JP6460304B2 - Liquid consuming device and multifunction machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid consuming apparatus in which a tank whose inlet is blocked by a cap is covered and exposed by a cover, and a multifunction machine including the liquid consuming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printer (an example of a liquid consuming apparatus) having a large-capacity tank that can be refilled with ink and a recording head that records an image on recording paper by ejecting ink supplied from the tank from a nozzle is known. (For example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2). The tank can be opened and closed by a cap, and ink can be replenished from the inlet to the tank with the cap removed.

Japanese National Patent Publication No. 11-504874 JP 2013-139140 A

  As described in the cited document 1, when the tank inlet is accessible through the opening of the casing or cover that covers the tank, the tank inlet is opened, for example, when the printer is operating. There is a possibility that the user opens the inlet at a timing when this is not desirable.

  On the other hand, as described in the cited document 2, in a configuration in which the tank is covered with the cover and the tank inlet is inaccessible, the user forgets to close the tank cap after closing the cover. It is difficult for the user to notice. As a result, the tank inlet may be opened for a long time, the ink moisture may evaporate and the ink viscosity may change, or the ink may leak from the tank inlet when the printer is moved. There is.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide means for preventing the liquid consuming apparatus from being used in a state where the inlet of the tank is not blocked by the cap. It is in.

  A liquid consuming device according to the present invention includes a liquid storage chamber in which liquid is stored, an inlet for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber, and a tank in which a liquid outflow path for allowing liquid to flow out of the liquid storage chamber is formed. And a cap that can be attached to the tank with the inlet closed, a closed position that covers the surface of the tank on which the inlet is formed, and a surface of the tank on which the inlet is formed. A cover movable relative to the tank between the open position and the open position. The cover in the closed position is made inaccessible to the cap in a state where the inlet is closed. The cover has a visual recognition portion that allows at least a part of the cap in a state of closing the injection port to be visually recognized from the outside of the cover in the closed position.

  By opening the cover, the tank inlet can be accessed. By removing the cap from the tank inlet, the tank can be refilled with liquid. When the cover is in the closed position, the cap in a state where the inlet of the tank is blocked cannot be accessed. In a state where the cover is in the closed position, the cap in a state where the inlet is closed from the outside of the cover can be visually recognized through the visual recognition unit. Thereby, the user can recognize that the cap has been forgotten to be attached to the inlet while the cover is in the closed position.

  According to the present invention, the cap in the state where the inlet is closed from the outside of the cover can be visually recognized by the visual recognition part in the state where the cover is in the closed position, so that the inlet of the tank is not blocked by the cap. Use of the liquid consuming device is suppressed. In addition, the cap is not removed from the inlet of the tank while the cover is in the closed position.

1A and 1B are external perspective views of the multifunction machine 10, in which FIG. 1A shows a state where the cover 70 is in the closed position, and FIG. 1B shows a state where the cover 70 is in the open position. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the carriage 23 and the ink tank 100. FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the ink tank 100. FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the ink tank 100. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. FIG. 8 is a right side view of the ink tank 100. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along IX (A) -IX (A) in FIG. 8, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along IX (B) -IX (B) in FIG. 10A is a plan view of the ink tank 100, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line BB of FIG. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 13A is an external perspective view of the cap 113, and FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view of the cap 113. FIG. 14 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 with the cover 70 in the open position. FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the control unit 90. FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in which the cap 113 is attached to the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100 and the cover 70 is in the closed position. FIG. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in which the cap 113 is held by the holding unit 75 and the cover 70 is in the open position. FIG. 18 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 in a state where the cap 113 is held by the holding unit 75 and the movement of the cover 70 to the closed position is inhibited. FIG. 19A is an enlarged view of the cover 70 showing a modified example in which a slit 82 is formed instead of the window 74 and the transparent member 81, and FIG. 19B shows a mesh 83 instead of the transparent member 81. FIG. 19C is an enlarged view of the cover 70 showing a modified example in which a plurality of through holes 84 are formed in place of the window 74 and the transparent member 81. is there.

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

[Overall configuration of 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 that records an image on a sheet 12 (see FIG. 2) using an inkjet recording method at the bottom. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding unit 15, a feeding tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a transport roller unit 54, a recording unit 24, a discharge roller unit 55, and a platen 42. And an ink tank 100 (an example of a tank).

  The multifunction machine 10 also includes a scanner unit 30 (an example of an image reading device) above the printer unit 11. The scanner unit 30 is a so-called flat bed scanner, and optically reads an image described on a sheet placed on a platen facing upward. By the printer unit 11 and the scanner unit 30, the multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The printer unit 11 is an example of a liquid consuming device.

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

  The housing 31 of the scanner unit 30 is formed so as to be substantially integrated with the housing 14 of the printer unit 11. Accordingly, the front surface, the left and right side surfaces, and the rear surface of the housing 31 are substantially integrated with the front surface, the left and right side surfaces, and the rear surface of the housing 11.

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

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

[Conveyance path 65]
As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance path 65 indicates a space formed by an outer guide member 18 and an inner guide member 19 that are partially opposed to each other at a predetermined interval inside the printer unit 11. The conveyance path 65 is a path extending from the rear end portion of the feeding tray 20 to the rear side of the printer unit 11. The conveyance path 65 is a path that makes a U-turn while extending upward from below on the rear side of the printer unit 11, and reaches the discharge tray 21 through a space between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the conveyance path 65 between the conveyance roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 is provided at a substantially central portion of the multifunction machine 10 in the left-right direction 9, and in the front-rear direction 8. It extends. 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 up and down direction 7 and facing the transport path 65. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 23 and a recording head 39.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage 23 is supported by guide rails 43 and 44 that extend in the left-right direction 9 at positions spaced in the front-rear direction 8. The guide rails 43 and 44 are supported by the frame of the printer unit 11. The carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism provided on the guide rail 44. 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]
As shown in FIG. 1, the ink tank 100 is accommodated in the housing 14. The ink tank 100 is fixed to the multifunction device 10 so that it cannot be easily removed from the multifunction device 10.

  The front surface of the ink tank 100 is located in front of the opening 22 formed in the front wall 14 </ b> A (an example of a side wall) of the housing 14, and is exposed so as to be accessible to the outside of the multifunction machine 10. The opening 22 is adjacent to the opening 13 in the left-right direction 9. Further, the casing 14 has a cover 70 that can be rotated between a closed position that covers the opening 22 (see FIG. 1A) and an open position that exposes the opening 22 (see FIG. 1B). Is provided. The cover 70 has a box shape that can cover the front surface of the ink tank 100 positioned in front of the opening 22, and can rotate around a rotation axis 70 </ b> A extending in the left-right direction 9 on the lower end side in the vertical direction 7. It is supported by the housing 14. The rotating shaft 70A is provided at a position closer to the lower end 72 than the upper end 71 of the cover 70 when the cover 70 closes the opening 22 (the state shown in FIG. 1A) (see FIG. 1). 16).

  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. The front wall 101 includes a standing wall 101A extending from the lower wall 105 in the up-down direction 7 and an inclined wall 101B connected to the upper end of the standing wall 101A and inclined with respect to the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. Further, the upper surface of the lower wall 105 constituting the bottom surface of the ink chamber 111 described later is inclined downward to the right. 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.

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

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

  Each ink chamber 111 stores different colors of ink. Specifically, black ink is stored in the ink chamber 111B, cyan ink is stored in the ink chamber 111C, magenta ink is stored in the ink chamber 111M, and yellow ink is stored in the ink chamber 111Y. Each color ink is an example of a liquid. However, the number of ink chambers 111 and the ink color are not limited to the above example. The ink chamber 111 is arranged along the left-right direction 9. 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]
In the inclined wall 101B of the ink tank 100, inlets 112B, 112M, 112C, and 112Y for injecting ink into the ink chambers 111 are provided in a line in the left-right direction 9. The injection port 112 faces forward and upward (obliquely upward), 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. 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.

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

  The inclined wall 101B of the ink tank 100 faces the cover 70 in the closed position, that is, the front side, and is inclined obliquely upward with respect to the virtual horizontal plane along the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. The angle formed by the surface exposed to the outside of the inclined wall 101B with respect to the virtual horizontal plane is preferably 45 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees so that the operation of replenishing ink from the injection port 112 is facilitated.

  The inlet 112 is disposed in front of the front surface of the casing 31 of the scanner unit 30 of the multifunction machine 10. By arranging the injection port 112 in this way, when accessing the ink tank 100, such as when ink is injected into the ink tank 100, an operation such as lifting and rotating the scanner unit 30 is required. Therefore, the ink bottle can be easily inserted into the injection port 112, so that the ink injection operation is easy.

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

  The ink tank 100 includes caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y that can be attached to and detached from the inlet 112. As shown in FIG. 1A, the cap 113 attached to the injection port 112 is in close contact with the periphery of the injection port 112 to close the injection port 112. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1B, the cap 113 removed from the injection port 112 opens the injection port 112. The cap 113 is attached to and detached from the inlet 112 with the cover 70 positioned at the open position. In addition, by removing the cap 113 from the injection port 112, ink can be injected into the ink chamber 111. The caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y are color-coded to the same color as the ink stored in the corresponding ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y, that is, black, magenta, cyan, and yellow. It should be noted that the colors of the caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y do not necessarily have to be the same color as the ink color on the entire surface, and only a portion may be the same color as the ink color. Further, the colors of the caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y are not necessarily the same as the ink colors as long as the user can understand the correspondence with the ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y.

[Ink outflow path 114]
As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, ink outflow paths 114 </ b> B, 114 </ b> M, 114 </ b> C, 114 </ b> Y (an example of a liquid outflow path) are connected to each ink chamber 111. The ink outflow passage 114 is a passage through which ink stored in the corresponding ink chamber 111 flows out of the ink tank 100. In the present embodiment, the ink outflow path 114 is a flow path from the corresponding ink chamber 111 to the right side surface of the ink tank 100 (that is, the outer surface of the right wall 102).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink outflow path 114Y communicates with the ink chamber 111Y through an opening 115Y provided near the lower end of the partition wall 109 that defines the right surface of the ink chamber 111Y. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the ink outflow path 114 </ b> Y reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the opening 116 </ b> Y provided in the right wall 102. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9A, the ink outflow path 114Y extends rightward from the opening 115Y along the left-right direction 9 on the front side of the ink chambers 111B, 111M, and 111C. It penetrates the wall 102 and reaches the opening 116Y (that is, the right side surface of the ink tank 100).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink outflow path 114C communicates with the ink chamber 111C through an opening 115C provided near the lower end of the partition wall 108 that defines the right surface of the ink chamber 111C. Further, the ink outflow path 114C reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the opening 116C provided in the right wall 102, as shown in FIG. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9A, the ink outflow passage 114C extends rightward from the opening 115C along the left-right direction 9 on the front side of the ink chambers 111B and 111M, and the right wall 102 To reach the opening 116C.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink outflow path 114 </ b> M communicates with the ink chamber 111 </ b> M through an opening 115 </ b> M provided near the lower end of the partition wall 107 that defines the right surface of the ink chamber 111 </ b> M. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the ink outflow path 114 </ b> M reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the opening 116 </ b> M provided in the right wall 102. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9A, the ink outflow passage 114M extends rightward from the opening 115M along the left-right direction 9 on the front side of the ink chamber 111B and penetrates the right wall 102. Then, the opening 116M is reached.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink outflow path 114 </ b> B communicates with the ink chamber 111 </ b> B through an opening 115 </ b> B provided near the boundary between the right wall 102 and the lower wall 105 that defines the right and bottom surfaces of the ink chamber 111 </ b> B. Above the opening 115B, a partition wall 110 is provided that intersects the direction of ink flow into the opening 115B (ie, downward in the vertical direction 7). Further, the ink outflow path 114B reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the opening 116B provided in the right wall 102, as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the ink outflow passage 114B extends forward from the opening 115M along the front-rear direction 8, and passes through the right wall 102 in front of the ink outflow passages 114M, 114C, 114Y to the opening 116B. It reaches. Further, the ink outflow path 114B extending in the front-rear direction 8 intersects with the ink outflow paths 114M, 114C, 114Y extending in the left-right direction 9. More specifically, the ink outflow path 114B extends forward under the ink outflow paths 114M, 114C, 114Y extending in the left-right direction 9.

  That is, the openings 115B, 115M, 115C, and 115Y connecting the corresponding ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y and the ink outflow passages 114B, 114M, 114C, and 114Y are respectively formed in the ink chambers as shown in FIG. 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y are provided below the center in the up-down direction 7, closer to the front than the center in the front-rear direction 8, and further to the right than the center in the left-right direction 9. Further, the openings 116B, 116M, 116C, and 116Y are below the center in the vertical direction 7 of the ink tank 100 on the right side surface of the ink tank 100 and forward from the center in the front and rear direction 8 as shown in FIG. It is provided in the position. More specifically, the opening 116 is provided adjacent to the front-rear direction 8 in the order of the openings 116B, 116Y, 116C, 116M from the front side to the rear side of the right side surface of the ink tank 100.

  The center in the vertical direction 7 of the ink chamber 111 is the maximum dimension along the vertical direction 7 of the ink chamber 111 (in this embodiment, the maximum along the vertical direction 7 between the upper wall 104 and the lower wall 105). Dimension). The center of the ink chamber 111 in the front-rear direction 8 is the maximum dimension along the front-rear direction 8 of the ink chamber 111 (in this embodiment, the maximum dimension along the front-rear direction 8 between the front wall 101 and the film 106). Central. The center of the ink chamber 111 in the left-right direction 9 is the maximum dimension along the left-right direction 9 of the ink chamber 111 (in this embodiment, between the adjacent partition walls 107 to 109 or the right wall 102 or the left wall 103. It is the center of the maximum dimension along the left-right direction 9 between the adjacent partition walls 107 to 109. Similarly, the center in the vertical direction 7 of the ink tank 100 is the center of the maximum dimension along the vertical direction 7 of the ink tank 100. The center in the front-rear direction 8 of the ink tank 100 is the center of the maximum dimension along the front-rear direction 8 of the ink tank 100.

  Further, the volumes of the ink outflow paths 114 from the opening 115 to the opening 116 are different from each other. In this embodiment, the volume of the ink outflow path 114Y between the openings 115Y and 116Y is the largest, the volume of the ink outflow path 114C between the openings 115C and 116C is the second largest, and the ink outflow between the openings 115M and 116M. The volume of the path 114M is the third largest, and the volume of the ink outflow path 114B between the openings 115B and 116B is the smallest. There are various reasons why the volume of the ink outflow path 114 is different, for example, due to the length of the ink outflow path 114 in the left-right direction 9 or the difference in the cross-sectional area of the ink outflow path 114 orthogonal to the left-right direction 9.

  Further, the maximum outflow amount per unit time of the ink flowing out from the ink outflow path 114 is set larger than the maximum discharge amount per unit time of the ink discharged from the nozzles 40 of the recording head 39. The maximum outflow amount is determined, for example, by the cross-sectional area of the ink outflow path 114 orthogonal to the left-right direction 9.

[Ink outlet path 117, return path 119]
As shown in FIG. 8, ink outlet paths 117 </ b> B, 117 </ b> M, 117 </ b> C, and 117 </ b> Y (an example of a liquid outlet path) are provided on the right side surface of the ink tank 100. One end of each of the ink outlet paths 117B, 117M, 117C, and 117Y is connected to the corresponding ink outlet paths 114B, 114M, 114C, and 114Y at the positions of the openings 116B, 116M, 116C, and 116Y, and the other end is connected to the connecting portions 118B, 118M, and 118Y. It is connected to 118C and 118Y. Four ink tubes 32 </ b> B, 32 </ b> M, 32 </ b> C, and 32 </ b> Y (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the inks of the respective colors are connected to the connecting portion 118 protruding from the upper wall 104 of the ink tank 100. That is, the ink outlet path 117 is a path that guides the ink that has flowed out of the ink chamber 111 through the corresponding ink outlet path 114 to the recording head 39 through the ink tube 32 that is connected to the corresponding connecting portion 118. The volumes of the ink outlet paths 117 and the ink tubes 32 are substantially the same.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9B, return channels 119B, 119M, 119C, and 119Y are provided on the right side surface of the ink tank 100. The return flow paths 119B, 119M, 119C, and 119Y are connected at one end to the ink outflow paths 114B, 114M, 114C, and 114Y at the positions of the openings 116B, 116M, 116C, and 116Y, and the other ends are the openings 120B, 120M, 120C, and 120Y. Through the corresponding ink chamber 111. The openings 116 and 120 are provided at different positions in the vertical direction 7. More specifically, the opening 120 is provided above the corresponding opening 116 in the vertical direction 7.

  The opening 120 is provided above the center of the corresponding ink chamber 111 in the vertical direction 7 (except for the opening 120B). More preferably, the opening 120 is provided at a position above the ink level in the corresponding ink chamber 111 (except for the opening 120B). Further, the opening 120 is provided behind the corresponding opening 116 in the front-rear direction 8 (an example of the third direction) (however, the opening 120B is excluded). Further, the opening 120 is provided to the left of the corresponding opening 116 in the left-right direction 9 (an example of the fourth direction). That is, the return channel 119 extends from the opening 116 upward in the up-down direction 7 and rearward in the front-rear direction 8, and further to the left in the left-right direction 9 to reach the opening 120 (except for the return channel 119B). .

  As shown in FIG. 8, the right wall 102 of the ink tank 100 is provided with a plurality of projecting walls 121 </ b> A to 121 </ b> I (these may be collectively referred to as “projecting walls 121”). . The protruding wall 121 protrudes rightward from the outer surface (right side surface) of the right wall 102 and extends along the outer surface of the right wall 102. A film 122 is welded to the right end of each protruding wall 121. A single (common) film 122 is welded to the projecting walls 121A to 121I in the present embodiment. The ink outlet path 117 and the return path 119 indicate a space defined by the adjacent projecting walls 121 </ b> A to 121 </ b> H and the film 122.

  The projecting walls 121A and 121B that define the ink outlet path 117B extend rearward from a position sandwiching the opening 116B, and further extend upward to reach the upper end of the ink tank 100. The protruding walls 121C and 121D that define the ink outlet path 117Y, the protruding walls 121E and 121F that define the ink outlet path 117C, and the protruding walls 121G and 121H that define the ink outlet path 117M have corresponding openings 116Y, 116C, and 116M. It extends downward from the sandwiching position, and further extends upward on the rear side of the openings 116Y, 116C, 116M to reach the upper end of the ink tank 100. That is, the ink outlet paths 117Y, 117C, and 117M are connected to the corresponding ink outlet paths 114Y, 114C, and 114M below the openings 116Y, 116C, and 116M (referred to as “below the center in the vertical direction 7”). . Further, each ink outlet path 117 is connected to the corresponding connecting portion 118 through a space (not shown) extending in the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9 inside the ink tank 100.

  Projection walls 121A and 121B that define the return channel 119B, projection walls 121B and 121C that define the return channel 119Y, projection walls 121D and 121E that define the return channel 119C, and projection walls 121F that define the return channel 119M , 121G extend upward from a position sandwiching the corresponding opening 116. In other words, the return flow path 119 is connected to the corresponding ink outflow path 114 in the upper part of the opening 116 (referred to as “above the center in the vertical direction 7”). Each return channel 119B extends to the left in the left-right direction 9 inside the ink tank 100 and communicates with the corresponding ink chamber 111 through the opening 120, as shown in FIG. 9B.

  In this embodiment, the flow path resistances of the return flow paths 119Y, 119C, and 119M are set larger than the flow path resistances of the corresponding ink outflow paths 114Y, 114C, and 114M. There are various methods for changing the channel resistance. For example, the channel resistance can be increased by increasing the channel length, reducing the cross-sectional area of the channel, or combining them.

[Additional ink chamber 123]
Further, an additional ink chamber 123 (additional storage chamber) is provided on the right side surface of the ink tank 100 as shown in FIG. The additional ink chamber 123 is a space defined by the protruding walls 121H and 121I and the film 122 that are continuous in the circumferential direction. The additional ink chamber 123 communicates with the ink chamber 111B through through holes 123A and 123B that penetrate the right wall 102. The through hole 123B is provided above the through hole 123A in the up-down direction 7. In the additional ink chamber 123, a portion to be detected 124 is formed by a part of the protruding wall 121I that defines the lower end of the additional ink chamber 123 surrounding the front, rear, and lower sides of the through hole 123A.

[Optical sensor 125]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the multi-function device 10 includes an optical sensor 125 having a light emitting unit 125 </ b> A and a light receiving unit 125 </ b> B facing each other in the front-rear direction 8 with the detected portion 124 interposed therebetween. The light emitting unit 125A outputs light (eg, visible light or infrared light) that passes through the protruding wall 121I and does not pass through the black ink toward the light receiving unit 125B. In response to receiving the light output from the light emitting unit 125A, the light receiving unit 125B outputs a high level signal (“signal having a signal level equal to or higher than a threshold”) to the control unit. On the other hand, the light receiving unit 125B outputs a low level signal (“signal having a signal level less than a threshold”) to the control unit in response to not receiving light.

[Atmospheric communication passage 126]
As shown in FIG. 10, atmospheric communication paths 126B, 126M, 126C, and 126Y are connected to each ink chamber 111. The atmosphere communication path 126 allows the corresponding ink chamber 111 to communicate with the atmosphere. More specifically, the atmosphere communication passage 126 communicates with the corresponding ink chamber 111 through the notch 127 and communicates with the outside of the ink tank 100 through the opening 132. The atmosphere communication path 126 passes air between the ink chamber 111 and the outside of the ink tank 100 through the notch 127, the first through hole 128, the labyrinth 129, the second through hole 130, the gas path 131, and the opening 132. Inflow and outflow.

  The notch 127 is provided above the center of the corresponding ink chamber 111 in the up-down direction 7, behind the center of the front-rear direction 8, and to the left of the center of the left-right direction 9. More specifically, the notch 127 </ b> B is defined by the upper wall 104, the film 106, and the partition wall 107. The notch 127M is defined by the upper wall 104, the film 106, and the partition wall 108. The notch 127 </ b> C is defined by the upper wall 104, the film 106, and the partition wall 109. The notch 127Y is defined by the upper wall 104, the film 106, and the left wall 103. That is, the notches 127 in the present embodiment are provided at the upper end, the rear end, and the left end of the corresponding ink chamber 111.

  A semipermeable membrane 133 is attached to the first through hole 128. The semipermeable membrane 133 is a porous membrane having fine pores that block the passage of ink and allow the passage of gas. For example, polytetrafluoroethylene, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene It consists of fluororesins, such as a copolymer, a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, and a tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer. Further, the upper part of the first through hole 128, the labyrinth 129, and the second through hole 130 is covered with a film 134.

[Partition 135]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, partition walls 135B, 135M, 135C, and 135Y extending in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 are provided inside the ink chamber 111. The partition wall 135 of the present embodiment extends substantially in the horizontal direction, but the direction of the partition wall 135 is not limited to this. For example, the partition wall 135 may be inclined downward in the rearward direction 8.

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

  As shown in FIG. 11, the partition wall 135M is provided at least in the intersection region. As an example, the intersecting region can be defined as a region that intersects an imaginary line (broken line in FIG. 11) passing through the inlet 112M and orthogonal to the inclined wall 101B. As another example, the intersecting region can be defined as a region intersecting with an imaginary line passing through the inlet 112M and extending in the penetration direction of the inlet 112M. As yet another example, the intersecting region can be defined as a region intersecting the outflow direction of the ink flowing out from the supply port 137 of the ink bottle 136 that is positioned by entering the ink chamber 111M through the injection port 112M. That is, the partition wall 135M is provided in a region through which ink flowing into the ink chamber 111M through the inlet 112M passes. In other words, most of the ink injected into the ink chamber 111M through the injection port 112M hits the partition wall 135M.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the partition wall 135M is provided in the entire region on the front side in the front-rear direction 8 (that is, the side close to the injection port 112M in the horizontal direction) from the intersection region. In other words, the partition wall 135 continuously extends so as to be connected to the standing wall 101A and the partition walls 107 and 108 without a gap on the front side of the intersection region. That is, the partition wall 135M separates the ink chamber 111M in the up-down direction 7 in the entire region on the front side from the intersecting region. Further, the partition wall 135M extends to the rear side in the front-rear direction 8 (that is, the side far from the injection port 112 in the horizontal direction) from the intersection region. However, a part of the partition wall 135M on the rear side from the intersecting region is opened. The area of the opening provided in the partition wall 135M (in the example of FIG. 12, the opening width in the left-right direction 9) increases as the distance from the injection port 112M increases. The shape of the opening is symmetric with respect to the direction away from the injection port 112M along the partition wall 135M (that is, the backward direction of the front-rear direction 8). The shape of the opening in the present embodiment is an isosceles triangle with the apex facing forward.

  As shown in FIG. 4, an upper limit instruction line 151 is provided near the upper end of the standing wall 101A of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100, and a lower limit instruction line 152 is provided near the lower end of the standing wall 101A. The upper limit instruction line 151 is a line for instructing the user the position that should be the upper limit of the ink injected into the ink chamber 111 through the injection port 112. The upper limit instruction line 151 extends substantially linearly along the left-right direction 9. The lower limit instruction line 152 is a line for instructing the user of the position to be maintained as the lower limit of the liquid level of the ink stored in the ink chamber 111. The lower limit instruction line 152 extends substantially linearly along the left-right direction 9. Note that, on the side of the upper limit instruction line 151 and the lower limit instruction line 152, for example, “Full” and “Empty” are positions indicating the upper and lower limits of the liquid level of the ink stored in the ink chamber 111. The description which a user can understand may be given. The user can visually recognize the ink interface in the ink chamber 111 through the standing wall 101 </ b> A of the front wall 101 through which visible light is transmitted, and the ink interface is compared with the upper limit instruction line 151 or the lower limit instruction line 152. Whether the ink stored in 111 is the upper limit or the lower limit can be determined.

[Cap 113]
As shown in FIG. 1, the cap 113 can be attached to and detached from the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100. The cap 113 has four caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y corresponding to the four inlets 112B, 112M, 112C, and 112Y of the ink tank 100. The shapes of the caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y are the same. Therefore, the detailed configuration of the cap 113 as a whole will be described below.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the cap 113 has an outer shape in which the knob portion 142 and the convex portion 143 protrude from the center of the generally disc-shaped disc portion 141 in opposite directions. The cap 113 is formed from a material that can be elastically deformed, such as rubber or elastomer. The disk portion 141 has a depression near the center on the surface 141A, and a knob 142 projects from the center of the surface 141A along a direction orthogonal to the surface 141A. The depressions on the surface 141A are formed in order to increase the length of the knob 142 in the longitudinal direction and make it easier to hold. The back surface 141B is a flat surface. The back surface 141 </ b> B can contact the peripheral edge portion of the injection port 112.

  The knob 142 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the outer diameter of the distal end thereof is larger than the outer diameter of the base end (portion on the surface 141A side). The reason why the outer diameter of the tip portion is increased is to make it easier for a finger to be caught when the cap 113 is pulled out of the injection port 112 with the knob 142.

  The convex portion 143 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and protrudes from the center of the back surface 141B of the disk portion 141 along a direction orthogonal to the back surface 141B. The outer diameter of the convex portion 143 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the injection port 112. Therefore, the convex portion 143 is inserted into the inlet 112 while being elastically deformed so that the outer diameter is reduced. In a state where the convex portion 143 is inserted into the injection port 112, the outer surface 143A of the convex portion 143 is in pressure contact with the inner surface of the injection port 112 to seal the injection port 112 in a liquid-tight manner. A concave portion 144 is formed at the center of the tip of the convex portion 143 toward the back surface 141B. Due to the concave portion 144, the outer surface 143 </ b> A of the convex portion 143 can easily fall down radially inward, and the convex portion 143 can be easily inserted into the injection port 112.

[Cover 70]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 14, the cover 70 is provided so that the opening 22 formed in the front wall 14 </ b> A of the housing 14 can be opened and closed. The cover 70 rotates around a rotation axis 70 </ b> A that extends along the mounting surface 6 on which the multifunction machine 10 is mounted, specifically, along the left-right direction 9. The cover 70 has an outer shape with a size corresponding to the opening 22 and has a box shape in which the opening 22 side opens. The cover 70 covers the standing wall 101A and the inclined wall 101B of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 in the closed position. Therefore, the caps 113 attached to the respective inlets 112 cannot be accessed from the outside by the cover 70 in the closed position.

  The cover 70 exposes the standing wall 101A and the inclined wall 101B of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 to the outside of the housing 14 in the open position. Therefore, the cap 70 attached to each inlet 112 can be accessed from the outside by the cover 70 in the open position. As shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, the cover 70 has an outer surface 70 </ b> B that forms a part of the front wall 14 </ b> A of the housing 14 in the closed position, and an inner surface 70 </ b> C that faces the ink tank 100. On the upper end 71 side of the cover 70, an engaging portion 73 that protrudes from the inner surface 70C toward the housing 14 is provided. The engaging portion 73 holds the cover 70 in the closed position by engaging with the vicinity of the upper end of the opening 22 of the housing 14.

  In the cover 70 in the closed position, a window 74 is formed in the center of the up-down direction 7 and the left-right direction 9. The window 74 can transmit light between the outer surface 70B side and the inner surface 70C side of the cover 70, and is configured by fitting a transparent member 81 (an example of a visual recognition unit) that can transmit visible light into the opening. Has been. The window 74 has such a size that the upper side from the lower end of the standing wall 101A of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 and the lower side from the upper end of the inclined wall 101B can be viewed from the front wall 14A side of the housing 14 in the vertical direction 7. In the left-right direction 9, the size of the front wall 101 other than the left end and the right end is visible. Therefore, in the cover 70 in the closed position, the caps 113 attached to the injection ports 112 are visible from the outside of the cover 70 through the transparent member 81. Further, in the cover 70 in the closed position, the upper limit instruction line 151 and the lower limit instruction line 152 marked on the standing wall 101A of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 are visible from the outside of the cover 70 through the transparent member 81.

  On the inner surface 70 </ b> C of the cover 70, a holding portion 75 is provided on the lower end 72 side from the window 74, that is, a position closer to the lower end 72 than the upper end 71 when the cover 70 is in the closed position. The holding portion 75 is provided with four holding portions 75B, 75M, 75C, and 75Y in a line along the left-right direction 9 corresponding to the four caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y. In the cover 70 in the open position, the four holding portions 75B, 75M, 75C, and 75Y are slightly shifted to the right in the left-right direction 9 with respect to the four inlets 112B, 112M, 112C, and 112Y. However, the positions of the holding portions 75B, 75M, 75C, and 75Y are not limited to this, and may be positions corresponding to the inlets 112B, 112M, 112C, and 112Y in the left-right direction 9.

  Since the four holding portions 75B, 75M, 75C, and 75Y have the same configuration except that the arrangement in the left-right direction 9 is different, the detailed configuration of the holding portion 75 will be generally described below. As shown in FIGS. 14 to 17, the holding portion 75 has a cylindrical shape protruding from the inner surface 70 </ b> C of the cover 70. The outer diameter of the holding part 75 is larger than the outer diameter of the convex part 143 of the cap 113. The holding portion 75 is formed with a circular recess 76 that opens to the protruding end side. A convex portion 79 extending from the center of the bottom surface of the concave portion 76 toward the protruding end side of the holding portion 75 is provided. The convex portion 143 of the cap 113 can be inserted into the concave portion 76. When the convex portion 143 of the cap 113 is inserted into the concave portion 76 of the holding portion 75, the convex portion 79 of the holding portion 75 is inserted into the concave portion 144 of the cap 113. The inner diameter of the concave portion 76 is equal to the outer diameter of the convex portion 143, and the outer diameter of the convex portion 79 is equal to the inner diameter of the concave portion 144. In a state where the convex portion 143 of the cap 113 is inserted into the concave portion 76, the outer surface 143A of the convex portion 143 contacts the inner surface of the concave portion 76 so that a frictional force is generated so that the cap 113 does not fall out of the holding portion 75 by its own weight. . Therefore, the cap 113 is held in the state of being inserted into the recess 76 even when the cover 70 is rotated from the open position to the closed position. Further, the ink that has entered the concave portion 76 is stored in the concave portion 76, specifically, between the inner surface of the concave portion 76 and the outer surface of the convex portion 79 even when the cover 70 is closed due to surface tension. Is done.

  An ink pad 77 is provided on the inner surface 70 </ b> C of the cover 70 around the holding portion 75. The ink pad 77 is a nonwoven fabric having a three-dimensional network structure that can absorb and retain ink. The ink pad 77 may be disposed in the recess 76 of the holding unit 75. Further, the ink pad 77 may include a display indicating which of the ink colors each holding unit 75 corresponds to.

[Sensor 80]
As shown in FIG. 14, a sensor 80 is provided at the upper right corner of the opening 22 of the housing 14. The sensor 80 is a mechanical switch. The sensor 80 is turned on when it comes into contact with the cover 70 in the closed position, and is turned off when the cover 70 is rotated away from the closed position. As shown in FIG. 15, the sensor 80 outputs a signal indicating the ON state to the control unit 90 of the printer unit 11 when the sensor 80 is in the ON state. The control unit 90 is an arithmetic unit made up of a CPU, ROM, RAM, ASIC, and the like mounted on the control board, and determines that the cover 70 is not in the closed position according to the output signal of the sensor 80. That is, when the sensor 80 is not in the ON state, in other words, when the sensor 80 is in the OFF state, it is determined that the cover 70 is not in the closed position. In response to determining that the cover 70 is not in the closed position, the control unit 90 causes the liquid crystal display 17B of the operation panel 17 to display a display indicating that the cover 70 is not in the closed position. Note that the control unit 90 may generate a buzzer sound on a speaker (not shown) or turn on an LED lamp indicating a warning instead of or in addition to the display on the liquid crystal display 17B.

[Attaching Cap 113 to Holding Unit 75]
When the multifunction machine 10 is in a usable state (used state), as shown in FIGS. 1A and 16, the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100 is sealed with a cap 113, and the housing 14 The opening 22 of the front wall 14A is closed by a cover 70 in the closed position. When the multifunction machine 10 is in use, the front wall 14A extends in a direction that intersects the placement surface 6 on which the multifunction machine 10 is placed.

  When the ink is consumed in each ink chamber 111 of the ink tank 100, as shown in FIG. 14, the user rotates the cover 70 from the closed position to the open position, and opens the front wall 14A of the housing 14. The ink inlet 100 of the ink tank 100 located in front of 22 is made accessible. When the cover 70 is rotated from the closed position, the sensor 80 changes from the ON state to the OFF state, and the control unit 90 determines that the cover 70 is not in the closed position according to the output signal of the sensor 80. Then, the control unit 90 displays on the liquid crystal display 17B of the operation panel 17 that the cover 70 is not in the closed position.

  After rotating the cover 70 to the open position, the user pulls out the cap 113 corresponding to the ink chamber 111 to be refilled with ink from the injection port 112. Then, as shown in FIG. 17, the user inserts the pulled-out cap 113 into the concave portion 76 of the holding portion 75 corresponding to the ink chamber 111 to be replenished with ink. Thereby, the cap 113 removed from the injection port 112 is held by the holding portion 75.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the user inserts the supply port 137 of the ink bottle 136 into the injection port 112 and replenishes ink into the ink chamber 111. After the replenishment of ink, the user removes the cap 113 from the holding portion 75 and inserts the cap 113 into the injection port 112 to seal the injection port 112. Thereafter, the cover 70 is rotated from the open position to the closed position. When the cover 70 is in the closed position, the sensor 80 changes from the OFF state to the ON state, and the control unit 90 determines that the cover 70 is in the closed position according to the output signal of the sensor 80. Then, the control unit 90 causes the liquid crystal display 17B of the operation panel 17 to disappear from the display indicating that the cover 70 is not in the closed position.

  If the user replenishes ink into the ink chamber 111, the cover 70 is moved from the open position to the closed position with the cap 113 held by the holding portion 75 without sealing the inlet 112 with the cap 113. Suppose you try to rotate. Since the cap 113 held by the holding portion 75 is located in the moving region of the cover 70, the cap 70 is held by the holding portion 75 before the cover 70 reaches the closed position from the open position as shown in FIG. The cap 113 thus brought into contact with the standing wall 101 </ b> A of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100. That is, the cap 113 held by the holding portion 75 is interposed between the standing wall 101 </ b> A of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 and the inner surface 70 </ b> C of the cover 70. As a result, the cover 70 is prevented from rotating to the closed position.

  As shown in FIG. 18, when the cap 113 held by the holding portion 75 comes into contact with the standing wall 101 </ b> A of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100, the rotation shaft 70 </ b> A and the upper end 71 of the cover 70 are connected with the shortest distance. The angle A on the open position side formed by the virtual straight line 78 and the placement surface 6 on which the multifunction machine 10 is placed, that is, the angle A on the front side of the front wall 14A of the housing 14 is less than 90 degrees. Accordingly, when the user releases the cover 70 from the state in which the cap 113 held by the holding unit 75 is in contact with the standing wall 101A of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100, the cover 70 is moved to the open position by the action of gravity. Rotate.

  In addition, if the user replenishes ink into the ink chamber 111 and then removes the cap 113 from the holding portion 75, the cover 70 is rotated from the open position to the closed position without attaching the cap 113 to the inlet 112. Suppose that. Since the cap 113 is not held by the holding portion 75, the cover 70 is rotated from the open position to the closed position by a user operation. When the cover 70 is in the closed position, the sensor 80 changes from the OFF state to the ON state, and the control unit 90 determines that the cover 70 is in the closed position according to the output signal of the sensor 80. Then, the control unit 90 causes the liquid crystal display 17B of the operation panel 17 to disappear from the display indicating that the cover 70 is not in the closed position.

  However, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 16, if the cap 113 is attached to each inlet 112, each note from the outside of the cover 70 is passed through the transparent member 81 when the cover 70 is in the closed position. Each cap 113 attached to the inlet 112 can be visually recognized. On the contrary, if the cap 113 is not attached to each inlet 112, the cap 113 cannot be visually recognized, and the user can see the inlet 112 in a state where the cover 70 is in the closed position. It can be recognized that the cap 113 is forgotten to be attached to the inlet 112. In addition, since the cap 113 is color-coded according to the ink color, it is obvious at a glance whether the user has forgotten to attach the cap 113B, 113M, 113C, 113Y corresponding to any of the inlets 112B, 112M, 112C, 112Y. Can grasp.

  In addition, when the cover 70 is in the closed position, it is sufficient that at least a part of the cap 113 is visible when the cap 113 is attached to each inlet 112, but the entire cap 113 is visible. It is more preferable. That is, it is preferable that the transparent member 81 extends to a position facing the projection surface in the left-right direction 9 of the cap 113. Moreover, it is preferable that the injection port 112 can be visually recognized as a whole when the cover 70 is in the closed position.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
According to this embodiment, since the cap 113 in the state where the injection port 112 is closed from the outside of the cover 70 by the transparent member 81 can be visually recognized with the cover 70 in the closed position, the injection port 112 is blocked by the cap 113. It is suppressed that the multifunction device 10 is used in a state in which it is not. Further, the cap 113 is not removed from the inlet 112 while the cover 70 is in the closed position.

  Further, since the transparent member 81 is fitted in the window 74 of the cover 70, the cap 113 in a state where the injection port 112 is closed from the outside of the cover 70 by the transparent member 81 can be visually recognized with the cover 70 in the closed position. And it can suppress that a dust and a foreign material penetrate | invade into the inside of the housing | casing 14 from the opening 22 in the state in which the cover 70 exists in a closed position.

  In addition, since the inclined wall 101B in which the injection port 112 is formed is exposed in front of the opening 22 and arranged in the housing 14 in the ink tank 100, the inclined wall 101B is in a state where the cover 70 is in the open position. The operation of injecting ink from the outside of the housing 14 into the injection port 112 formed in the above is easy.

  Further, the cover 70 rotates around the rotation shaft 70A provided at a position closer to the lower end than the upper end when the cover 14 is in the closed position on the front wall 14A of the casing 14, so If it is not engaged with the vicinity of the upper end of the fourteen openings 22, the cover 70 is not held in the closed position but is rotated to the open position by gravity. On the other hand, the cover 70 in the open position is supported by the placement surface 6 and held in the open position. Thereby, the operation of attaching and detaching the cap 113 with the cover 70 in the open position is easy, and the cover 70 is not held in the closed position in a situation not intended by the user.

  In addition, since the caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y are color-coded, it is possible to clearly recognize whether the caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y corresponding to the injection ports 112B, 112M, 112C, and 112Y are forgotten to be attached. . In particular, the caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y have the same color as the ink stored in the corresponding ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y, so that it is easier to grasp.

  Further, since the inclined wall 101B of the ink tank 100 faces obliquely upward on the cover 70 side in the closed position, it is easy to replenish ink from the inlet 112.

  Further, since the injection port 112 is disposed in front of the front surface of the housing 31 of the scanner unit 30 of the multifunction machine 10, it is easy to lift the scanner unit 30 upward and rotate it. Since the ink bottle can be inserted into the injection port 112, the ink injection operation and the like are easy.

[Modification]
In the embodiment described above, the transparent member 81 is fitted into the window 74 of the cover 70, but instead of such a window 74, as shown in FIG. In the closed position, a plurality of slits 82 (an example of a visual recognition unit) that are elongated in the vertical direction 7 may be formed at intervals in the horizontal direction 9. Further, as shown in FIG. 19B, a mesh 83 (an example of a visual recognition unit) may be provided on the window 74 instead of the transparent member 81. Further, instead of the window 74, as shown in FIG. 19C, a plurality of through-holes 84 (an example of a visual recognition part) penetrating the cover 70 are formed at intervals in the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9. May be. Such a slit 82, mesh 83, or a plurality of through holes 84 can also visually recognize the cap 113 in a state where the inlet 112 is closed from the outside of the cover 70 with the cover 70 in the closed position. It is suppressed that the multifunction machine 10 is used while 112 is not blocked by the cap 113. Further, the cap 113 is not removed from the inlet 112 while the cover 70 is in the closed position. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 19, the slit 82, the mesh 83, and the plurality of through holes 84 are large enough to visually recognize the upper limit instruction line 151 and the lower limit instruction line 152 when the cover 70 is in the closed position. Or you may be provided in the position.

  Further, the shape of the cap 113 may be changed as appropriate. For example, instead of being inserted into the injection port 112 of the ink tank 100, it may have a shape that is fitted around a cylindrical protrusion formed around the injection port 112, or formed around the injection port 112. The injection port 112 may be sealed by screwing the formed male screw and the female screw formed on the cap 113.

  In the embodiment described above, the opening 22 is formed on the right side of the front wall 14A of the housing 14 and the ink tank 100 is disposed behind the opening 22. However, the opening 22 is formed on the left side of the front wall 14A. The ink tank 100 may be disposed behind the opening 22. Further, instead of the front wall 14 </ b> A of the housing 14, an opening 22 may be formed on the right side wall or the left side wall, and the inlet 112 of the ink tank 100 may be accessible from the right side or the left side. In such an embodiment, the injection port 112 may be arranged on the left side or the right side of the side wall surface of the casing 31 of the scanner unit 30. Further, the cover 70 is not limited to the one that opens around the rotation axis along the left-right direction 9 or the front-rear direction 8 as in the above-described embodiment, and is, for example, a so-called opening around the rotation axis along the vertical direction 7. Side opening may be sufficient.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the ink has been 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.

11 Printer (Liquid consumption device)
14 Housing 14A Front wall (side wall)
22 Opening 30 Scanner unit (image reading device)
31 Housing 70 Cover 70A Rotating shaft 71 Upper end (first end)
72 Lower end (second end)
74 Window (viewing part)
81 Transparent member (viewing part)
82 Slit (viewing part)
83 Through hole (viewing part)
100 Ink tank 101 Front wall 111 Ink chamber (liquid storage chamber)
112 Inlet 113 Cap 114 Ink outflow path (liquid outflow path)

Claims (10)

A liquid storage chamber in which liquid is stored, an inlet for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber, and a tank in which a liquid outflow path for allowing liquid to flow out of the liquid storage chamber is formed;
A cap that can be attached to the tank with the inlet closed;
A cover movable with respect to the tank between a closed position covering the surface of the tank where the inlet is formed and an open position exposing the surface of the tank where the inlet is formed;
A part of the tank, and a liquid consuming part for consuming the liquid flowing out from the liquid outflow path of the tank, and a housing having an opening,
The cover in the closed position is made inaccessible to the cap in a state where the inlet is closed,
The cover has a visual recognition portion that allows at least a part of the cap in the closed state to be visually recognized from the outside of the cover in the closed position;
The housing has a side wall that extends in a direction intersecting with a placement surface on which the housing is placed and has the opening formed therein.
A part of the tank is accommodated in the casing in a state where a part of the tank is accommodated in the casing and a part other than the part including the inlet is exposed outside the casing through the opening. by fixedly disposed, the surface which the inlet is formed in a plan view when the cover is opened position are visible,
The surface on which the inlet is formed is a liquid consuming apparatus that is at least a part of a side surface constituting the tank and intersects the horizontal direction.   The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the visual recognition unit is made of a translucent member capable of transmitting visible light.   The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the visual recognition unit is a slit, a mesh, or a plurality of through holes.   The cover has a first end that is an upper end and a second end that is a lower end when the cover is in the closed position, and the rotation axis along the placement surface is higher than the first end. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid consuming apparatus is provided at a position close to the rotation axis and rotates around the rotation axis. The tank includes a plurality of liquid storage chambers, a plurality of liquid outflow passages for allowing liquid to flow out from the plurality of liquid storage chambers, and a plurality of the injections for injecting liquid into each of the plurality of liquid storage chambers. And an entrance,
The liquid consuming device according to claim 1, wherein the cap is a plurality of caps that respectively close the plurality of inlets.   6. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of the caps is color-coded.   The liquid consuming device according to claim 6, wherein the color of each cap is the same color as the color of the liquid stored in each of the liquid storage chambers corresponding to each of the inlets that each of the caps closes.   The liquid consuming device according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the tank on which the inlet is formed faces obliquely upward on the cover side in the closed position.   The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a surface of the tank on which the inlet is formed has an angle of 45 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane. A multifunction device comprising the liquid consuming device according to claim 1 and an image reading device provided above the liquid consuming device,
The multi-function peripheral in which the inlet of the liquid consuming device is disposed outward from the wall surface of the housing of the image reading device.

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