface visible from the exterior of this liquid consumption apparatus in the said covering position.

  According to the above configuration, by placing the cover at the covering position, the cap covering the inlet is removed from the tank during operation of the liquid consuming device (in other words, while the liquid consuming device is consuming liquid). Can be prevented. Further, it is possible to make the user visually recognize characters or symbols even when the cover is positioned at the covering position.

  (3) Preferably, the said 1st slope and the said 2nd slope are arrange | positioned along with the horizontal direction in the state in which this liquid consuming apparatus was mounted in the horizontal surface.

  (4) Preferably, the ridgelines of the first slope and the second slope that are in contact with each other extend linearly in the vertical direction in a state where the liquid consuming device is placed on a horizontal plane.

  According to the above configuration, since the liquid on the prism surface falls due to gravity, the liquid remaining on the surface of the prism can suppress a decrease in the visibility of characters or symbols.

  (5) As an example, the wall of the tank different from the standing wall has light shielding properties.

  (6) Preferably, the liquid consuming device further includes a housing that is opened to the outside of the liquid consuming device through an opening and in which an accommodation space for accommodating the tank is formed. The standing wall is exposed to the outside of the liquid consuming device through the opening. On the other hand, the tank wall, which is different from the standing wall, is covered with the wall of the casing that defines the accommodation space.

  According to each of the above configurations, light outside the liquid consuming device is incident on the prism only through the transmission surface, and light reflected by the prism is emitted outside the liquid consuming device only through the transmission surface. As a result, the character or symbol formed by the prism can be clearly seen by the user.

  (7) For example, the character or symbol is formed by combining a plurality of the prisms.

  (8) For example, the above characters or symbols mean that the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber has become a predetermined amount or less, or that it is necessary to inject liquid into the liquid storage chamber. It is.

  According to the above configuration, the user can clearly recognize the necessity of replenishing the liquid.

  (9) For example, the prism forms the letters “EMPTY”.

  (10) Preferably, the prism is integrally formed with the standing wall.

  However, the standing wall and the prism may be separate.

  (11) Preferably, in a state where the liquid consuming device is installed on a horizontal plane, the distance in the gravity direction between the prism and the inlet is the direction of gravity between the prism and the bottom surface of the liquid storage chamber. Longer than the distance at.

  According to the above configuration, the amount of liquid in the liquid storage chamber when characters or symbols can be visually recognized from the outside of the liquid consuming device can be reduced, so that the frequency with which the user refills the liquid storage chamber can be reduced. .

  According to the present invention, since it is possible to make the user recognize the necessity of replenishment of the liquid by the characters or symbols appearing with the decrease in the liquid in the liquid storage chamber, air flows into the flow path from the liquid storage chamber to the liquid consumption unit. Can be prevented from being mixed.

1A and 1B are external perspective views of the multifunction machine 10, in which FIG. 1A shows a state where the cover 70 is closed, and FIG. 1B shows a state where the cover 70 is opened. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the carriage 23 and the ink tank 100. FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the ink tank 100. FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the ink tank 100. FIG. 6 is a front view of the ink tank 100. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the front wall 101 on which the prism 80 is formed as viewed from the inner surface side. 8A and 8B are horizontal sectional views of the prism 80, where FIG. 8A shows the locus of light incident on the prism 80 in contact with ink, and FIG. 8B shows the light incident on the prism 80 in contact with air. Shows the trajectory. 9A and 9B show examples of the prism 80 according to the modification, in which FIG. 9A is a perspective view seen from the outer surface side of the front wall 101, and FIG. 9B is a perspective view seen from the inner surface side of the front wall 101. .

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

  In the present embodiment, the multifunction device 10 is installed on a horizontal plane so that it can be used (the state of FIG. 1 and may be referred to as “use state”) or the posture (the posture of FIG. The vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to “use posture”, and the front-rear direction 8 is defined with the side on which the opening 13 of the multifunction device 10 is provided as the front side (front surface). A left-right direction 9 is defined when 10 is viewed from the front side (front side). The up-down direction 7 corresponds to the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 correspond to the horizontal direction.

[Overall configuration of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The multifunction machine 10 includes a printer unit 11 (see FIG. 2) that records an image on a sheet 12 (see FIG. 2) by an inkjet recording method at a lower portion of a casing 14 (an example of a casing). The casing 14 includes an exterior member that constitutes the exterior of the multifunction device 10 and a frame that constitutes the skeleton of the multifunction device 10. A housing space for housing an ink tank 100 to be described later is formed inside the casing 14. That is, the accommodation space is defined by the wall of the casing 14. The accommodation space is opened to the outside of the multifunction machine 10 through an opening 22 provided on the front surface of the casing 14.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding unit 15, a feeding tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a transport roller unit 54, a recording unit 24, a discharge roller unit 55, and a platen 42. And an ink tank 100 (an example of a tank). The multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The multifunction machine 10 is an example of a liquid consuming apparatus.

[Feed tray 20, discharge tray 21]
As shown in FIG. 1, the feeding tray 20 is inserted into and removed from the multifunction device 10 by the user in the front-rear direction 8 through the opening 13 formed in the front surface of the casing 14 of the multifunction device 10 and in the center portion in the left-right direction 9. Is done. The feeding tray 20 can support a plurality of stacked sheets 12. The discharge tray 21 is disposed above the feeding tray 20 and is inserted and removed together with the feeding tray 20. The discharge tray 21 supports the paper 12 discharged from between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42 by the discharge roller unit 55.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Ink tank 100]
The ink tank 100 is accommodated in the accommodating space of the casing 14 as shown in FIG. The ink tank 100 is fixed to the casing 14 of the multifunction device 10 so that it cannot be easily removed from the multifunction device 10. That is, the ink tank 100 is supported by the casing 14. More specifically, the ink tank 100 is exposed to the outside of the multifunction device 100 through an opening 22 formed at the front surface of the casing 14 and at the right end in the left-right direction 9. More specifically, the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 is exposed to the outside of the multifunction peripheral 100 by being disposed in front of the opening 22 in the front-rear direction 8. The opening 22 is adjacent to the opening 13 in the left-right direction 9.

  The front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 may be disposed behind the opening 22 in the front-rear direction 8 and may be exposed to the outside of the multifunction device 100 through the opening 22. In the present invention, “the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 is exposed to the outside of the multifunction peripheral 100 through the opening 22” means that the opening of the front wall 101 in the front-rear direction 8 is forward of the opening 22. It means both the case where it is behind 22 and the case where it is at the same position as the opening 22.

  Further, the multifunction machine 10 is provided with a box-shaped cover 70 that can cover the outer surface of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 positioned in front of the opening 22. The cover 70 is supported by the casing 14 of the multifunction machine 10 so as to be rotatable between a covering position shown in FIG. 1A and an exposed position shown in FIG. The covering position is a position that covers the opening 22 and the outer surface of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 in the front-rear direction 8. The exposure position is a position at which the opening 22 and the outer surface of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 are exposed to the outside of the multifunction machine 10.

  The cover 70 is provided with a transmission window 71. The transmission window 71 makes the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 visible from the outside of the multifunction machine 10 in a state where the cover 70 is located at the covering position. The transmission window 76 includes, for example, a substantially rectangular opening that penetrates the cover 70 in the thickness direction, and a light-transmitting film that closes the opening.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ink tank 100 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The ink tank 100 includes a front wall 101, a right wall 102, a left wall 103, an upper wall 104, and a lower wall 105. On the other hand, the rear surface of the ink tank 100 is open. The film 106 is welded to the rear end surfaces of the right wall 102, the left wall 103, the upper wall 104, and the lower wall 105, whereby the rear surface of the ink tank 100 is sealed. That is, the film 106 forms the rear wall of the ink tank 100. The ink tank 100 having the above configuration is integrally formed by, for example, injection molding of a resin material. For example, the internal shape of the ink tank 100 to be described later is defined by a mold (not shown) that is pulled backward from the opened rear surface of the ink tank 100.

  The upper wall 104 defines the upper end of the ink chamber 111 in the vertical direction 7. The lower wall 105 defines the lower end of the ink chamber 111 in the vertical direction 7 (that is, the bottom surface of the ink tank 100). The front wall 101, the right wall 102, and the left wall 103 are erected between the upper wall 104 and the lower wall 105 in a direction intersecting the upper wall 104 and the lower wall 105. That is, each of the walls 101 to 105 is extended in a direction intersecting with the horizontal plane in a state where the multifunction machine 10 is installed on the horizontal plane.

  The front wall 101 includes a base wall 101A extending in a generally vertical direction 7 from the lower wall 105, and an inclined wall 101B that is continuous with the base wall 101A at the upper end of the base wall 101A and is inclined with respect to the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. It consists of The inclined wall 101B is inclined to the rear side (that is, the ink chamber 111 side) with respect to the base wall 101A. In addition, the inclined wall 101B is formed with an inlet 112 that penetrates the inclined wall 101B in the thickness direction.

  The front wall 101 can be exposed to the outside of the multifunction machine 10 through the opening 22. Further, the front wall 101 has a light-transmitting property such that the ink in the ink chamber 111 is visible from the outside of the ink tank 100. The front wall 101 is an example of a standing wall having a transmission surface that transmits light. On the other hand, the other walls (that is, the right wall 102, the left wall 103, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, and the film 106) of the ink tank 100 are covered with the wall of the casing 14 that defines the accommodation space.

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

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

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

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

[Inlet 112]
The inclined wall 101B of the ink tank 100 is provided with inlets 112B, 112M, 112C, and 112Y for injecting ink into the ink chambers 111. The inlet 112 penetrates the inclined wall 101B in the thickness direction, and connects the corresponding ink chamber 111 to the outside of the ink tank 100. The inclined wall 101 </ b> B has an inner surface facing the ink chamber 111 and an outer surface facing the outside of the ink tank 100. The inclined wall 101B is inclined so that the outer surface is located above the inner surface. Accordingly, the inlet 112 directly connects the ink chamber 111 and the outside of the ink tank 100. That is, there is no flow path between the injection port 112 and the ink chamber 111 that has a smaller sectional area than the injection port and is bent. Further, the inlet 112 may be provided in the upper wall 104 instead of the inclined wall 101B.

  The inclined wall 101B and the inlet 112 provided in the inclined wall 101B are exposed to the outside of the multifunction machine 10 by positioning the cover 70 at the exposed position, as shown in FIG. The injection port 112 is provided in the inclined wall 101 </ b> B in front of the opening 22. In this embodiment, the posture of the ink tank 100 that can inject ink into the ink chamber 111 through the injection port 112 is the same as the posture of the ink tank 100 when the multifunction device 10 is in the use posture. That is, ink is injected into the ink chamber 111 through the injection port 112 when the multifunction machine 10 is in the use posture. Although the injection port 112 in this embodiment is circular, the shape of the injection port 112 is not limited to this, and may be elliptical, polygonal, or the like.

  The ink tank 100 includes caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y that can be attached to and detached from the inclined wall 101B so as to close the injection port 112. As shown in FIG. 1A, the cap 113 attached to the inclined wall 101 </ b> B is in close contact with the wall surface that defines the periphery of the inlet 112, thereby closing the inlet 112. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1B, the cap 113 removed from the inclined wall 101B opens the injection port 112. The cap 113 attached to the inclined wall 101B is covered with the cover 70 at the covering position. Further, the cap 113 is exposed to the outside of the multi-function device 10 by positioning the cover 70 at the exposed position, and is attached to and detached from the inclined wall 101B. Then, the ink can be injected into the ink chamber 111 through the injection port 112 by removing the cap 113 from the inclined wall 101B.

  An ink outflow path (not shown) is connected to each of the ink chambers 111B to 111Y. The ink outflow passage is a passage through which the ink stored in the corresponding ink chamber 111 flows out of the ink tank 100. One end of the ink outflow path is connected to the corresponding ink chamber 111, and the ink tube 32 corresponding to the other end of the ink outflow path is connected. Accordingly, the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 is supplied to the recording head 39 via the corresponding ink outflow path and the ink tube 32. One end of the ink outflow path is connected to the ink chamber 111 in the vicinity of the bottom surface of the corresponding ink chamber 111.

  Each of the ink chambers 111B to 111Y is provided with an air communication hole (not shown). The atmosphere communication hole allows the corresponding ink chamber 111 to communicate with the atmosphere. Thereby, the internal pressure of each ink chamber 111 is maintained at atmospheric pressure. As a result, an excessive supply of ink due to an increase in the internal pressure of the ink chamber 111 or an ink backflow due to a decrease in the internal pressure of the ink chamber 111 is suppressed. The air communication hole is provided with a semipermeable membrane or the like for suppressing ink leakage.

[Prism 80]
As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of prisms 80 are formed on the inner surface of the front wall 101 (more specifically, the base wall 101A). The method of providing the prism 80 on the inner surface of the base wall 101A is not particularly limited. For example, the ink tank 100 (that is, the base wall 101A) and the prism 80 may be integrally formed, or the prism 80 formed independently. May be attached to the inner surface of the base wall 101A.

  The prism 80 protrudes from the inner surface of the base wall 101 </ b> A toward the ink chamber 111. The prism 80 is formed below the inlet 112. More specifically, the prism 80 is formed in the lower region of the base wall 101A. The lower region of the base wall 101A refers to, for example, a region where the distance to the injection port 112 in the vertical direction 7 is longer than the distance to the lower wall 105 in the vertical direction 7. More specifically, the lower region of the base wall 101A is an ink in which the distance in the vertical direction 7 between the upper end of each prism 80 and the lower end of the injection port 112 is the lower end of the prism 80 and the upper surface of the lower wall 105. This refers to a region longer than the distance in the vertical direction 7 between the bottom surface of the chamber 111.

  The lower region of the base wall 101A where the prism 80 is formed is visible from the outside of the multifunction machine 10 through the transmission window 71 even when the cover 70 is in the covering position. In addition, each prism 80 is disposed above the connection portion between the corresponding ink chamber 111 and the ink outflow path. Therefore, even if the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 111 decreases and the position of the ink level falls below the lower end of each prism 80, the ink level remains at the connection between the ink chamber 111 and the ink outflow path. Located above the location.

  As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, the plurality of prisms 80 are combined to form a character when viewed from the outer surface side of the base wall 101 </ b> A. Specifically, the plurality of prisms 80 form the letters “EMPTY”. More specifically, the inner surface of the base wall 101A that defines the ink chamber 111B, the inner surface of the base wall 101A that defines the ink chamber 111M, the inner surface of the base wall 101A that defines the ink chamber 111C, and the base wall that defines the ink chamber 111Y A plurality of prisms 80 each having the letter “EMPTY” are arranged on the inner surface of 101A.

  As shown in FIG. 8, each prism 80 includes a first slope 81 and a second slope 82 that are arranged side by side in the left-right direction 9. The first slope 81 and the second slope 82 are surfaces that are inclined with respect to the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 and extend in the up-down direction 7. In other words, the first inclined surface 81 and the second inclined surface 82 are inclined with respect to the virtual straight line 85 extending in the front-rear direction 8 as shown in FIG.

  More specifically, the first inclined surface 81 is inclined so as to move away from the inner surface of the base wall 101A as it approaches the second inclined surface 82, and approach the inner surface of the base wall 101A as it moves away from the second inclined surface 82. The second slope 82 is inclined so as to move away from the inner surface of the base wall 101A as it approaches the first slope 81, and approach the inner surface of the base wall 101A as it moves away from the first slope 81. The first slope 81 and the second slope 82 are in contact with each other at a position farthest from the inner surface of the base wall 101A. A ridge line 83 formed at the boundary position between the first slope 81 and the second slope 82 extends linearly in the vertical direction 7.

The first slope 81 in the present embodiment intersects the virtual straight line 85 at an acute angle A. The second slope 82 intersects the virtual straight line 85 at an acute angle B. The angles A and B satisfy any of the following three formulas.
(Formula 1) (angle A) + (angle B) = 90 °
(Formula 2) (Angle A)> SIN-1 {(Absolute refractive index of air) / (Absolute refractive index of prism 80)}
(Expression 3) (Angle B)> SIN-1 {(Absolute refractive index of air) / (Absolute refractive index of prism 80)}

  The reflectances R1 and R2 of the first inclined surface 81 and the second inclined surface 82 are in contact with the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 and when not in contact with the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 ( In other words, it is different when in contact with air).

  Specifically, the reflectance R1 of the first inclined surface 81 and the second inclined surface 82 that are in contact with ink passes through the base wall 101A along the front-rear direction 8 as shown in FIG. 7A. This is a value that allows most of the light to pass to the ink chamber 111 side. That is, the first inclined surface 81 in contact with the ink causes the light transmitted through the base wall 101 </ b> A to enter the ink chamber 111. Similarly, the second inclined surface 82 that is in contact with ink causes the light transmitted through the base wall 101 </ b> A to enter the ink chamber 111.

  On the other hand, the reflectance R2 of the first slope 81 and the second slope 82 that are in contact with air is large in the amount of light that passes through the base wall 101A along the front-rear direction 8 as shown in FIG. 7B. This value is a value at which the portion is totally reflected by the first slope 81 or the second slope 82. That is, the first inclined surface 81 in contact with air reflects light transmitted through the base wall 101A toward the second inclined surface 82, and reflects light reflected by the second inclined surface 82 and transmitted through the prism 80 into the base wall. Reflects toward 101A. Similarly, the second slope 82 in contact with air reflects light transmitted through the base wall 101A toward the first slope 81, and reflects light reflected by the first slope 81 and transmitted through the prism 80 as a base. Reflected toward the wall 101A.

  Furthermore, when (angle A) and (angle B) satisfy the above (formula 1), the first inclined surface 81 and the second inclined surface 82 totally reflect the light traveling along the front-rear direction 8 and reverse Proceed to. That is, the first inclined surface 81 and the second inclined surface 82 reverse the light traveling in one direction (that is, backward) in the front-rear direction 8 in the base wall 101A and the prism 80 as shown in FIG. 7B. Reflect in the direction (ie, forward).

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
According to the above embodiment, the prism 80 positioned below the liquid level of the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 cannot be visually recognized from the outside of the multifunction machine 10 or is difficult to visually recognize. On the other hand, the prism 80 positioned above the liquid level of the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 can be viewed from the outside of the multifunction device 10. That is, as the ink in the ink chamber 111 decreases, the characters formed by the prism 80 gradually appear.

  Each prism 80 in the above embodiment is disposed above the connection portion between the corresponding ink chamber 111 and the ink outflow path. Further, the plurality of prisms 80 form the letters “EMPTY”. As a result, when the position of the liquid level of the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 is lower than the lower end of each prism 80 and the user is positioned above the connection portion between the corresponding ink chamber 111 and the ink outflow path. Then, it is recognized that the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 111 has become a predetermined amount or less, or that it is necessary to inject ink into the ink chamber 111. Therefore, air can be prevented from entering the flow path (typically, the ink tube 32) from the ink chamber 111 to the recording head 39.

  The character formed by the prism 80 is not limited to “EMPTY”. For example, for the character formed by the prism 80, the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 111 such as “NO INK” or “REFILL” has become equal to or less than a predetermined amount, or ink needs to be injected into the ink chamber 111. It may mean that there is. Further, what is formed by the prism 80 is not limited to characters, and may be an exclamation mark or a symbol such as an arrow as shown in FIG. The prism 80 may be formed by a number such as “0”.

  Further, according to the above embodiment, the prism 80 is provided in the lower region of the base wall 101A. As a result, the amount of ink in the ink chamber 111 when characters or the like formed by the prism 80 are visible from the outside of the multifunction device 10 can be reduced. As a result, the frequency with which the user refills the ink chamber 111 with ink can be reduced. However, the region where the prism 80 is provided is not limited to this. For example, “100” is formed in the upper region of the base wall 101A, “50” is formed at the boundary between the upper region and the lower region of the base wall 101A, and the lower region of the base wall 101A. The prisms 80 may be arranged so as to form a number “0”.

  Note that the upper region of the base wall 101A refers to, for example, a region in which the distance to the injection port 112 in the vertical direction 7 is closer than the distance to the lower wall 105 in the vertical direction 7. More specifically, the upper region of the base wall 101 </ b> A is an ink in which the distance in the vertical direction 7 between the upper end of each prism 80 and the lower end of the inlet 112 is the lower end of the prism 80 and the upper surface of the lower wall 105. This refers to a region shorter than the distance in the vertical direction 7 between the bottom surface of the chamber 111. The boundary between the upper region and the lower region of the base wall 101A is, for example, the distance in the vertical direction 7 between the upper end of each prism 80 and the lower end of the injection port 112, the lower end of the prism 80, and the lower wall 105. The distance in the up-down direction 7 between the upper surface of the ink chamber 111 and the bottom surface of the ink chamber 111 is the same position.

  Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the cover 70 is positioned at the covering position, thereby covering the injection port 112 during the operation of the multifunction machine 10 (in other words, while the recording head 39 is ejecting ink). It is possible to prevent the cap 113 from being removed from the ink tank 100. In addition, even when the cover 70 is kept at the covering position, the characters and the like formed by the prism 80 can be visually recognized by the user through the transmission window 71.

  Moreover, according to said embodiment, the 1st slope 81 and the 2nd slope 82 were arrange | positioned so that the ridgeline 83 extended in the up-down direction 7 might be formed. As a result, the ink on the surface of the prism 80 drops due to gravity, so that the ink remaining on the surface of the prism 80 can suppress a decrease in the visibility of characters or the like formed by the prism 80. However, the first slope 81 and the second slope 82 do not necessarily need to form the ridge line 83. That is, a connection surface connecting the first slope 81 and the second slope 82 may be provided between the first slope 81 and the second slope 82. Further, the first slope 81 and the second slope 82 may be arranged side by side in the vertical direction 7.

  Further, according to the above embodiment, the walls of the ink tank 100 other than the front wall 101 (that is, the right wall 102, the left wall 103, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, and the film 106) are covered with the casing 14. Yes. Thereby, light outside the multifunction device 10 enters the prism 80 only through the front wall 101, and light reflected by the prism is emitted outside the multifunction device 10 only through the front wall 101. As a result, the character or the like formed by the prism 80 can be clearly seen by the user.

  In addition, the above-mentioned effect becomes more remarkable by providing light shielding properties to the right wall 102, the left wall 103, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, and the film 106. A specific method for imparting light shielding properties is not particularly limited. For example, a light shielding seal may be attached to each of the walls 102 to 106, or each wall 102 to 106 may be formed of a light shielding material. .

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the ink is described as an example of the liquid, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, instead of ink, pretreatment liquid discharged onto the recording paper prior to ink at the time of printing, water sprayed in the vicinity of the nozzle 40 of the recording head 39 in order to prevent the nozzle 40 of the recording head 39 from drying, etc. May be a liquid. Note that the present invention has a particularly advantageous effect when applied to a liquid consuming apparatus including a tank that stores colored liquid.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... MFP 14 ... Casing 22 ... Opening 39 ... Recording head 70 ... Cover 71 ... Transmission window 80 ... Prism 81 ... First slope 82 ... First 2 slope 83 ... ridgeline 100 ... ink tank 101 ... front wall 101A ... base wall 101B ... inclined wall 111 ... ink chamber 112 ... inlet 113 ... cap

Claims (11)

A liquid consumption unit for consuming liquid;
A liquid consuming device comprising: a liquid storage chamber for storing liquid supplied to the liquid consuming unit; and a tank in which an inlet for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber is formed.
The tank
An outer surface can be exposed to the outside of the liquid consuming device, an inner surface defines the liquid storage chamber, the liquid consuming device is installed in a horizontal plane, extends in a direction intersecting the horizontal plane, and emits light. A standing wall having a transmitting surface to transmit,
A prism formed on the inner surface of the standing wall so as to form letters or symbols below the inlet,
The prism is
A first inclined surface that causes the light transmitted through the transmission surface to enter the liquid storage chamber when in contact with the liquid in the liquid storage chamber and reflects when not in contact with the liquid in the liquid storage chamber;
The reflected light from the first slope is caused to enter the liquid storage chamber when it is in contact with the liquid in the liquid storage chamber, and toward the transmission surface when it is not in contact with the liquid in the liquid storage chamber. A liquid consuming device having a second inclined surface for reflection. A cap detachably attached to the tank so as to close the inlet;
A cover that can be moved between a covering position that covers the cap mounted on the tank with respect to the outside of the liquid consuming device and an exposed position that exposes the cap mounted on the tank to the outside of the liquid consuming device. And,
The liquid consuming device according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a transmissive window that allows the transmissive surface to be visually recognized from the outside of the liquid consuming device at the covering position.   The liquid consumption apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first slope and the second slope are arranged side by side in a horizontal direction in a state where the liquid consumption apparatus is placed on a horizontal plane.   The liquid consuming device according to claim 3, wherein ridgelines of the first slope and the second slope that are in contact with each other extend linearly in a vertical direction in a state where the liquid consuming device is placed on a horizontal plane.   The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a wall of the tank different from the standing wall has a light shielding property. A housing that is opened to the outside of the liquid consuming device through the opening and in which a housing space for housing the tank is formed;
The standing wall is exposed to the outside of the liquid consuming device through the opening,
The liquid consuming device according to claim 1, wherein a wall of the tank different from the standing wall is covered with a wall of the housing that defines the accommodation space.   The liquid consuming device according to claim 1, wherein the character or symbol is formed by combining a plurality of the prisms.   8. The character or symbol means that the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, or that liquid injection into the liquid storage chamber is necessary. A liquid consuming device according to claim 1.   The liquid consuming device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the prism forms a letter "EMPTY".   The liquid consuming device according to claim 1, wherein the prism is integrally formed with the standing wall.   In a state where the liquid consuming device is installed on a horizontal plane, a distance in the gravity direction between the prism and the inlet is longer than a distance in the gravity direction between the prism and the bottom surface of the liquid storage chamber. Item 11. The liquid consuming device according to any one of Items 1 to 10.

Images