JP6624843B2 - Inspection system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inspection system for inspecting the sealing of the liquid container before supplying liquid to the liquid container.

  The liquid storage container is required to securely seal the space containing the liquid. This is because if the tightness of the space inside the liquid storage container is insufficient, the liquid inside may leak out of the liquid storage container when the liquid storage container is distributed in the market. Therefore, in order to confirm whether or not the airtightness of the space inside the liquid container is sufficiently ensured, an inspection on the airtightness of the liquid container is performed before the liquid is filled in the liquid container. Sometimes.

  Patent Literature 1 discloses an inspection in which air is supplied into a liquid storage container and the pressure immediately after the supply is compared with the pressure after a certain period of time has elapsed in order to check the tightness of the liquid storage container. Have been. In the inspection disclosed in Patent Document 1, the pressure immediately after supplying air into the liquid storage container is compared with the pressure after a lapse of a certain time from the supply. It is determined that it has occurred. If the pressure has not decreased by a certain amount or more, it is determined that the liquid storage container is sufficiently sealed.

JP 2003-127409 A

  However, in the inspection disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a columnar recess formed in the outer wall of the liquid container to receive a supply unit that supplies air into the liquid container extends in the thickness direction of the outer wall. It is formed. Since the concave portion extending in the thickness direction of the outer wall of the liquid storage container is formed, accuracy is required in the positional relationship between the supply device and the liquid storage container when the supply device is connected to the liquid storage container. You. If the positional accuracy between them is insufficient, the connection position of the supply means to the liquid container is shifted, and air is supplied to the outside of the liquid container when air is supplied to the inside of the liquid container. Leakage and insufficient supply of air to the liquid container may occur. Therefore, the inspection cannot be performed with high accuracy, and there is a possibility that the liquid storage container may be distributed on the market without ensuring the tightness of the liquid storage container.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an inspection system of a liquid container that can be inspected for tightness more reliably in the liquid container.

The inspection system of the present invention includes an installation portion capable of installing a liquid storage container capable of storing a liquid therein, a projection, and a supply port capable of supplying air at a tip of the projection, An air supply unit that can supply air to the inside of the liquid storage container installed in the installation unit, and a determination unit that determines whether air leakage has occurred from the liquid storage container, The liquid storage container is formed with a receiving portion capable of receiving the projecting portion, and the receiving portion communicates between the outside and the inside of the liquid storing container so that the projecting portion is connected to the receiving portion. A communication port capable of supplying the air from the supply port to the inside of the liquid storage container is formed in a state where the air is leaked from the liquid storage container by the determination unit. Is determined And by the sealed condition inspection of liquid container, the receiving unit is configured and inclined portions are formed which are inclined with respect to the formed surface of the receiving portion of the liquid container, the liquid container A groove is formed connected to the receiving portion, and the groove is formed shallower than the receiving portion .

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can test | inspect the airtightness of a liquid storage container by supplying air reliably to the inside of a liquid storage container so that it may not leak. Therefore, when the inspection for the sealing property of the liquid storage container is performed, a more accurate inspection can be performed.

FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of an ink tank on which an inspection for sealing is performed by the inspection system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of an assembled ink tank. It is. FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of an air communication portion in the ink tank of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a plan view of the vicinity of an air communication portion of the ink tank of FIG. (A)-(c) is explanatory drawing which showed the ink tank and the test | inspection system in each process, when performing the test | inspection about the sealing property in the ink tank of FIG. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view illustrating a positional relationship when an air pressurizing unit is arranged at an appropriate position in an air communication unit of an ink tank, and FIG. It is sectional drawing which showed each positional relationship when it shifted. (A) is an explanatory view showing the force acting on the air pressurizing part when the inclination angle of the inclined surface of the atmosphere communication part in the ink tank of FIG. 1 is relatively small, and (b) is the inclination angle of the inclined surface. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a force acting on an air pressurizing unit when is relatively large. FIGS. 2A to 2C are cross-sectional views illustrating the periphery of the atmosphere communication portion when the inclination angle of the inclined surface is different between the inside and the outside of the ink tank of FIG. FIGS. 3A to 3C are cross-sectional views of the periphery of the air communication unit when the inclination angle of the air pressurization unit and the inclination angle of the air communication unit are the same in the ink tank of FIG. (F) is the case where the inclination of the air pressurization part is larger than the inclination of the air communication part, and (g) to (i) is the case where the inclination of the air pressurization part is smaller than the inclination of the air communication part. FIG. (A) is a plan view of the vicinity of the atmosphere communication portion in the ink tank according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIIIB-VIIIB of (a). FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of the ink tank of FIG. 8 around an atmosphere communication portion.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(1st Embodiment)
An inspection system for inspecting the inside airtightness of the ink tank (liquid container) 4 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, the configuration of the ink tank 4 to be inspected will be described.

  FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view showing a state where the ink holding member 1 and the lid member 5 are separated from each other in the ink tank 4 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1B shows an external perspective view of the ink tank 4 in a state where the container and the lid are joined. The ink tank 4 mainly includes the ink holding member 1 and the lid member 5.

  An ink absorber 23 is disposed inside the ink tank 4. The ink absorber 23 is configured to be able to absorb and hold ink.

  The ink holding member 1 has an ink storage section 3 for holding ink (liquid), and can store ink inside. An ink supply port 2 for communicating the ink storage unit 3 with the outside is formed on the bottom surface of the ink storage unit 3 facing the recording medium. A filter 30 is disposed in a flow path communicating with the ink supply port 2 in the ink holding member 1. When the ink stored in the ink holding member 1 is used, the ink passes through the filter 30, is discharged from the ink supply port 2, and is supplied to a recording element substrate (not shown). A filter 30 is provided at the ink supply port 2 in order to prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the ink holding member 1 together with the ink when the ink is supplied to the ink storage unit 3.

  As a material forming the filter 30, a metal filter such as SUS, a resin filter, a porous filter, or the like can be used. In the present embodiment, a SUS filter is used. In addition, an ink absorber 23 is inserted into the ink storage unit 3 in order to increase the ink holding force of the ink holding member 1.

  The lid member 5 is formed with an air communication portion 15 having a small thickness and an air communication port 16 formed at the center and penetrating the wall surface of the lid member 5.

  FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a portion around the atmosphere communicating portion 15 in the cover member 5. FIG. 2B is a plan view of a portion around the atmosphere communication portion 15 in the cover member 5. The atmosphere communication portion 15 is configured such that the lid member 5 is partially removed in the thickness direction, and the atmosphere communication port 16 is formed so as to penetrate the thinned wall surface.

  In the present embodiment, of the members constituting the ink tank 4, a part of the lid member 5 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the thickness direction of the outer wall at a position close to the inside of the ink tank 4 on the outer wall of the lid member 5. The recess 8 is formed in the cover member 5 by being removed. Further, at a position on the outer wall of the lid member 5 closer to the outside of the ink tank 4 than the recess 8, the outer wall is formed in a conical shape such that the diameter of the opening increases toward the outside in the thickness direction of the ink tank 4. A conical surface 9 from which a portion has been removed is formed. That is, the conical surface 9 that intersects the side surface 7 extending along the thickness direction of the wall surface is formed at the outer edge portion in the thickness direction of the concave portion 8 removed in a columnar shape in the atmosphere communication portion 15. ing. The conical surface 9 is formed to be inclined with respect to the side surface 7 extending in the thickness direction of the wall surface forming the recess 8. That is, the air communication portion 15 is formed with an inclined surface (inclined portion) 17 inclined with respect to the surface of the ink tank 4 where the air communication portion 15 is formed (the surface on which the receiving portion is formed). Here, the surface on which the air communication portion 15 is formed refers to the surface of the outer surface of the member on which the air communication portion 15 is formed among the members forming the ink tank 4.

  At the center of the bottom surface of the atmosphere communication portion 15 in the radial direction, a flow that penetrates the lid member 5 partially removed in the thickness direction in the thickness direction to allow ink and air to flow. An air communication port 16 is formed as a path. Since the air communication port 16 is formed in the lid member 5, the inside and the outside of the ink tank 4 are formed to communicate with each other via the air communication port 16.

  The inclined surface 17 is inclined in such a direction that the members forming the ink tank 4 become thinner as the position is closer to the atmosphere communication port 16.

  An air communication groove (groove) 10 is formed outside the air communication portion 15 in the lid member 5 in the radial direction so as to communicate with the air communication portion 15. The atmosphere communication groove 10 is formed such that the distance from the surface of the cover member 5 to the bottom surface of the atmosphere communication groove 10 is shorter than the distance from the surface of the cover member 5 to the bottom surface of the atmosphere communication portion 15. That is, the air communication groove 10 is formed so as to be shallower than the air communication portion 15. The air communication groove 10 is formed so as to extend from a radially outer side of the air communication portion 15 in the cover member 5 toward an air communication port 16 formed at the center of the air communication portion 15.

  In the present embodiment, the air communication portion 15 is formed on the lid member 5. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the air communication portion 15 may be other than the ink holding member 1 other than the lid member 5. It may be formed in a part of.

  As described above, since the conical surface 9 is formed in the air communication portion 15, the inclined surface 17 is formed at a position where the side surface 7 in the air communication portion 15 and the upper surface 6 of the lid member 5 intersect. . An inclined surface 17 that extends in a direction intersecting with the surface direction of the upper surface 6 of the lid member 5 and is inclined is formed outside the air communication portion 15 in the radial direction. The inclined surface 17 is formed so as to surround the outer edge of the atmosphere communication portion 15.

  When the ink is supplied to the ink tank 4, a supply needle (not shown) is inserted into the ink absorber 23 before joining the lid member 5 and the ink holding member 1 in which the ink absorber 23 is disposed. You. Alternatively, a supply needle (not shown) is inserted into the ink tank 4 through the atmosphere communication port 16. A supply port (not shown) through which ink can be supplied into the ink tank 4 is formed at the tip of the supply needle. By supplying the ink from the supply port to the inside of the ink tank 4 via the supply needle, the ink inside the ink tank 4 can be filled.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the ink tank 4 will be described.

  First, the filter 30 is joined to the ink supply port 2 of the ink holding member 1. Subsequently, by inserting the ink absorber 23 into the ink storage section 3 which is a concave portion of the ink holding member 1, the ink absorber 23 is disposed inside the container. When the ink absorber 23 is disposed inside the ink holding member 1, the lid member 5 and the ink holding member 1 are joined. Usually, both the ink holding member 1 and the lid member 5 are formed of a thermoplastic resin. Therefore, in the joining between the ink holding member 1 and the lid member 5, a welding method such as an ultrasonic welding method, a transverse vibration welding method, or a hot plate welding method is employed. In this embodiment, the lid member and the container are joined by the lateral vibration welding method.

  The inspection of the airtightness of the ink tank 4 may be performed before the ink is filled in the ink tank, or may be performed after the ink is filled in the ink tank.

  The determination of the tightness between the ink holding member 1 and the lid member 5 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The configuration of the inspection system 31 for inspecting the sealing of the ink tank will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, the inspection system 31 includes a pump 32 and an air pressurizing unit (air supply unit) 24. Further, the inspection system 31 includes an ink tank installation section (installation section) to which the ink tank 4 can be attached and installed. In a state where the ink tank 4 is installed in the ink tank installation section, an inspection on the airtightness of the ink tank 4 is performed.

  A flow path 33 is connected between the air pressurizing section 24 and the pump 32. The tip of the air pressurizing section 24 that comes into contact with the air communication section 15 of the ink tank 4 is formed in a tapered shape whose diameter decreases toward the ink tank 4. The distal end of the air pressurizing section 24 has a protruding portion 27 protruding in a direction toward the ink tank 4, and the distal end of the protruding portion 27 can supply air to the inside of the ink tank 4. A supply port 28 is provided. The protruding portion 27 of the air pressurizing portion 24 near the front end that comes into contact with the air communication portion 15 of the ink tank 4 has elasticity, and is formed of a rubber material in the present embodiment. The air pressurizing unit 24 is disposed at a position where the air pressurizing unit 24 can come into contact with the air communication unit 15 of the ink tank 4 when the ink tank 4 is installed in the ink tank installation unit. In addition, the air pressurizing unit 24 is configured to be movable at a position facing the atmospheric communication unit 15 in a direction of approaching / separating from the atmospheric communication unit 15.

  When the air pressurizing section 24 comes into contact with the atmosphere communication section 15 of the ink tank 4, the tip of the air pressurization section 24 is fitted into the conical surface 9 and the recess 8 of the atmosphere communication section 15. By driving the pump 32 in a state where the air pressurizing section 24 is fitted into the conical surface 9 and the concave section 8 of the atmosphere communication section 15, air is supplied to the inside of the ink tank 4 through the atmosphere communication section 15. Can be. When air is supplied into the ink tank 4 by driving the pump 32, the flow path connecting the measuring device 34 and the air pressurizing section 24 is closed. At this time, the flow path between the measuring device 34 and the air pressurizing section 24 may be closed by a valve or the like.

  As described above, the air pressurizing unit 24 is configured to be able to supply air to the inside of the ink tank 4 installed in the installation unit. A protruding portion 27 at the tip of the air pressurizing portion 24 is formed with elasticity, and the protruding portion 27 is fitted into the conical surface 9 and the concave portion 8 and is in contact with the ink tank 4. Therefore, the projection 27 and the conical surface 9 or the recess 8 are in contact with each other without any gap between the air pressurizing section 24 and the ink tank 4. Therefore, when the air pressurizing unit 24 is arranged with high accuracy, the leakage of the air is suppressed to a small extent, and the air can be efficiently supplied to the inside of the ink tank 4.

  Further, the inspection system 31 includes a measuring device 34. The measuring device 34 and the air pressurizing section 24 are connected by a flow path 33. Therefore, the pressure inside the ink tank 4 can be measured by the measuring device 34. As described above, the inspection system 31 includes the measuring device (pressure detecting means) 34 capable of detecting the pressure inside the ink tank 4. When the pressure inside the ink tank 4 is detected by the measuring device 34, the flow path connecting the measuring device 34 and the air pressurizing section 24 is closed. At this time, the flow path between the measuring device 34 and the air pressurizing section 24 may be closed by a valve or the like.

  When air is supplied into the ink tank 4 and the pressure inside the ink tank 4 is measured, first, as shown in FIG. 3A, the ink supply port 2 of the ink holding member 1 It is closed by the closing member 29. Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, after the air pressurizing unit 24 is brought into contact with the atmosphere communication unit 15, the pump 32 is driven so that air is supplied from the air pressurizing unit 24 into the ink tank 4. Supply. Thereby, the inside of the ink tank 4 is pressurized. Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, the pressure inside the ink tank 4 is measured. The measurement of the pressure inside the ink tank 4 is performed at a timing immediately after the air is supplied to the inside of the ink tank 4 and a timing after a predetermined time elapses after the air is supplied to the inside of the ink tank 4. It is done with timing.

  In the pressurization by the supply of air into the ink tank 4, the pressurization is performed while determining whether the pressure in the ink tank 4 has reached a predetermined value. When the value of the pressure inside the ink tank 4 reaches a predetermined value, the pressurization stops there. When the pressurization stops, the state is maintained until a certain time elapses. In this state, the ink supply port 2 is closed by the closing member 29. In the atmosphere communication section 15, the air is supplied to the inside of the ink tank 4 in a state where the air pressurizing section 24 is in contact with no gap. Therefore, the ink tank 4 is in a sealed state. At this time, if the airtightness of the ink tank 4 itself is good, the air supplied to the inside of the ink tank 4 has no escape place, and the pressure inside the ink tank 4 does not decrease. If the airtightness of the ink tank 4 is not good, the air supplied into the ink tank 4 leaks out. As a result, the pressure inside the ink tank 4 decreases, and the pressure value becomes smaller than immediately after air is supplied into the ink tank 4.

  Therefore, the pressure inside the ink tank 4 at the timing immediately after the supply of air to the inside of the ink tank 4 and the pressure at the timing after a certain time has elapsed after the supply of air to the inside of the ink tank 4 are obtained. Is compared with the pressure. By doing so, it is possible to inspect whether or not air leaks from the inside of the ink tank 4, and as a result, it is possible to inspect the airtightness inside the ink tank 4.

  As described above, the inspection system 31 detects the pressure inside the ink tank 4 at different timings and compares the detected pressures to determine whether or not air leaks from the ink tank 4. It has. In the present embodiment, the CPU provided in the inspection system 31 functions as a determination unit. In the present embodiment, a CPU is used as the determination unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an external device such as a personal computer may be connected to the inspection system 31 and the external device may function as the determination unit. .

  In addition, an inspection of the closed state of the ink tank 4 is performed by determining whether or not air leaks from the ink tank 4. In the inspection, the pressure inside the ink tank 4 is detected a plurality of times with a time lag after the air is supplied to the ink tank 4. In the pressure detection performed a plurality of times, it is determined whether or not air leaks from the ink tank 4 by comparing the pressure inside the ink tank 4 in each detection.

  As described above, the pressure inside the ink tank 4 is measured immediately after the supply of the air into the ink tank 4 and after a certain time has elapsed therefrom. If the pressure value inside the ink tank is the same as the initial value after re-measurement, it is determined that the airtightness inside the ink tank 4 is kept high.

  In the present embodiment, when the pressure inside the ink tank after a certain period of time is equal to the pressure inside the ink tank immediately after the supply of air, it is determined that the ink tank is determined to be a good product having a high hermeticity. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Not only when the pressure is not always the same before and after a certain period of time, but also when the pressure before and after a certain period of time When the ink tank falls within the range, the ink tank to be inspected may be determined to be good. In other words, when the pressure difference between before and after the elapse of the certain time is not within the predetermined range, it is determined that the ink tank to be inspected is not a good one. Is also good. For example, in a plurality of detections, when the difference between the pressures inside the ink tank 4 in each detection exceeds a predetermined threshold, it is determined that air leakage from the ink tank 4 has occurred. Is also good.

  FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the periphery of the atmosphere communication unit 15 when air is supplied into the ink tank 4 by the air pressurizing unit 24. FIG. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the air communication unit 15 and the air pressurization unit 24 when the position of the air pressurization unit 24 is accurately arranged with respect to a predetermined position of the air communication unit 15. It is shown. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the air communication unit 15 and the air pressurization unit 24 when the position of the air pressure unit 24 is shifted from a predetermined position of the air communication unit 15. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the ink tank 4 is formed with an air communication part (receiving part) 15 that can receive the protruding part 27 at the tip of the air pressurizing part 24. Further, the atmosphere communication portion 15 is formed with an atmosphere communication port 16 for communicating the inside and the outside of the ink tank 4. The inspection system 31 supplies the air from the supply port 28 to the inside of the ink tank 4 through the atmosphere communication port 16 in a state where the protrusion 27 of the air pressurizing section 24 is received by the atmosphere communication section 15. Is configured to be possible. Further, when the air pressurizing unit 24 is accurately arranged such that the center of the air pressurizing unit 24 coincides with the center of the air communicating unit 15 of the ink tank 4, the tip of the air pressurizing unit 24 is 15 without any gap. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently supply the air into the ink tank 4 in a state where the leakage of the air is kept small.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, even if the position of the air pressurizing section 24 is shifted from the atmosphere communicating section 15, the position between the air pressurizing section 24 and the atmosphere communicating section 15 can be reduced. It is kept closed. In the present embodiment, the inclined surface 17 is formed in the atmosphere communication portion 15. Therefore, when the tip end of the air pressurizing section 24 comes into contact with the atmosphere communication section 15, the air pressurization section 24 and the atmosphere communication section 15 come into contact with each other over a relatively wide range of the inclined surface 17. In addition, the tip of the air pressurizing unit 24 is formed of a rubber material. Therefore, when the air pressurizing unit 24 comes into contact with the air communication unit 15, the tip of the air pressurization unit 24 can be deformed according to the shape of the air communication unit 15 at the contacted portion.

  As a result, even if the position of the air pressurizing unit 24 is shifted from the atmosphere communication unit 15, the tip of the air pressurization unit 24 is deformed to follow the shape of the atmosphere communication unit 15. Therefore, the air pressurizing unit 24 and the air communication unit 15 abut over a relatively wide range without any gap. Therefore, even if the position of the air pressurization unit 24 is shifted from the position of the air communication unit 15, no gap is formed between the air pressurization unit 24 and the air communication unit 15 and the air pressurization unit 24 The air communication part 15 contacts. This suppresses the occurrence of air leakage between the air pressurizing section 24 and the atmosphere communication section 15, and allows efficient supply of air into the ink tank 4.

  Next, the influence of the degree of inclination of the inclined conical surface 9 on the inclined surface 17 of the atmosphere communication portion 15 on the supply of air into the ink tank 4 will be described.

  FIGS. 5A and 5B show the state of contact between the tip of the air pressurizing section 24 and the inclined surface 17 of the inclined surface 17 when the angle 18 of the inclined surface 17 is small and large. FIG. FIG. 5A shows a case where the angle 18 is small, and FIG. 5B shows a case where the angle 18 is large.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, when the angle of the inclined surface 17 is small, the force acting downward in the vertical direction in the load by the air pressurizing unit 24 is large. Therefore, the air pressurizing unit 24 can increase the hermeticity between the distal end of the air pressurizing unit 24 and the atmosphere communication unit 15 by its own load. The space between the distal end of the air pressurizing section 24 and the atmosphere communication section 15 is more securely sealed, and air is supplied in a state where the gap is in contact with no gap, so that air is supplied more efficiently. It can be performed.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the angle of the inclined surface 17 is large, the load due to the air pressurizing unit 24 easily escapes to the atmosphere communication port 16 side in the atmosphere communication unit 15. Therefore, of the loads by the air pressurizing section 24, the force acting downward in the vertical direction is relatively small. Therefore, there is a possibility that a gap may be formed between the distal end of the air pressurizing section 24 and the atmosphere communication section 15, and air may leak from the gap when air is supplied into the ink tank 4. . Therefore, it is preferable that the angle 18 of the inclined surface 17 is formed small. In the present embodiment, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 17 is set to 42 degrees.

  As a method for preventing the air pressurizing unit 24 from moving toward the atmosphere communication port due to the load of the air pressurizing unit 24 itself, for example, there is a method shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the inclined surface 17 is inclined in two steps, and the angle 20 of the inner inclined surface is formed smaller than the angle 19 of the outer inclined surface. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the air pressurizing unit 24 and the air communication unit 15 in a state where the air pressurizing unit 24 and the ink tank 4 are not yet in contact with each other. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the air pressurizing unit 24 and the atmosphere communication unit 15 in a state where the air pressurizing unit 24 and the ink tank 4 are in contact with each other. FIG. 6C is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the inclined surface in FIG. Since the atmosphere communication portion 15 is inclined in two stages and the angle of the inner inclined surface is configured to be small, the inclination angle of the portion in contact with the air pressurizing portion 24 can be reduced. Therefore, the force acting on the air pressurizing unit 24 in the direction inside the atmosphere communication unit 15 can be suppressed to be small. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the air pressurizing unit 24 from moving on the inclined surface 17 due to the load on the air communication port 16 side by the air pressurizing unit 24, thereby reducing the positional accuracy of the air pressurizing unit 24. . As described above, the inclined surface 17 is a surface (first surface) 21 formed at a position close to the atmosphere communication port 16 and a surface (first surface) formed at a position far from the atmosphere communication port 16 and has a relatively large inclination angle (first surface). 2 surface 22). In the present embodiment, each inclination angle of the surface 22 located on the radially outer side of the atmosphere communication portion 15 is larger than the inclination angle of the surface 21 located on the radially inner side of the atmosphere communication portion 15. A surface is formed.

  FIG. 7 shows a case where the angle of the contact portion of the air pressurizing portion 24 is changed, and in each case, the inclined surface 17 and the air when the rubber material 25 of the air pressurizing portion 24 are joined. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a contact portion between the pressing portion and the pressing portion.

  FIGS. 7A to 7C show a case where the angle 18 of the inclined surface 17 is the same as the angle 26 of the tip of the air pressurizing section 24. FIG. 7A illustrates a state in which the air pressurizing unit 24 has not yet contacted the air communication unit 15. FIG. 7B shows a state in which the contact of the air pressurizing unit 24 with the atmosphere communication unit 15 has started. FIG. 7C shows a state in which the air pressurizing unit 24 is still in contact with the air communication unit 15. FIGS. 7D to 7F show a case where the angle 26 at the tip end of the air pressurizing unit 24 is larger than the angle 18 of the inclined surface 17. FIG. 7D shows a state in which the air pressurizing unit 24 has not yet contacted the air communication unit 15. FIG. 7E shows a state in which the air pressurizing section 24 has started contact with the atmosphere communicating section 15. FIG. 7F shows a state in which the air pressurizing unit 24 is still in contact with the air communication unit 15. FIGS. 7G to 7I show the case where the angle 26 at the tip of the air pressurizing section 24 is smaller than the angle 18 of the inclined surface 17. FIG. 7G illustrates a state in which the air pressurizing unit 24 has not yet contacted the air communication unit 15. FIG. 7H shows a state in which the contact of the air pressurizing section 24 with the atmosphere communication section 15 has started. FIG. 7 (i) shows a state in which the air pressurizing unit 24 is still in contact with the air communication unit 15.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, when the inclination angle of the inclined surface 17 is the same as the inclination angle of the rubber material 25 of the air pressing unit 24, the rubber of the air pressing unit 24 The material 25 and the inclined surface 17 of the atmosphere communication portion 15 abut almost simultaneously over the entire area. As shown in FIGS. 7D to 7F, when the angle 26 of the tip of the air pressurizing unit 24 is larger than the angle 18 of the inclined surface 17, the tip of the air pressurizing unit 24 is It gradually comes into contact with the inclined surface 17 from the inside to the outside. As shown in FIGS. 7G to 7I, when the angle 26 of the tip of the air pressurizing unit 24 is smaller than the angle 18 of the inclined surface 17, the tip of the air pressurizing unit 24 is The outer surface gradually comes into contact with the inclined surface 17 from the outside.

  Usually, the surface or the inclined surface of the rubber material has some undulations, and its shape cannot be predicted. Therefore, in reality, the rubber material 25 of the air pressurizing unit 24 comes into contact with the inclined surface 17 while having a certain degree of distortion. Therefore, in order to ensure that the air communication portion 15 of the ink tank 4 and the rubber material 25 of the air pressurizing portion 24 abut without gap, the contact surface should be as continuous as possible in the initial stage of the contact. Preferably, the inclined surface 17 and the rubber material 25 are brought into contact with each other. In the present embodiment, the angle 26 of the rubber material is formed at 45 degrees. As described above, the inclined surface 17 is formed at the position where the side surface of the air communication portion 15 and the upper surface of the lid member intersect.

  In the ink tank 4 of the present embodiment, the air communication groove 10 is formed to be shallower than the air communication portion 15. Since the atmosphere communication groove 10 is formed shallow, it can be brought into contact with the distal end of the air pressurizing section 24 over the entire circumference of the atmosphere communication section 15 at a portion deeper than the atmosphere communication groove 10. Therefore, even if the air communication groove 10 is formed so as to communicate with the air communication portion 15, the tip of the air pressurizing portion 24 abuts on the inclined surface 17 of the air communication portion 15 over the entire circumference, so that the ink tank is formed. 4 can efficiently supply air to the inside without leakage.

  Further, after the air pressurizing section 24 is separated, the air communication groove 10 reliably communicates with the air communication port 16. Therefore, air can be supplied to the inside of the ink tank through the air communication port 16, and the air communication port 16 can function reliably.

  As described above, according to the inspection system 31 of the present embodiment, the radially outer edge of the air communication portion 15 of the ink tank 4 is inclined with respect to the direction in which the wall surface extends so as to be deeper inward. An inclined surface 17 is formed. Further, the tip of the air pressurizing section 24 is formed so as to project so as to taper toward the ink tank 4. Therefore, air can be efficiently supplied to the ink tank 4 without generating a gap between the air pressurizing section 24 and the atmosphere communication section 15 in the ink tank 4. Further, even if the position of the air pressurizing unit 24 is shifted with respect to the air communication unit 15 in the ink tank 4, the leading end of the air pressurizing unit 24 is more reliably connected via the air communication port 16 of the ink tank 4. Air can be supplied.

  The size of the ink tank 4 tends to be reduced. Accordingly, the sizes of the air communication unit 15 and the air pressurizing unit 24 also tend to be reduced. In such a case, the air is supplied by bringing the miniaturized air pressurizing unit 24 into contact with the air communication port 16 of the miniaturized air communication unit 15. 24 high dimensional accuracy is required. In addition, high positional accuracy is required when arranging the ink tank 4 and the air pressurizing unit 24. However, in the present embodiment, an inclined surface 17 that is inclined with respect to the direction in which the wall surface extends is formed at the outer edge in the radial direction of the atmosphere communication portion 15. Therefore, even if the position of the air pressurization unit 24 is shifted with respect to the atmosphere communication unit 15, it is possible to reliably supply air to the atmosphere communication port 16 in a state where the air communication unit 15 is sealed by the air pressurization unit 24. Can be. Accordingly, even when the air communication portion 15 is reduced due to the downsizing of the ink tank 4, high accuracy is not required for the arrangement, and the air can be reliably supplied to the ink tank 4. . Further, a configuration having another function is added at a position near the air communication portion 15 of the ink tank 4, and as a result, even if the air communication portion 15 is further downsized, the air communication portion 15 can reliably contact the air communication portion 15. The air pressurizing unit 24 can be arranged so as to be in contact with the air pressurizing unit 24. Therefore, it is possible to provide an ink tank inspection system 31 that does not require the manufacturing accuracy of the ink tank 4 and the air pressurizing unit 24 and can be easily manufactured.

(2nd Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described. A description of the same components as those in the first embodiment will be omitted, and only different components will be described.

  FIG. 8 illustrates an ink tank according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8A is a plan view of the vicinity of the air communication portion 15 of the ink tank according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIIIB-VIIIB in FIG. . In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8B, in the atmosphere communication groove 10 formed so as to be connected to the atmosphere communication portion 15, a portion where the bottom surface 13 and the side surface 12 intersect is formed in a round shape. ing. Further, as shown in FIG. 8A, in a portion where the air communication groove 10 and the air communication portion 15 are connected, a portion where the side surface 12 of the air communication groove 10 intersects with the inclined surface 17 of the air communication portion 15. Are formed round. In the present embodiment, a portion where the bottom surface 13 of the air communication groove 10 and the inclined surface 17 of the air communication portion 15 intersect is not formed round but is formed in a stepped shape. That is, of the connecting portion 11 between the atmosphere communication portion 15 and the atmosphere communication groove 10, the chamfering is performed only on two sides 14 where the side surface 12 of the atmosphere communication groove 10 and the inclined surface 17 of the atmosphere communication portion 15 intersect, and the curved surface is formed. Is formed. The connecting portion 35 between the bottom surface 13 of the atmosphere communication groove 10 and the atmosphere communication portion 15 is not chamfered and is not formed to have a curved surface.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, when the air communication groove 10 is formed, chamfering is performed on a portion where the surfaces forming the flow path intersect. At this time, as shown in the present embodiment, chamfering is not performed on a surface where the bottom surface 13 of the air communication groove 10 and the inclined surface 17 of the air communication portion 15 intersect. In the present embodiment, of the surfaces forming the atmosphere communication groove 10, no chamfering is performed at the connection between the bottom surface formed at the position closest to the space inside the ink tank 4 and the atmosphere communication portion 15. On the other hand, among the surfaces forming the atmosphere communication groove 10, the connecting portion between the surface other than the bottom surface and the atmosphere communication portion 15 is chamfered. As described above, since the chamfering is not performed at a portion where the bottom surface 13 of the air communication groove 10 and the inclined surface 17 of the air communication portion 15 intersect, the connection portion of the air communication groove 10 to the air communication portion 15 is close to the bottom surface. It is suppressed that it is located in a part. Therefore, when the air pressurizing unit 24 comes into contact with the air communication unit 15, the connection of the air communication groove 10 to a position closer to the bottom surface than the air pressurization unit 24 is suppressed. Therefore, when air is supplied to the inside of the ink tank 4 in order to perform an inspection on the airtightness, it is possible to suppress the air from leaking to the outside through the atmosphere communication groove 10. Since the air pressurizing portion 24 is in contact with the air communication portion 15 over the entire circumference at a position closer to the bottom surface of the air communication portion 15 than the air communication groove 10, leakage of air from the air communication portion 15 to the outside is more reliably achieved. Can be suppressed. Thereby, air can be supplied more efficiently.

  In addition, when the area of the contact portion where the air communication portion 15 and the air pressurizing portion 24 are in contact with each other is sufficiently ensured, the bottom surface 13 of the air communication groove 10 and the inclined surface 17 of the air communication portion 15 are formed. Chamfering may also be performed at the intersection.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the air communication groove 10 may be formed so as to be shallower at the connection portion to the air communication portion 15. That is, the depth of the air communication groove 10 at a position connected to the air communication portion 15 is smaller than the depth at a position distant from the air communication portion 15. By forming the air communication groove 10 so that the connection portion of the air communication groove 10 to the air communication portion 15 becomes shallow, the area of the portion of the inclined surface 17 of the air communication portion 15 that contacts the air pressurizing portion 24 is reduced. Largely secured. Since the area of the contact portion between the inclined surface 17 and the air pressurizing portion 24 is large, the leakage of air from between the inclined surface 17 and the air pressurizing portion 24 can be reduced. Since air leakage is reduced, air can be more efficiently supplied from the air pressurizing section 24 to the ink tank 4.

Reference Signs List 4 Ink tank 15 Atmospheric communication section 16 Atmospheric communication port 17 Inclined surface 24 Air pressurizing section 28 Supply port 31 Inspection system 32 Pump 34 Measuring instrument

Claims (8)

An installation part capable of installing a liquid storage container capable of storing liquid therein,
A protrusion, and a supply port that can supply air at a tip of the protrusion, and an air supply unit that can supply air to the inside of the liquid storage container installed in the installation unit;
Determining means for determining whether air leakage has occurred from the liquid storage container,
In the liquid storage container, a receiving portion capable of receiving the protruding portion is formed,
The receiving portion communicates the outside and the inside of the liquid storage container to supply air from the supply port to the inside of the liquid storage container with the protruding portion being received by the receiving portion. Communication port that can be
The sealed state of the liquid storage container is inspected by the determination unit by determining whether or not air leakage has occurred from the liquid storage container,
The receiving portion has an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the surface of the liquid storage container where the receiving portion is formed ,
A groove is formed connected to the receiving portion of the liquid storage container,
The inspection system, wherein the groove is formed shallower than the receiving portion .   The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion is inclined in a direction in which a member forming the liquid storage container becomes thinner as the position is closer to the communication port.   The inclined portion includes a first surface formed at a position close to the communication port, and a second surface formed at a position far from the communication port and having a larger inclination angle than the first surface. The inspection system according to claim 2.   The inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the determination unit includes a pressure detection unit capable of detecting a pressure inside the liquid storage container.   The determination means is provided with a time difference from supplying air to the liquid storage container, the pressure detection means detects the pressure inside the liquid storage container a plurality of times, and the liquid storage container in each detection The inspection system according to claim 4, wherein it is determined whether or not air has leaked from the liquid storage container by comparing pressures inside the liquid storage container.   6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the determination unit determines that air leaks from the liquid storage container when a difference between pressures inside the liquid storage container in each detection exceeds a predetermined threshold. The inspection system according to 1. Of the surfaces forming the grooves, at the connection portion between the receiving portion and the bottom surface formed at a position closest to the space inside the liquid storage container, chamfering is not performed,
Inspection system according to claim 1 of the surfaces forming the groove, at the connection between the surface and the receiving portion other than the bottom surface, the chamfering is performed. The groove depth at a position connected to the receiving unit, according to any one of the claims 1 are formed to be shallower than the depth at a position away from the receiving portion 7 Inspection system.