JP7143688B2 - Liquid supply device and image recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid supply device capable of storing liquid, and an image recording apparatus including the liquid supply device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a liquid supply device is known that includes a cartridge containing ink, a sub-tank connected to a recording head, and liquid and gas flow paths connecting the cartridge and the sub-tank. The cartridge is arranged vertically above the sub-tank. The liquid channel and the gas channel connect the cartridge and the sub-tank in the vertical direction. The liquid flow path and the gas flow path are opened to the lower surface of the cartridge and the upper surface of the sub-tank, respectively (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In the sub-tank, the liquid channel extends below the gas channel, and the opening position of the gas channel is above the opening position of the liquid channel. When the cartridge is connected with no ink in the sub-tank, such as when replacing the cartridge, the ink in the cartridge naturally falls through the liquid flow path and is introduced into the sub-tank. At this time, the air in the sub-tank having the same volume as the introduced ink is introduced into the cartridge through the gas flow path. Such gas-liquid replacement is performed until the opening of the gas flow path is closed, and ink is stored in the sub-tank.

When ink is ejected from the printhead during a printing operation, the amount of ink in the sub-tank decreases and the liquid surface of the ink in the sub-tank drops. As a result, the opening of the gas flow path is opened, and ink is supplied from the cartridge into the sub-tank. Then, when the liquid level of the ink in the sub-tank rises due to the introduction of the ink and the opening of the gas flow path is closed, the supply of the ink from the cartridge is stopped. Ink is replenished from the cartridge to the sub-tank so as to compensate for the consumption of ink in the recording head, and the level of the ink surface in the sub-tank is maintained at the opening position of the gas flow path. Therefore, the printer can be continuously used by replacing the empty cartridge with a cartridge filled with ink while the sub-tank remains in the printer.

Japanese Patent No. 4934338

In the liquid supply device described above, the cartridge is connected to the sub-tank in the vertical direction. When replacing the cartridge, the cartridge needs to be attached and detached in the vertical direction. Since the cartridge cannot be replaced from the front of the printer, it is inconvenient and the operability in replacing the cartridge is poor. Further, if the cartridge can be attached and detached in a direction that intersects the vertical direction, gas (bubbles) flowing from the sub-tank into the cartridge passes or floats near the opening of the liquid channel, thereby causing the opening of the liquid channel. There is a risk of returning to the sub tank through

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid supply device that is easy to operate when replacing cartridges.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent the gas (bubbles) that has flowed into the cartridge from returning to the tank.

(1) The present invention relates to a liquid supply device that includes a tank and a cartridge that is attachable and detachable along a detachable direction that intersects the vertical direction with respect to the tank. The cartridge has a first storage chamber that stores liquid. The tank has a second storage chamber that stores the liquid, a liquid channel and a gas channel that communicate with the second storage chamber, and an atmosphere communication port that communicates the second storage chamber with the outside. ing. The liquid channel includes a first opening formed at one end side communicating with the second storage chamber, a second opening formed at the other end side opposite to the one end side and opening to the outside, and the and a first extending portion extending from the second opening toward the first opening in the attachment/detachment direction. The gas flow path includes a third opening formed at one end side communicating with the second storage chamber, a fourth opening formed at the other end side opposite to the one end side and opening to the outside, and the and a second extending portion extending from the 4th opening toward the third opening in the attachment/detachment direction. The position of the second opening in the attachment/detachment direction is different from that of the fourth opening. In a mounting state in which the first storage chamber of the cartridge and the second opening of the liquid channel and the fourth opening of the gas channel of the tank are connected in a state of communication, the first storage chamber is , a portion located above the liquid channel and the gas channel.

According to the above configuration, since the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber are connected via the gas channel and the liquid channel, the liquid in the first storage chamber can be supplied to the second storage chamber by gas-liquid replacement. is. In addition, since the cartridge can be attached to and detached from the tank in the attachment and detachment direction that intersects the vertical direction, the operability in exchanging the cartridge is excellent. In addition, since the second opening and the fourth opening are positioned at different positions in the attachment/detachment direction that intersects the vertical direction, the gas (bubbles) flowing into the first storage chamber through the fourth opening passes through or floats in the vicinity of the second opening. can be prevented or reduced, and it is difficult to enter the liquid channel through the second opening.

(2) Preferably, the second extending portion is located above the first extending portion.

According to the above configuration, due to the head difference between the liquid channel and the gas channel, the liquid in the cartridge flows more easily into the liquid channel than into the gas channel. Since the backflow of the liquid flowing along the gas flow path does not occur, the liquid flows along the liquid flow path and the gas flows along the gas flow path. Also, the gas that flows into the first storage chamber through the fourth opening is more difficult to enter the liquid channel through the second opening. Therefore, the liquid is stably supplied from the cartridge to the tank as the amount of liquid in the tank decreases.

(3) Preferably, the second opening is closer to the first opening than the fourth opening in the attaching/detaching direction.

According to the above configuration, the flow path resistance of the liquid flow path is suppressed, and smooth gas-liquid replacement is easily achieved.

(4) Preferably, the length of the second extension portion extending in the attachment/detachment direction is longer than the length of the first extension portion extending in the attachment/detachment direction.

If the cross-sectional area of the first extending portion and the cross-sectional area of the second extending portion are equal, the flow resistance due to the first extending portion is smaller than the flow resistance due to the second extending portion. When the cartridge is connected, the liquid in the first storage chamber easily flows to the second storage chamber through the first extending portion.

(5) Preferably, the second opening is farther from the first opening than the fourth opening in the attaching/detaching direction, and when the cartridge is attached to the tank, the second opening is located further than the fourth opening. First, it communicates with the first storage chamber.

According to the above configuration, the liquid flow path communicates with the first storage chamber earlier than the gas flow path. Liquid can be prevented from entering the gas flow path as it flows through the path.

(6) Preferably, the liquid channel has first upper and lower portions extending upward in a direction that intersects with the attachment/detachment direction from the first opening, and the gas channel extends from the second opening. It has a second upper and lower portion extending upward in the cross direction.

According to the above configuration, the liquid channel opens to the second storage chamber at the first opening below the second opening, and the gas channel opens at the third opening below the fourth opening. Therefore, the liquid in the second storage chamber is less likely to flow back into the liquid channel and the gas channel.

(7) Preferably, the cartridge communicates with the first storage chamber and has a communication port that opens in the attachment/detachment direction, and the tank includes the first extension portion and the first storage chamber. It has two extensions and has a tubular joint that connects with the communication port of the cartridge in the mounted state.

(8) Preferably, the volume of the first storage chamber is larger than the volume of the second storage chamber.

(9) Preferably, the attachment/detachment direction is horizontal.

According to the above configuration, the cartridge can be attached and detached in the horizontal direction, so operability is good.

(10) The present invention may be regarded as an image recording apparatus including the liquid supply device and a recording section for ejecting the liquid supplied from the tank of the liquid supply device.

In the liquid supply device according to the present invention, since the cartridge can be attached and detached in the attachment and detachment direction, operability in exchanging the cartridge is excellent. In addition, it is possible to prevent or reduce the possibility that the gas (bubbles) that has flowed into the first storage chamber of the cartridge passes through or floats near the opening of the liquid flow path, thereby suppressing the risk of returning to the second storage chamber of the tank.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment, in which (A) shows a state in which the cover 48 is in the closed position, and (B) shows a state in which the cover 48 is in the open position. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer section 11. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the carriage 23 and the ink supply device 15. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ink supply device 15 as seen from the front left. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4. FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4 with the ink cartridge 50 removed. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4, showing the peripheral portion of the sub-tank 100. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 4. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 4. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sub-tank 100 and the buffer tank 90 as seen from the front left. 12A is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIA-XIIA in FIG. 10, and FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIB-XIIB in FIG. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4, showing the peripheral portion of the sub-tank 100 according to the modification.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. It should be noted that the embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without changing the gist of the present invention. In addition, the orientation in which the MFP 10 and the ink cartridge 50 attached to the MFP 10 are installed on a horizontal plane for use (the orientation in FIG. 1 and may be referred to as “usage orientation”) is used as a reference. A vertical direction 7 (an example of a crossing direction) is defined, a front-rear direction 8 is defined with the surface on which the opening 13 of the MFP 10 is provided as the front surface, and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the MFP 10 is viewed from the front. . In this embodiment, in the usage posture, 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.

[This embodiment]
A multi-function device 10 (an example of an image recording device) and an ink supply device 15 (liquid supply device) according to the present embodiment will be described below.

[Overall Configuration of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The MFP 10 has a printer section 11 , a scanner section 12 and an operation panel 17 . The printer unit 11 is located in the lower part of the multifunction device 10, and records an image on a sheet 28 (see FIG. 2) by an inkjet recording method. The scanner section 12 is a device having a scanning function and is positioned above the printer section 11 . The printer unit 11 includes a housing 14 having an opening 13 that opens forward, and an ink supply device 15 positioned to the right of the opening 13 inside the housing 14 . The operation panel 17 is positioned in front of the scanner section 12 . The operation panel 17 is operated by the user to cause the multifunction device 10 to perform image recording by the printer unit 11 and image reading by the scanner unit 12 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the inside of the housing 14 includes a feeding unit 16, a feeding tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a conveying roller pair 45, a recording unit 24, a discharge roller pair 46, A platen 42 and are arranged.

[Feed tray 20, discharge tray 21]
As shown in FIG. 1 , the feed tray 20 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 14 along the front-rear direction 8 through the opening 13 . The opening 13 is located on the front surface of the multi-function device 10 and at the center in the left-right direction 9 . As shown in FIG. 2, feed tray 20 is capable of supporting a plurality of stacked sheets 28 . The discharge tray 21 is arranged above the feed tray 20 and is inserted and removed along the front-rear direction 8 together with the feed tray 20 . The discharge tray 21 supports the paper 28 discharged by the discharge roller pair 46 .

[Feeding unit 16]
The feeding section 16 feeds the paper 28 supported by the feeding tray 20 to the transport path 38 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the feeding section 16 includes a feeding roller 25 , a feeding arm 26 and a shaft 27 . The feeding roller 25 is rotatably supported at the tip of the feeding arm 26 . The feeding roller 25 is driven by a feeding motor (not shown). The feeding arm 26 is rotatably supported by a shaft 27 supported by the frame of the printer section 11 . The feed arm 26 is urged to rotate toward the feed tray 20 by its own weight or elastic force of a spring or the like.

Hereinafter, the rotation of the feed roller 25, the transport roller 34, and the discharge roller 36 involved in the transport of the paper 28 in the direction of transporting the paper 28 in the transport direction 38A is referred to as "forward rotation".

[Conveyance path 38]
As shown in FIG. 2, the conveying path 38 refers to a space partially formed inside the printer section 11 by the outer guide member 18 and the inner guide member 19 facing each other at a predetermined interval. The transport path 38 is a path extending rearward from the rear end of the feed tray 20 . The transport path 38 extends upward at the rear of the printer section 11 , makes a U-turn forward, passes through the space between the recording section 24 and the platen 42 , and reaches the discharge tray 21 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport path 38 between the transport roller pair 45 and the discharge roller pair 46 is provided approximately in the center of the multifunction machine 10 in the left-right direction 9 and extends in the front-rear direction 8. ing. A conveying direction 38A of the paper 28 in the conveying path 38 is indicated by an arrow in FIG.

[Transport roller pair 45]
As shown in FIG. 2, the transport roller pair 45 is positioned upstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction 38A. The transport roller pair 45 has a transport roller 34 and a pinch roller 35 facing each other. The conveying roller 34 rotates forward or backward by being driven by a conveying motor (not shown). The pinch roller 35 rotates together with the rotation of the conveying roller 34 . The paper 28 is nipped between a transport roller 34 and a pinch roller 35 rotating forward and transported in a transport direction 38A.

[Discharge roller pair 46]
As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge roller pair 46 is arranged downstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction 38A. The discharge roller pair 46 has a discharge roller 36 and a spur 37 facing each other. The discharge roller 36 rotates forward or backward by being driven by a transport motor (not shown). The spur 37 rotates with the rotation of the discharge roller 36 . The paper 28 is nipped between the forwardly rotating discharge roller 36 and the spur 37 and transported in the transport direction 38A.

[Recording unit 24]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 24 is positioned between the transport roller pair 45 and the discharge roller pair 46 in the transport direction 38A. The recording unit 24 faces the platen 42 in the vertical direction 7 with the transport path 38 interposed therebetween. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 23 and a recording head 39 mounted on the carriage 23 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the carriages 23 are separated in the front-rear direction 8 and supported by guide rails 43 and 44 extending in the left-right direction 9, respectively. The guide rails 43 and 44 are supported by a frame (not shown). Carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism provided on guide rails 44 . The belt mechanism is driven and rotated by a carriage driving motor (not shown). The carriage 23 is guided by guide rails 43 and 44 and reciprocates in the left-right direction 9 as the belt mechanism rotates. The movement range of the carriage 23 extends to the right and left of the width 38B of the transport path 38, as indicated by the dashed line in FIG.

The recording head 39 and four sub-tanks 100 provided in the ink supply device 15 are connected by four ink tubes 32 . The recording head 39 is connected to a control board (not shown) via a flexible flat cable 33 .

The four sub-tanks 100 are a magenta sub-tank 100M, a cyan sub-tank 100C, a yellow sub-tank 100Y, and a black sub-tank 100B. The magenta sub-tank 100M, the cyan sub-tank 100C, the yellow sub-tank 100Y, and the black sub-tank 100B are collectively referred to as the sub-tank 100 in this specification unless they need to be distinguished from each other.

The four ink tubes 32 consist of a yellow ink tube 32Y, a cyan ink tube 32C, a magenta ink tube 32M and a black ink tube 32B. The yellow ink tube 32Y, the cyan ink tube 32C, the magenta ink tube 32M, and the black ink tube 32B are collectively referred to as the ink tube 32 in this specification unless they need to be distinguished from each other. The four ink tubes 32 are bundled together.

The flexible flat cable 33 electrically connects the control board on which the control section is mounted and the recording head 39 . A flexible flat cable 33 transmits a control signal output from the control unit to the recording head 39 .

As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of nozzles 40 are arranged on the bottom surface of the recording head 39 . Tips of the plurality of nozzles 40 are exposed from the bottom surface of the recording head 39 . The recording head 39 ejects ink from nozzles 40 as minute ink droplets. While the carriage 23 is moving, the recording head 39 ejects ink droplets onto the paper 28 supported by the platen 42 . An image is thus recorded on the paper 28 . In addition, this consumes the ink stored in the four sub-tanks 100 .

[Platen 42]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the platen 42 is arranged between the transport roller pair 45 and the discharge roller pair 46 in the transport path 38 . The platen 42 is arranged to face the recording section 24 in the vertical direction 7 with the transport path 38 interposed therebetween. The platen 42 supports the paper 28 transported by the transport roller pair 45 from below.

[Cover 48]
As shown in FIG. 1B, an opening 47 is formed in the front right portion of the housing 14 . The housing 14 accommodates the ink supply device 15 , and the front surface of the ink supply device 15 is exposed through the opening 47 . A cover 48 capable of opening and closing the opening 47 is attached to the housing 14 . A lower end portion of the cover 48 is supported by the housing 14 below the opening 47 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction 9 . The cover 48 is rotatable between a closed position (the position shown in FIG. 1A) that closes the opening 47 and an open position that opens the opening 47 (the position shown in FIG. 1B). be.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the cover 48 has a translucent portion 49 . The translucent portion 49 has translucency such that the internal configuration can be visually recognized from the outside of the cover 48 . When the cover 48 is in the closed position, the front surface of the ink cartridge 50 attached to the ink supply device 15 can be seen through the translucent portion 49 .

[Ink supply device 15]
As shown in FIG. 4, the ink supply device 15 (an example of a liquid supply device) includes four ink cartridges 50, a storage case 71, four sub-tanks 100, and an air communication portion 70 (see FIGS. 5 and 11). ), and

[Ink cartridge 50]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the four ink cartridges 50 (an example of cartridges) consist of a magenta ink cartridge 50M, a cyan ink cartridge 50C, a yellow ink cartridge 50Y, and a black ink cartridge 50B. The magenta ink cartridge 50M, the cyan ink cartridge 50C, the yellow ink cartridge 50Y, and the black ink cartridge 50B are collectively referred to as the ink cartridge 50 in this specification unless they need to be distinguished from each other.

4 shows a state in which only the leftmost magenta ink cartridge 50M in the left-right direction 9 among the four ink cartridges 50 is stored in the storage case 71. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the ink cartridge 50 has a cartridge main body 51 and a joint receiving portion 52 . The cartridge body 51 has a first storage chamber 53 that stores ink (an example of liquid).

The cartridge main body 51 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped box shape. The cartridge body 51 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8 . The cartridge body 51 has a protrusion 65 protruding downward at the front end of the cartridge body 51 . The cartridge body 51 has an upper wall 54 , a sub-lower wall 55 , a right wall 56 (see FIG. 4), a left wall 57 (see FIG. 4), a rear wall 58 , a front wall 59 and a lower wall 60 . The lower wall 60 is positioned at the front and lower end of the cartridge main body 51 and positioned below the sub-lower wall 55 . The sub-lower wall 55 is located behind the lower wall 60 . The cartridge main body 51 has a communication port 61 that opens rearward (an example in the horizontal direction) at a convex portion 65 . The communication port 61 is an opening defined by the sub-lower wall 55 , the lower wall 60 , the right wall 56 and the left wall 57 .

The upper wall 54 is provided with a contact portion 64 protruding upward at the central portion in the front-rear direction 8 . The contact portion 64 is a portion that contacts a lock lever 79 (described later) of the storage case 71 .

The upper surface of the sub-lower wall 55 defining the bottom surface of the first storage chamber 53 is inclined downward toward the convex portion 65 along the front-rear direction 8 .

The joint receiving portion 52 has a cylindrical shape extending rearward from a portion of the cartridge body 51 surrounding the communication port 61 . The joint receiving portion 52 is a portion into which a joint 102 (described later) of the sub-tank 100 is inserted.

FIG. 5 shows an installed state in which the ink cartridge 50 is installed in the sub-tank 100 . FIG. 6 shows the separated state in which the ink cartridge 50 is separated from the sub-tank 100 . Mounting states are described in more detail below.

The joint receiving portion 52 is provided with a plug member 62 that can close the communication port 61 and a spring 63 that biases the plug member 62 backward. As shown in FIG. 6, the plug member 62 is positioned to close the communication port 61 when no external force is applied to the ink cartridge 50 . The spring 63 extends along the front-rear direction 8 between the plug member 62 and the front wall 59 and is compressible in the front-rear direction 8 . As shown in FIG. 5 , when a forward external force larger than the elastic force of the spring 63 is applied to the plug member 62 by the joint 102 , the plug member 62 moves forward and separates from the communication port 61 .

[Storage case 71]
The storage case 71 has a rectangular parallelepiped box shape with an open front. The storage case 71 has an upper wall 72 , a lower wall 73 , a right wall 74 , a left wall 75 , a rear wall 76 and three partition walls 77 . The upper wall 72 , lower wall 73 , right wall 74 , left wall 75 , and rear wall 76 define an internal space 78 with an open front. The three partition walls 77 are walls parallel to the right wall 74 and the left wall 75, and partition the internal space 78 into four spaces. Each of the four ink cartridges 50 is housed in each of the four partitioned spaces.

[Lock lever 79]
As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the storage case 71 is provided with a lock lever 79 that holds the ink cartridge 50 within the internal space 78. As shown in FIGS. The lock lever 79 is a plate-like member extending in the front-rear direction. A center portion of the lock lever 79 is provided on the upper wall 72 so as to be rotatable around an axis in the left-right direction 9 . The lock lever 79 rotates between a rearwardly inclined locked position and a forwardly inclined unlocked position. When no external force is applied, the lock lever 79 tilts rearward due to its own weight to reach the locked position. At the locked position, the rear end of the lock lever 79 contacts the front surface of the contact portion 64 of the ink cartridge 50 in the internal space 78 to restrict the forward movement of the ink cartridge 50 in the front-rear direction 8 . When the front end of the lock lever 79 at the lock position is pressed downward by a user's finger or the like, the lock lever 79 rotates from the lock position to the unlock position. At the unlocked position, the rear end portion of the lock lever 79 is located above the front surface of the contact portion 64 . Since the lock lever 79 at the unlocked position does not contact the contact portion 64 of the ink cartridge 50 moving forward in the front-rear direction 8, the ink cartridge 50 is removed from the storage case 71 in the front-rear direction 8 (an example of the attachment/detachment direction). It becomes possible.

[Sub tank 100]
4 to 11 show a sub-tank 100 (an example of a tank). The sub-tank 100 is positioned below the lower wall 73 of the storage case 71 .

As shown in FIG. 7, the sub-tank 100 includes a tank main body 101 and joints 102 . A second storage chamber 105 for storing ink is formed inside the tank main body 101 . The sub-tank 100 has a liquid channel 103 and a gas channel 104 communicating with the second storage chamber 105 . The liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 are formed inside the tank body 101 and inside the joint 102 . The sub-tank 100 also has an air communication port 106 (see FIGS. 9, 10, and 12A) that communicates the second storage chamber 105 with the outside.

[Liquid channel 103 and gas channel 104]
As shown in FIG. 7, liquid channel 103 and gas channel 104 are positioned in parallel.

The liquid channel 103 has a first opening 131, a second opening 132, a vertical portion 133 (an example of a first upper and lower portion), and a horizontal portion 134 (an example of a first extending portion). . The first opening 131 is an opening that is formed on one end side (rear end side) of the liquid channel 103 and communicates with the second storage chamber 105 . The first opening 131 opens along the vertical direction 7 . The second opening 132 is an opening that is formed on the other end side (front end side) opposite to the one end side of the liquid channel 103 and opens to the outside. The second opening 132 opens along the front-rear direction 8 . The second opening 132 is located inside the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 when the ink cartridge 50 is installed. The vertical portion 133 is a portion extending upward from the first opening 131 in the liquid channel 103 . The horizontal portion 134 is a portion extending rearward from the second opening 132 in the liquid channel 103 . The upper end of vertical portion 133 is connected to the rear end of horizontal portion 134 .

The gas channel 104 has a third opening 141, a fourth opening 142, a vertical portion 143 (an example of a second upper and lower portion), and a horizontal portion 144 (an example of a second extending portion). . The third opening 141 is an opening that is formed on one end side (rear end side) of the gas flow path 104 and communicates with the second storage chamber 105 . The third opening 141 opens along the vertical direction 7 . The fourth opening 142 is an opening that is formed on the other end side (front end side) opposite to the one end side of the gas flow path 104 and opens to the outside. The fourth opening 142 opens along the front-rear direction 8 . The fourth opening 142 communicates with the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 when the ink cartridge 50 is installed. The vertical portion 143 is a portion extending upward from the third opening 141 in the gas flow path 104 . The horizontal portion 144 is the portion extending rearward from the fourth opening 142 in the gas flow path 104 . Horizontal portion 144 is positioned above horizontal portion 134 . The upper end of vertical portion 143 is connected to the rear end of horizontal portion 144 .

The position of the second opening 132 in the front-rear direction 8 is different from that of the fourth opening 142 . Specifically, the second opening 132 is closer to the first opening 131 than the fourth opening 142 in the front-rear direction 8 . In other words, the second opening 132 is located behind the fourth opening 142 . The length L2 of the horizontal portion 144 extending in the front-rear direction 8 is longer than the length L1 of the horizontal portion 134 extending in the front-rear direction 8 (L1<L2).

[Tank body 101]
The tank main body 101 has an outer wall that is substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The tank body 101 has a substantially T-shape (see FIGS. 9 and 10) when viewed in the vertical direction 7, a substantially rectangular shape (see FIG. 8) when viewed in the front-rear direction 8, and an L shape when viewed in the left-right direction 9. It is a character shape (see FIGS. 4 to 7).

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 11, the outer wall of the tank body 101 includes a rear upper wall 107, a curved upper wall 130, a front upper wall 108, a lower wall 109, two rear side walls 110, two front curved side walls. 111 , a rear wall 112 and a front wall 113 . The rear upper wall 107 is a wall extending forward from the rear end while being inclined upward with respect to the horizontal plane. The bent upper wall 130 is a wall extending from the front end of the rear upper wall 107 and is bent upward from the front. The front upper wall 108 extends forward from the upper end of the curved upper wall 130 parallel to the horizontal plane. The lower wall 109 extends in the front-rear direction 8 parallel to the horizontal plane. The lower wall 109 has a T shape when viewed from the vertical direction 7 . The rear side wall 110 connects the rear upper wall 107 and the lower wall 109 in the vertical direction 7 . The rear side wall 110 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the left-right direction 9 . As shown in FIG. 9, the rear side wall 110 is shared by adjacent tank bodies 101 of different inks. The front bent side wall 111 connects the bent upper wall 130 and the front upper wall 108 to the lower wall 109 in the vertical direction 7 . The front curved side wall 111 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed in the left-right direction 9 and an L-shape with curved corners when viewed in the up-down direction 7 . The rear wall 112 extends upward from the rear end of the lower wall 109 and is connected to the two rear side walls 110 located on the left and right and the rear upper wall 107 . The front wall 113 extends upward from the front end of the lower wall 109 and is connected to the two front curved side walls 111 located on the left and right.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 11, the lower wall 109 is formed with a communication port 129 that communicates with the second storage chamber 105 . One end of the ink tube 32 is connected to the communication port 129 , and the second storage chamber 105 and the recording head 39 are communicatively connected via the ink tube 32 .

A cylindrical inner cylinder portion 114 extending in the front-rear direction 8 is provided at the front end portion and upper portion of the tank body 101 . The interior of the inner cylindrical portion 114 communicates with an opening formed by the front wall 113 , the two front curved side walls 111 positioned on the left and right, and the front upper wall 108 . A rear end portion of the joint 102 can be attached to the inner cylindrical portion 114 . In the mounted state in which the joint 102 is attached to the inner tubular portion 114, the inside of the inner tubular portion 114 and the inside of the joint 102 communicate with each other.

[Wide part 150 and narrow part 151]
As shown in FIG. 10 , the tank body 101 has a wide portion 150 and a narrow portion 151 arranged along the front-rear direction 8 . The wide portion 150 is located at the rear portion of the tank body 101 in the front-rear direction 8 and includes two rear side walls 110 and a rear wall 112 . The narrow portion 151 is located at the front end portion of the tank body 101 in the front-rear direction 8 and includes two front curved side walls 111 and a front wall 113 . The width of the narrow portion 151 in the left-right direction 9 is smaller than the width of the wide portion 150 in the left-right direction 9 . The second storage chamber 105 is formed across the wide portion 150 and the narrow portion 151 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the width of the wide portion 150 in the left-right direction 9 is substantially equal to the width of the ink cartridge 50 in the left-right direction 9 . Therefore, the width of the narrow portion 151 in the left-right direction 9 is smaller than the width of the ink cartridge 50 in the left-right direction 9 .

[Vertical wall 115 and horizontal wall 116]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 11 , the tank body 101 has a vertical wall 115 and a horizontal wall 116 on the front and top of the tank body 101 .

The vertical wall 115 is a wall extending in the vertical direction 7 and positioned between the front wall 113 and the curved upper wall 130 in the front-rear direction 8 . The vertical wall 115 connects the two front curved side walls 111 located on the left and right, and divides the space defined by the front wall 113, the front upper wall 108, and the two front curved side walls 111 into the front and rear. The lower end position of the vertical wall 115 is the position in the vertical direction 7 of the first opening 131 of the liquid channel 103 and the position in the vertical direction 7 of the third opening 141 of the gas channel 104 . The lower end position of the vertical wall 115 is equal to the lower end position of the front end of the rear upper wall 107 . In other words, the upper surface of the second storage chamber 105 is defined by the imaginary plane passing through the lower end position of the vertical wall 115 and parallel to the horizontal plane, and the lower surface of the rear upper wall 107 .

The horizontal wall 116 is a wall extending forward from the upper end of the vertical wall 115 . The horizontal wall 116 extends to the inside of the inner tubular portion 114 . The horizontal wall 116 connects the two front curved side walls 111 located on the left and right, and also connects the inner surface of the inner tubular portion 114 in the left-right direction 9 . The horizontal wall 116 vertically divides a space defined by the front upper wall 108 and the two front curved side walls 111 and a space defined by the inner tubular portion 114 .

As shown in FIG. 10, the vertical portion 133 of the liquid channel 103 is formed by a vertical wall 115, a front wall 113 and two front curved side walls 111. As shown in FIG. The shape of the cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction 7 in the vertical portion 133 of the liquid channel 103 is rectangular. A vertical portion 133 of the liquid channel 103 continues flush with the two front curved side walls 111 that partition the second storage chamber 105 . Therefore, the width in the left-right direction 9 of the vertical portion 133 of the liquid channel 103 is the same as the width in the left-right direction 9 of the second storage chamber 105 defined by the narrow portion 151 .

As shown in FIG. 10, the vertical portion 143 of the gas channel 104 is formed by a curved top wall 130, a vertical wall 115, and two front curved side walls 111. As shown in FIG. The shape of the cross section orthogonal to the vertical direction 7 in the vertical portion 133 of the gas channel 104 is rectangular. The vertical portion 133 of the gas flow path 104 continues flush with the two front curved side walls 111 that partition the second storage chamber 105 . Therefore, the width in the left-right direction 9 of the vertical portion 143 of the gas channel 104 is the same as the width in the left-right direction 9 of the second storage chamber 105 defined by the narrow portion 151 .

As shown in FIG. 10, the length 149 along the front-rear direction 8 of the third opening 141 of the gas channel 104 is longer than the length 148 along the front-rear direction 8 of the first opening 131 of the liquid channel 103. ,long. The length of the third opening 141 of the gas channel 104 along the left-right direction 9 is equal to the length of the first opening 131 of the liquid channel 103 along the left-right direction 9 . Therefore, the opening area of the third opening 141 of the gas channel 104 is larger than the opening area of the first opening 131 of the liquid channel 103 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , in the vertical portion 143 of the gas channel 104 , the opening area of the gas channel 104 increases as it approaches the third opening 141 of the gas channel 104 . In the vertical portion 133 of the liquid channel 103 , the opening area of the liquid channel 103 is constant in the vertical direction 7 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid channel 103 within the tank body 101 is formed by the front upper wall 108 , the horizontal wall 116 , the two front curved side walls 111 and the inner cylindrical portion 114 . A horizontal portion 144 of the gas flow path 104 inside the tank body 101 is formed by the horizontal wall 116 , the two front curved side walls 111 and the inner cylindrical portion 114 .

[First rib 117]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 11 , the tank body 101 has a first rib 117 continuous with the vertical wall 115 . A first rib 117 protrudes from the front curved side wall 111 and extends downward from the vertical wall 115 . A space is provided between the first rib 117 and the lower wall 109 . A first rib 117 is provided on each of the two front curved side walls 111 positioned on the left and right sides, and two first ribs 117 are positioned apart in the left-right direction 9 in one second storage chamber 105 . there is

[Joint 102]
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 9 and 11, the joint 102 includes a joint body 118, an inner wall 119, a plug member 120 (see FIGS. 6 and 7), and a spring 121 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). ing.

[Joint body 118]
As shown in FIG. 7, the joint body 118 connects an outer cylinder portion 122 located at the rear end, a tip portion 123 located at the front end, and the outer cylinder portion 122 and the tip portion 123 . and a main body portion 124 that The outer tube portion 122 has a cylindrical shape and extends in the front-rear direction 8 . The outer tubular portion 122 is fitted into the inner tubular portion 114 of the tank body 101 . Thereby, the joint body 118 is fixed to the tank body 101 . The distal end portion 123 has a disk shape with an axis extending in the front-rear direction 8 as an axis. The body portion 124 has a cylindrical shape and extends in the front-rear direction 8 . An upper opening 125 and a lower opening 126 are formed at the front end of the main body 124 to open upward and downward, respectively.

[Partition wall 127 and second rib 128]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the inner wall 119 is located inside the joint body 118 . The inner wall 119 extends rearwardly beyond the outer tube portion 122 from the tip portion 123 . The inner wall 119 has a partition wall 127 and second ribs 128 . As shown in FIG. 8 , the inner wall 119 has a T shape when viewed from the front-rear direction 8 . A rear end surface of the partition wall 127 is in contact with a front end surface of the horizontal wall 116 inside the tank body 101 . The partition wall 127 and the horizontal wall 116 partition the internal space of the connecting portion between the joint body 118 and the tank body 101 into the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 .

The partition wall 127 is a wall extending in the left-right direction 9 inside the joint body 118 . Partition wall 127 extends rearward from tip 123 . The internal space of the joint body 118 is partitioned into upper and lower parts by a partition wall 127 .

The second rib 128 protrudes downward from the central portion of the partition wall 127 in the left-right direction 9 . The second rib 128 extends rearward from the tip portion 123 . There is a gap between the second rib 128 and the inner surface of the joint body 118 .

A horizontal portion 134 of the liquid flow path 103 within the joint 102 is formed by the inner surface of the joint body 118 and the lower surface of the inner wall 119 . The cross section of the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid channel 103 within the joint 102 is substantially semicircular. More precisely, in the cross section of the horizontal portion 134, the semicircular upper portion is divided into left and right by the second rib 128, and the semicircular lower portion is connected without being divided into left and right. A horizontal portion 144 of gas flow path 104 within joint 102 is formed by the inner surface of joint body 118 and the upper surface of inner wall 119 . The cross-section of the horizontal portion 144 of the gas flow path 104 within the joint 102 is semicircular.

[Plug member 120 and spring 121]
The plug member 120 is a cylindrical member positioned outside the body portion 124 of the joint body 118 . The plug member 120 is movable in the front-rear direction 8 along the body portion 124 . The front end of the spring 121 is fixed to the rear end of the plug member 120 , and the rear end of the spring 121 is in contact with the buffer tank 90 of the atmosphere communicating portion 70 and the outer cylindrical portion 122 of the joint main body 118 . A spring 121 biases the plug member 120 forward. When no external force is applied, the plug member 120 is positioned at the front end of the joint body 118 and closes the upper opening 125 and the lower opening 126 . When a rearward external force greater than the elastic force of the spring 121 is applied to the plug member 120, the plug member 120 moves rearward and the upper opening 125 and the lower opening 126 are opened. When the ink cartridge 50 is attached, the joint receiving portion 52 of the ink cartridge 50 abuts against the plug member 120 . The external force applied when the ink cartridge 50 is attached causes the plug member 120 that contacts the joint receiving portion 52 to move rearward.

[Installation state of ink cartridge 50]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, when the ink cartridge 50 is attached to the sub-tank 100, the joint main body 118 of the sub-tank 100 is inserted into the joint receiving portion 52 of the ink cartridge 50 along the front-rear direction 8. and inserted into the communication port 61 . In this mounted state, the second opening 132 of the liquid channel 103 and the fourth opening 142 of the gas channel 104 of the sub-tank 100 enter the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 . As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ink cartridge 50 can be separated and mounted in the sub-tank 100 along the front-rear direction 8 .

[Layout of Ink Cartridge 50 and Sub Tank 100]
A layout of the ink cartridge 50 and the sub-tank 100 will be described. The layout will be described assuming that the ink cartridge 50 is installed in the storage case 71 and the ink cartridge 50 and the sub-tank 100 are in the usage posture shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the convex portion 65 of the ink cartridge 50 is at substantially the same position as the joint 102 in the vertical direction 7, but the portion above the convex portion 65 of the ink cartridge 50 is above the joint 102. It is in. Therefore, most of the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 is positioned above the joint 102 . The upper portion of the sub-tank 100, that is, the portion above the bent upper wall 130 is at substantially the same position as the joint 102, but the portion below the bent upper wall 130 of the sub-tank 100 is below the joint 102. . Therefore, most of the second storage chamber 105 of the sub-tank 100 is below the joint 102 .

A portion of the first storage chamber 53 above the projection 65 is located above the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid channel 103 and the horizontal portion 144 of the gas channel 104 . The second storage chamber 105 is located below the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid channel 103 and the horizontal portion 144 of the gas channel 104 . The lower portion of the first storage chamber 53 and the upper portion of the second storage chamber 105 are coaxially aligned in the front-rear direction 8 . The volume of the first storage chamber 53 is larger than the volume of the second storage chamber 105 .

The horizontal portion 144 of the gas channel 104 is located above the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid channel 103 .

As shown in FIG. 7, the first opening 131 of the liquid channel 103, the third opening 141 of the gas channel 104, and the air communication port 106 are arranged in order from the communication port 61 of the first storage chamber 53 toward the rear. positioned. A second opening 132 of the liquid channel 103 and a fourth opening 142 of the gas channel 104 are positioned in this order from the communication port 61 of the first storage chamber 53 toward the front. The position in the vertical direction 7 of the communication port 61 of the first storage chamber 53 corresponds to the position in the vertical direction 7 where the first storage chamber 53 communicates with the liquid channel 103, and the communication port 61 is located at the position in the vertical direction 7. is the direction away from the first storage chamber 53 .

[Atmosphere communication part 70]
As shown in FIGS. 5, 11, and 12, the atmosphere communication portion 70 includes a buffer tank 90, a communication channel 145, and an atmosphere communication channel 147. As shown in FIGS.

[Buffer tank 90]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 11, the buffer tank 90 is positioned below the storage case 71 and above the sub-tank 100 .

5 and 11, the buffer tank 90 comprises a top wall 91, a bottom wall 92, two side walls 93, three partition walls 94, a rear wall 95 and a projecting wall 96. As shown in FIGS. The upper wall 91 is a wall that extends along a plane that is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The lower wall 92 is a wall that extends parallel to the horizontal plane from the rear and bends upward toward the front. The front end of the lower wall 92 connects to the front end of the upper wall 91 . The two side walls 93 are walls that connect both ends of the upper wall 91 and the lower wall 92 in the left-right direction 9 in the up-down direction 7 . The three partition walls 94 are walls arranged in parallel with the two side walls 93 in the left-right direction 9 . The rear wall 95 is a wall that connects the rear ends of the upper wall 91 and the lower wall 92 . The projecting wall 96 is a wall extending upward from the rear end of the upper wall 91 . A gap is formed in the front-rear direction 8 between the rear wall 95 and the projecting wall 96 .

A lower wall 73 of the storage case 71 is positioned above the upper wall 91 of the buffer tank 90 . A top wall 91 of the buffer tank 90 supports a bottom wall 73 of the storage case 71 . Therefore, the upper wall 91 of the buffer tank 90 can support the ink cartridge 50 accommodated in the storage case 71 through the lower wall 73 of the storage case 71 .

[Buffer room 97]
An internal space defined by an upper wall 91 , a lower wall 92 , two side walls 93 and a rear wall 95 is divided into four buffer chambers 97 by three partition walls 94 . The four buffer chambers 97 are connected to the four sub-tanks 100, respectively. The four buffer chambers 97 are spaces capable of storing air sent to the first storage chamber 53 as ink in the first storage chamber 53 is supplied to the second storage chamber 105 by air-liquid replacement. The four buffer chambers 97 are positioned above the recording section 24 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the buffer chamber 97 is located below the first storage chamber 53 and the second storage chamber 105 is located below the buffer chamber 97 . A portion of the first storage chamber 53 and a portion of the buffer chamber 97 formed in the convex portion 65 are coaxially aligned in the front-rear direction 8 . Further, a portion of the convex portion 65, a portion of the joint 102, and a portion of the buffer tank 90 are coaxially arranged in the front-rear direction 8. As shown in FIG. A portion of the first storage chamber 53 and a portion of the buffer chamber 97 are coaxially arranged in the vertical direction 7 .

[Communication channel 145]
As shown in FIG. 12A, the lower wall 92 of the buffer tank 90 has an opening 98 communicating with the buffer chamber 97 . The ink supply device 15 has a connection pipe 99 that connects the atmosphere communication port 106 of the tank body 101 and the opening 98 of the buffer tank 90 . The connecting pipe 99 has a cylindrical shape. A communicating channel 145 that connects the second storage chamber 105 and the buffer chamber 97 is formed by the inner surface of the connecting pipe 99 . The communication channel 145 extends in the vertical direction 7 .

[Atmospheric communication passage 147]
As shown in FIG. 12B, an opening 146 is formed in each buffer chamber 97 at the rear end of the upper wall 91 . The top wall 91 has four openings 146 behind the projecting wall 96 . The lower surface of the upper wall 91 is inclined upward along the front-rear direction 8 toward the opposite side (rearward) of the opening 98 . The opening 146 opens into the upper wall 91 at the highest position in the vertical direction 7 of the lower surface of the upper wall 91 . Here, the front surface of the rear wall 95 and the rear surface of the projecting wall 96 form an air communication passage 147 extending in the vertical direction 7 . The atmosphere communication path 147 extends upward from the buffer chamber 97 through the opening 146 and communicates with the outside of the housing 14 of the multifunction device 10 .

[Operation of this embodiment]
First, the flow of ink and air when the ink cartridge 50 is first installed in the empty sub-tank 100 will be described.

In the state before the initial introduction (pre-state) shown in FIG. 6, the ink cartridge 50 is separated from the sub-tank 100 . In the previous state, the communication port 61 of the ink cartridge 50 is closed by the plug member 62 and the first storage chamber 53 is sealed by the ink cartridge 50 . Therefore, the ink filled in the first storage chamber 53 will not leak to the outside. On the other hand, in the previous state, the upper opening 125 and the lower opening 126 (see FIG. 7) of the sub-tank 100 are closed by the plug member 120 . Therefore, the second opening 132 of the liquid channel 103 and the second opening of the gas channel 104 communicating with the second storage chamber 105 are closed to the outside. The second storage chamber 105 has an air communication port 106 (see FIG. 7) and a communication port 129 (see FIG. 7) as portions communicating with the outside in addition to the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 . The atmosphere communication port 106 communicates with the outside air of the multifunction device 10 via the buffer chamber 97 . The communication port 129 communicates with the recording head 39 through the ink tube 32, but ink does not flow out from the communication port 129 when the recording head 39 is in a resting state. Here, the second storage chamber 105 is not filled with ink, and the second storage chamber 105 is empty.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, when the ink cartridge 50 is attached to the sub-tank 100, the plug member 62 closing the communication port 61 retracts forward against the urging force of the spring 63 and opens upward. The plug member 120 that closes the portion 125 and the lower opening 126 retreats backward against the biasing force of the spring 121 . As a result, the first storage chamber 53 communicates with the second storage chamber 105 via the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 . Then, the ink in the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 naturally falls through the liquid flow path 103 and is introduced into the second storage chamber 105 of the sub-tank 100 . Since the atmosphere communication port 106 is open to the outside air, the same volume of air as the amount of ink introduced into the second storage chamber 105 flows through the atmosphere communication port 106 and the gas flow path 104 into the first storage chamber 53 . introduced into In this way, the ink in the first storage chamber 53 is supplied to the second storage chamber 105 by replacing the ink in the first storage chamber 53 with air (air-liquid replacement).

As the gas-liquid replacement progresses, the ink level in the second storage chamber 105 rises. When the ink level rises and reaches the lower end position of the vertical wall 115, the third opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is closed. Then, gas-liquid replacement cannot be performed, so the supply of ink from the first storage chamber 53 to the second storage chamber 105 is stopped. In this way, ink is supplied at the time of initial introduction.

Next, the flow of ink and air when the printing operation is performed by the printer section 11 with the ink cartridge 50 installed will be described.

When ink is ejected from the recording head 39 during a recording operation, the ink in the second storage chamber 105 is sucked into the recording head 39 through the communication port 129 . As the amount of ink decreases, the ink level in the second storage chamber 105 drops, so that the closed third opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is opened. When the third opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is opened, gas-liquid replacement is performed as described above, and ink is supplied from the first storage chamber 53 to the second storage chamber 105 . Ink is supplied from the first storage chamber 53 to the second storage chamber 105 so as to compensate for the consumption of ink in the recording head 39 , and the liquid level of the ink in the second storage chamber 105 is controlled by the gas flow path 104 . is maintained at the position of the third opening 141 of

When the ink in the first storage chamber 53 is exhausted, the ink is ejected from the recording head 39, and the liquid level of the ink in the second storage chamber 105 is lowered, and the gas flow path 104 closed by the ink is closed. The third opening 141 is released. When the ink level in the second storage chamber 105 further drops and no ink exists between the ink detection plates 158, electrical continuity between the ink detection plates 158 is lost. It is detected that the level of the ink in the second storage chamber 105 has dropped to a predetermined level from the change in the presence/absence of conduction by the ink detection plate 158 . As a result, it is detected that the ink in the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 has run out. In this case, by replacing the empty ink cartridge 50 with another ink cartridge 50 filled with ink, the multi-function device 10 can continue the recording operation. The ink detecting plate 158 is electrically conductive when filled with ink, and is not electrically conductive when there is no ink therebetween. To detect.

[Action and effect of the present embodiment]
According to this embodiment, since the first storage chamber 53 and the second storage chamber 105 are connected via the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104, the ink in the first storage chamber 53 is replaced by gas-liquid replacement. It can be supplied to the second storage chamber 105 . In addition, since the ink cartridge 50 can be attached to and detached from the sub-tank 100 in the front-rear direction 8, the operability of exchanging the ink cartridge 50 is excellent. In addition, the air (bubbles) flowing into the first storage chamber 53 through the fourth opening 142 can be prevented or reduced from passing or floating in the vicinity of the second opening 132 and entering the liquid channel 103 through the second opening 132. hard.

In addition, since the horizontal portion 144 is located above the horizontal portion 134 , the ink in the ink cartridge 50 flows more than the gas flow path 104 due to the head difference between the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 . It becomes easier to flow out into the path 103 . Since no reverse flow occurs in which ink flows along the gas flow path 104 , ink flows along the liquid flow path 103 and air flows along the gas flow path 104 . Also, the air flowing into the first storage chamber 53 through the fourth opening 142 is more difficult to enter the liquid channel 103 through the second opening 132 . Therefore, ink is stably supplied from the ink cartridge 50 to the sub-tank 100 as the amount of ink in the sub-tank 100 decreases.

In addition, since the second opening 132 is closer to the first opening 131 than the fourth opening 142 in the front-rear direction 8, the flow path resistance of the liquid flow path 103 is suppressed, and smooth gas-liquid replacement is easily realized.

In addition, since the length L2 of the horizontal portion 144 extending in the front-rear direction 8 is longer than the length L1 of the horizontal portion 134 extending in the front-rear direction 8 (L1<L2), the cross-sectional area of the horizontal portion 134 and the cross-sectional area of the horizontal portion 144 are different. If the areas are the same, the flow path resistance by the horizontal portion 134 is smaller than the flow path resistance by the horizontal portion 144. Therefore, when the sub-tank 100 and the ink cartridge 50 are connected, the first reservoir 134 can flow through the horizontal portion 134. The ink in the chamber 53 easily flows into the second storage chamber 105 .

Further, the liquid channel 103 opens to the second storage chamber 105 at the first opening 131 below the second opening 132 , and the gas channel 104 opens at the third opening below the fourth opening 142 . Since the opening is made at 141 , the ink in the second storage chamber 105 is less likely to flow back to the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 .

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, the second opening 132 is closer to the first opening 131 than the fourth opening 142 in the front-to-rear direction 8. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, the configuration may be such that the first opening 131 is closer to the second opening 132 than the second opening 132 is. In other words, the second opening 132 is positioned forward of the fourth opening 142 . In this case, the length L2 of the horizontal portion 144 extending in the front-rear direction 8 is shorter than the length L1 of the horizontal portion 134 extending in the front-rear direction 8 (L1>L2). In this case, when the ink cartridge 50 is attached to the sub-tank 100, the second opening 132 communicates with the first storage chamber 53 before the fourth opening 142, so the gas pressure in the first storage chamber 53 is lower than the atmospheric pressure. Even if the ink cartridge 50 is attached to the sub-tank 100 in a slightly raised state, the ink flows out through the liquid flow path 103 , so that the ink can be prevented from entering the gas flow path 104 .

In the ink supply device 15 according to the above embodiment, the liquid channel 103 has the vertical portion 133 and the horizontal portion 134, and the gas channel 104 has the vertical portion 143 and the horizontal portion 144. may have only horizontal portion 134 and no vertical portion 133 . Similarly, gas flow path 104 may have only horizontal portion 144 and no vertical portion 143 .

In the ink supply device 15 according to the above-described embodiment, the direction in which the ink cartridge 50 is mounted in the sub-tank 100 is the horizontal front-rear direction 8, but is not limited to this, and the horizontal left-right direction 9. good too. Also, the mounting direction may be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction as long as it is easy to mount (for example, less than 45 degrees, preferably less than 30 degrees). In this case, the horizontal portion 134 and the horizontal portion 144 of the above embodiment also become inclined portions.

In the ink supply device 15 according to the above embodiment, both the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid channel 103 and the horizontal portion 144 of the gas channel 104 are formed in the same joint 102. Two joints may be provided, one joint forming the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid channel 103 and the other joint forming the horizontal portion 144 of the gas channel 104 . Moreover, the relative positional relationship in the vertical direction between the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid channel 103 and the horizontal portion 144 of the gas channel 104 may be either on the top or on the bottom.

In the above embodiment, the first opening 131 of the liquid channel 103, the third opening 141 of the gas channel 104, and the air communication port 106 are positioned in this order in the direction away from the communication port 61 of the first storage chamber 53. However, the positional relationship among the first opening 131, the third opening 141, and the air communication port 106 is not limited. Any one of the first opening 131 , the third opening 141 , and the air communication port 106 may be positioned forward or rearward, and may be aligned along the left-right direction 9 .

In the above embodiment, the vertical portion 133 of the gas channel 104 continues flush with the two front curved side walls 111 that partition the second storage chamber 105, but the vertical portion 133 of the gas channel 104 is , a wall that is not continuous with the two front curved side walls 111 that partition the second storage chamber 105, for example, a wall that is separated by a step.

In the above-described embodiment, the lower portion of the first storage chamber 53 and the upper portion of the sub-tank 100 are arranged coaxially in the horizontal direction. They may be located on different horizontal axes.

Also, in the above embodiment, the volume of the first storage chamber 53 is larger than the volume of the second storage chamber 105, but these volumes may be about the same, and the volume of the second storage chamber 105 may be the same as the volume of the second storage chamber 105. It may be larger than the volume of the storage chamber 53 .

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the inner cylinder portion 114 and the joint body 118 are configured as separate members, but they may be integrally molded, and the inner wall 119 constituting the joint 102 may also be the inner cylinder. It may be molded integrally with the portion 114 and the joint body 118 . Further, in the above embodiment, the horizontal wall 116 of the tank body 101 and the inner wall 119 of the joint 102 are configured as separate members, but they may be integrally molded. Further, in the above embodiment, the tank body 101 and the joint 102 are configured as separate members, but they may be integrally molded.

In the above-described embodiment, the tank main body 101 has the wide portion 150 and the narrow portion 151. However, the narrow portion 151 is not formed, and the tank main body 101 has a constant width. may be

10 MFP (image recording device)
15... Ink supply device (liquid supply device)
24 Recording unit 50 Ink cartridge (cartridge)
53... First storage chamber 61... Communication port 100... Sub-tank (tank)
102...Joint 103...Liquid channel 104...Gas channel 105...Second storage chamber 106...Atmospheric communication port 131...First opening 132...Second opening 133.・・Vertical part (first upper and lower part)
134 Horizontal portion (first extension portion)
141...Third opening 142...Fourth opening 143...Vertical portion (second upper and lower portions)
144 Horizontal portion (second extension portion)

Claims (9)

A liquid supply device comprising a tank and a cartridge detachable along a detachable direction that intersects the vertical direction with respect to the tank,
The above cartridge
It has a first storage chamber for storing liquid,
The tank above
a second storage chamber for storing the liquid;
a liquid channel and a gas channel communicating with the second storage chamber;
an air communication port that communicates the second storage chamber with the outside,
The liquid channel includes a first opening formed at one end side communicating with the second storage chamber, a second opening formed at the other end side opposite to the one end side and opening to the outside, and the a first extending portion extending from the two openings toward the first opening in the attachment/detachment direction,
The gas flow path includes a third opening formed at one end side communicating with the second storage chamber, a fourth opening formed at the other end side opposite to the one end side and opening to the outside, and the a second extending portion extending from the 4th opening toward the third opening in the attachment/detachment direction,
The second opening is farther from the first opening than the fourth opening in the attaching/detaching direction, and when the cartridge is attached to the tank, the second opening is earlier than the fourth opening. in communication with the chamber,
In a mounting state in which the first storage chamber of the cartridge and the second opening of the liquid channel and the fourth opening of the gas channel of the tank are connected in communication,
The liquid supply device, wherein the first storage chamber has a portion located above the liquid channel and the gas channel. A liquid supply device comprising a tank and a cartridge detachable along a detachable direction that intersects the vertical direction with respect to the tank,
The cartridge above
It has a first storage chamber for storing liquid,
The tank above
a second storage chamber for storing the liquid;
a liquid channel and a gas channel communicating with the second storage chamber;
an air communication port that communicates the second storage chamber with the outside,
The liquid channel includes a first opening formed at one end side communicating with the second storage chamber, a second opening formed at the other end side opposite to the one end side and opening to the outside, and the a first extending portion extending from two openings toward the first opening in the attachment/detachment direction;
The gas flow path includes a third opening formed at one end side communicating with the second storage chamber, a fourth opening formed at the other end side opposite to the one end side and opening to the outside, and the 4, a second extending portion extending from the opening toward the third opening in the attachment/detachment direction, and a second upper and lower portion extending upward in the intersecting direction from the second opening,
The second opening is different in position in the attachment/detachment direction from the fourth opening,
In a mounting state in which the first storage chamber of the cartridge and the second opening of the liquid channel and the fourth opening of the gas channel of the tank are connected in communication,
The liquid supply device, wherein the first storage chamber has a portion located above the liquid channel and the gas channel. 3. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the second extension portion is positioned above the first extension portion. 3. The liquid supply device according to claim 2 , wherein the second opening is closer to the first opening than the fourth opening in the attaching/detaching direction. 5. The liquid supply device according to claim 2 , wherein the length of the second extension portion extending in the attachment/detachment direction is longer than the length of the first extension portion extending in the attachment/detachment direction. The above cartridge
Having a communication port that communicates with the first storage chamber and opens in the attachment/detachment direction,
The tank above
6. The liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , comprising a tubular joint that has the first extending portion and the second extending portion, and is connected to the communication port of the cartridge in the mounted state. feeding device. 7. The liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the volume of the first storage chamber is larger than the volume of the second storage chamber. 8. The liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the attachment/detachment direction is horizontal. a liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ;
and a recording unit that ejects the liquid supplied from the tank of the liquid supply device.

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