JP7310216B2 - liquid container and liquid consumption device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, a liquid container such as an ink tank, and a liquid consumption device provided with the liquid container.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an ink jet printer that forms an image with ink on a recording medium such as paper by ejecting ink onto the recording medium. 2. Description of the Related Art Some of the ink tanks of ink jet printers are of a replenishment type, in which a user replenishes ink into an ink tank installed in a printer body. A replenishment type ink tank has an inlet for injecting ink, and the inlet is closed with a cap or plug made of an elastic resin material such as an elastomer. Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose a detachable cap or plug provided on a replenishment type ink tank.

The plug member of the liquid storage unit of Patent Document 1 includes an elastically deformable plug body that covers the injection port, and a lever-shaped holding member that has higher rigidity than the plug body and holds the plug body. A shaft for rotating the holding member is provided on the ink tank.

The ink tank cap of Patent Document 2 has a covering portion that covers the inlet, and a tubular seal portion and a tubular skirt portion that protrude from the covering portion. The seal portion is inserted into the injection port to close the injection port. The skirt portion sandwiches the injection port with the seal portion. The skirt portion protrudes from the seal portion, so that the skirt portion catches the ink scattered from the seal portion due to the momentum when the cap is pulled out from the inlet.

The ink tank cap of Patent Document 3 has a handle portion and a seal portion provided at the bottom of the handle portion and inserted into an inlet. The handle portion is made of a hard resin material, and the seal portion is made of an elastic resin material having lower hardness than the resin material of the handle portion.

JP 2018-69705 A JP 2018-8412 A Chinese Utility Model Publication No. 206357825

As shown in Patent Documents 1 to 3, elastic deformation (elastic recovery) of the cap is accompanied when the cap is removed from the inlet of the ink tank. Therefore, when the cap is pulled out from the injection port, the cap comes off vigorously. The ink adhering to the cap scatters due to this momentum, and there is a risk that the ink may adhere to the user's finger or the vicinity of the inlet. Although Patent Documents 1 to 3 also devised ways to suppress ink scattering, there is still room for improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. and to provide a liquid consuming device having this liquid container.

<<1>> A liquid container according to an aspect of the present invention includes a tank having an inlet for injecting a liquid, and a cap for sealing the inlet,
The cap is made of a resin material having a head portion that is in contact with the opening edge of the injection port when attached to the injection port, and a seal portion that is inserted into the injection port in an elastically deformed state. and an operation member coupled with the plug member and made of a resin material harder than the plug member,
A force point where a user applies an external force when pulling out the cap attached to the injection port is located on the operation member, the force point is closer to the user than an opening center point of the injection port, and the operation member is It has a pressing portion that applies a downward external force to the point of force when pressed by the finger of the user, and the fulcrum forming the rotation center of the cap when the external force is applied to the operating member is the opening of the injection port. It is characterized by being closer to the user than the center point.
<<2>> A liquid container according to another aspect of the present invention includes a tank having an inlet for injecting a liquid, and a cap for sealing the inlet,
The cap is made of a resin material having a head portion that is in contact with the opening edge of the injection port when attached to the injection port, and a seal portion that is inserted into the injection port in an elastically deformed state. and an operation member coupled with the plug member and made of a resin material harder than the plug member,
A force point where a user applies an external force when pulling out the cap attached to the injection port is located on the operation member, and the force point is farther from the user than the center point of the opening of the injection port, and is located on the operation member. a fulcrum forming a rotation center of the cap when the external force is applied is closer to the user than an opening center point of the injection port;
an obstacle exists at a location farther from the user than the inlet;
A gap of 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less is provided between the operating member and the obstacle when the cap is attached to the inlet, and the force point is between the inlet and the obstacle. It is located.
<<3>> A liquid container according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a tank having an inlet for injecting a liquid, and a cap for sealing the inlet,
The cap is made of a resin material having a head portion that is in contact with the opening edge of the injection port when attached to the injection port, and a seal portion that is inserted into the injection port in an elastically deformed state. and an operation member coupled with the plug member and made of a resin material harder than the plug member,
A force point where a user applies an external force when pulling out the cap attached to the injection port is located on the operation member, and the force point is farther from the user than the center point of the opening of the injection port, and is located on the operation member. a fulcrum forming a rotation center of the cap when the external force is applied is closer to the user than an opening center point of the injection port;
When the cap is attached to the injection port, the operation member has an operation piece extending away from the user, and the operation piece has a concave portion on which the user's fingers are hooked.
<<4>> A liquid container according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a tank having an inlet for injecting a liquid, and a cap for sealing the inlet,
The cap is made of a resin material having a head portion that is in contact with the opening edge of the injection port when attached to the injection port, and a seal portion that is inserted into the injection port in an elastically deformed state. and an operation member coupled with the plug member and made of a resin material harder than the plug member,
A force point where a user applies an external force when pulling out the cap attached to the injection port is located on the operation member, and the force point is farther from the user than the center point of the opening of the injection port, and is located on the operation member. a fulcrum forming a rotation center of the cap when the external force is applied is closer to the user than an opening center point of the injection port;
In a state in which the cap is attached to the injection port, the operation member has an operation piece extending away from the user, and is one of left and right from the opening center point of the injection port as viewed from the user. The operating piece is positioned at the

Further, a liquid consuming device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a liquid consuming portion, the liquid container containing the liquid to be consumed by the liquid consuming portion, and a housing containing the liquid consuming portion and the liquid container. It is characterized by comprising

In the liquid container and liquid consuming device described above, when the cap is removed from the inlet, the cap rotates about the fulcrum when an external force is applied to the point of force. At that time, the direction of rotation of the cap is not the direction in which the user is present, but the opposite direction. Therefore, the direction in which the liquid scatters from the sealing portion and/or the injection port is not the direction in which the user is when viewed from the injection port, but the opposite direction. In addition, while the cap is rotating and immediately after the entire sealing portion of the cap has exited the inlet, the sealing portion is on the opposite side of the user through the head portion. Therefore, the liquid splashed from the seal portion and/or the injection port does not spread toward the user side rather than the head portion. In this way, even if liquid splashes from the cap and/or the inlet when the cap is pulled out from the inlet, the liquid will not adhere to the user. Therefore, when the user removes the cap from the inlet, the user can operate the cap without worrying about splashing of the liquid, which improves the operability of the cap.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a liquid container provided with a cap capable of appropriately closing an injection port formed in a tank containing liquid and improving operability when removed by a user, and a liquid container provided with the liquid container. A liquid consumption device can be provided.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a multifunction machine, in which (A) shows a state in which the cover is in the closed position, and (B) shows a state in which the cover is in the open position. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer section. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the carriage and tank unit. FIG. 4A is a front perspective view of the tank, and FIG. 4B is a rear perspective view of the tank. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the tank unit. FIG. 6A is an upper perspective view of the binding member, and FIG. 6B is a lower perspective view of the binding member. FIG. 7 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the housing and the binding member. FIG. 8(A) is a front perspective view of the connecting member, and FIG. 8(B) is a rear perspective view of the connecting member. FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which each tank held by the binding member is assembled to the connecting member. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the tank and the cap attached to its inlet. FIG. 11 is an exploded side view of the cap. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the operating member. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the operating member. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing how the cap is removed from the inlet of the tank. FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a tank and a cap according to Modification 1 attached to its inlet. 16 is a perspective view of an operating member of the cap according to Modification 1. FIG. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing how the cap is removed from the inlet of the tank. FIG. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a tank and a cap according to Modification 2 attached to its inlet. 19 is a perspective view of an operating member of a cap according to Modification 2. FIG. FIG. 20 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a tank and a cap according to Modification 2 attached to its inlet. FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a cap operating member according to Modification 2. FIG. FIG. 22 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a tank and a cap according to Modification 3 attached to its inlet. 23 is a perspective view of an operating member of a cap according to Modification 3. FIG. 24 is a perspective view of an operating member of a cap according to Modification 3. FIG. FIG. 25 is a diagram of the cap according to Modification 3 attached to the filling port of the tank, as seen obliquely from above.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a multifunction device 1, which is an example of a liquid consuming device. However, the present invention is not limited to the multi-function machine 1, but can be widely applied to liquid consuming devices including a liquid consuming portion, a liquid container, and a housing housing the liquid consuming portion and the liquid container.

[Overall Configuration of MFP 1]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the multifunction machine 1, in which (A) shows a state in which the cover 39 is in the closed position, and (B) shows a state in which the cover 39 is in the open position. The MFP 1 has various functions including a facsimile function and a print function. The multifunction device 1 includes a printer section 2 and a housing 3 housing the printer section 2 . The printer section 2 includes a recording section 24 that is a liquid consuming section, and a tank unit 9 that is a liquid container. The up-down direction Z is defined with reference to the usage posture (posture in FIG. 1) in which the multifunction device 1 is installed on a horizontal plane, and the front-rear direction Y is defined with the surface on which the operation panel 31 of the multifunction device 1 is provided as the front surface, A left-right direction X is defined when the multifunction device 1 is viewed from the front. In the usage posture, the up-down direction Z corresponds to the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction Y and the left-right direction X correspond to the horizontal direction. Further, in the following description, progress from the starting point to the end point of the arrow is referred to as "direction", and movement on the line connecting the starting point and the end point of the arrow is referred to as "direction".

[Printer section 2]
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer section 2. As shown in FIG. The printer unit 2 records an image on paper 12, which is a recording medium, by an inkjet recording method. The printer section 2 includes a feed tray 20 , a feed section 21 , a conveying roller section 23 , a recording section 24 , a discharge roller section 25 , a platen 26 , a tank unit 9 and a discharge tray 27 .

The feed tray 20 accommodates the sheets 12 . The feed tray 20 is provided at the bottom of the multifunction device 1 and is inserted and removed in the front-rear direction Y from the front surface of the multifunction device 1 . The feeding section 21 feeds the paper 12 accommodated in the feeding tray 20 to the transport path 28 . The feeding unit 21 includes a feeding roller 21a that is rotationally driven by a transport motor (not shown).

The transport path 28 extends backward from the rear end of the feed tray 20 , makes a U-turn forward, passes through the space between the recording section 24 and the platen 26 , and reaches the discharge tray 27 . A transport path 28 is formed by a guide member 29, a platen 26, and the like. The conveying direction CD of the paper 12 in the conveying path 28 is indicated by a dashed-dotted arrow in FIG.

The transport roller unit 23 is arranged upstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction CD, and transports the paper 12 between the recording unit 24 and the platen 26 . The transport roller section 23 includes a transport roller 23a and a pinch roller 23b that are arranged to face each other. The transport roller 23a is driven by a transport motor. The pinch roller 23b rotates together with the rotation of the conveying roller 23a.

The discharge roller unit 25 is arranged downstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction CD, and discharges the paper 12 from between the recording unit 24 and the platen 26 to the discharge tray 27 . The discharge roller section 25 includes a discharge roller 25a and a spur 25b that are arranged to face each other. The discharge roller 25a is driven by a conveying motor. The spur 25b rotates with the rotation of the discharge roller 25a. The discharge tray 27 is open facing forward above the feed tray 20 , and the paper 12 on which the image has been recorded is taken out from the front of the multifunction device 1 .

3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the carriage 40 and the tank unit 9. FIG. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 40 and a recording head 41 . An ink tube 42 and a flexible flat cable 43 extend from the carriage 40 . The carriage 40 is supported by guide rails 45 and 46 extending in the left-right direction X. As shown in FIG. The carriage 40 is reciprocated in the horizontal direction X along guide rails 45 and 46 by a known driving device including a carriage motor (not shown).

The ink tube 42 connects the tank unit 9 and the recording head 41 and supplies ink (an example of liquid) from the tank unit 9 to the recording head 41 . The tank unit 9 includes four tanks 10B, 10Y, 10C, and 10M (collectively referred to as "tanks 10" in some cases) containing inks of four colors (black, magenta, cyan, and yellow). include. The tank 10 is an ink supply type ink tank. The ink tubes 42 are four ink tubes 42B, 42Y, 42C, and 42M through which inks of respective colors (black, magenta, cyan, and yellow) flow (these are sometimes collectively referred to as "ink tubes 42"). ) and connected to the carriage 40 in a bundled state.

A flexible flat cable 43 electrically connects a control board on which a control unit (not shown) is mounted and the recording head 41 . A flexible flat cable 43 transmits a control signal output from the control unit to the recording head 41 .

A plurality of nozzles 411 are arranged on the lower surface of the recording head 41 . The recording head 41 ejects ink as minute ink droplets from nozzles 411 . An image is recorded on the paper 12 supported by the platen 26 by ejecting ink droplets from the recording head 41 while the carriage 40 is moving. In this way, the ink stored in the tank 10 is consumed.

[Tank unit 9]
The tank unit 9 is placed inside the housing 3 at the front right portion of the housing 3 . The tank unit 9 includes four tanks 10, a cap 5 for sealing the inlet 18 of each tank 10, a binding member 7 for binding the front portions of the four tanks 10, and a connection member for binding the rear portions of the four tanks 10. 8 and

<Tank 10>
The four tanks 10 are arranged in a row along the left-right direction X. The tanks 10, 10C, and 10Y have the same structure, and the tank 10B has a slightly different structure because it can store more ink than the other tanks. However, since the four tanks have substantially the same structure, the structure of one of the tanks 10M, 10C, and 10Y will be described below.

FIG. 4A is a front perspective view of the tank 10M, and FIG. 4B is a rear perspective view of the tank 10M. The tank 10M shown in FIG. 4 includes a tank housing 13 in which an ink chamber 11 containing ink is formed. The tank housing 13 is composed of a tank body 14 and two films 15 and 16 . The tank main body 14 is made of a translucent resin, and the ink in the ink chamber 11 can be visually recognized from the outside of the tank 10M.

The tank body 14 integrally has a front wall 101 , a left wall 103 , an upper wall 104 , a lower wall 105 , a rear wall 110 and a partition wall 107 . Front wall 101 includes standing wall 102 and inclined wall 106 . The standing wall 102 has a surface extending in the horizontal direction X and the vertical direction Z facing the front wall 32 of the housing 3 . An inclined wall 106 connects the upper end of the standing wall 102 and the front end of the upper wall 104 . The inclined wall 106 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z and the front-rear direction Y, and the surface of the inclined wall 106 has an inclination from the vertical direction Z of more than 0° and less than 90°.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the right side of the tank body 14 is open. The film 15 is welded to the right surfaces of the front wall 101 , lower wall 105 , rear wall 110 , upper wall 104 and partition wall 107 to seal the right surface of the tank body 14 . Therefore, the right wall that seals the right surface of the tank body 14 is made of the film 15 . As shown in FIG. 4B, a portion (rear portion) of the left surface of the tank body 14 is open. By welding the film 16 to the left surfaces of the lower wall 105, the rear wall 110, the upper wall 104, and the partition wall 107, a portion (rear portion) of the left surface of the tank body 14 is sealed. Therefore, the left surface of the tank main body 14 is composed of the left wall 103 and the film 16 .

The tank housing 13 has an ink outlet 17 provided in the rear wall 110 . Ink stored in the ink chamber 11 flows out of the tank 10</b>M through the ink outlet 17 . The ink needle 223 of the connecting member 8 is inserted into the ink outlet 17 . The ink needle 223 is directly or indirectly connected to the ink tube 42 . As a result, the ink in the ink chamber 11 flows out to the nozzle 411 of the recording head 41 through the ink outlet 17 , the ink needle 223 and the ink tube 42 .

The tank housing 13 has an air communication port 19 provided in the upper wall 104 . The ink chamber 11 communicates with the outside of the tank 10M through the air communication port 19. As shown in FIG. That is, the inside of the ink chamber 11 is opened to the atmosphere through the atmosphere communication port 19 .

The tank housing 13 has an inlet 18 provided in the inclined wall 106 . Ink is injected into the ink chamber 11 through the injection port 18 when the tank 10M is replenished with ink. The center of the opening of the inlet 18 is defined as "opening center point _O1 ". A straight line passing through the opening center point O ₁ and extending parallel to the thickness direction of the inclined wall 106 is defined as an “opening center line C ₁ ”. A cylindrical portion 108 protruding from the inclined wall 106 in parallel with the opening center line C ₁ is provided, and the opening edge of the cylindrical portion 108 forms the injection port 18 . A detachable cap 5 is attached to the inlet 18 .

<Binding member 7>
As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the binding member 7 holds and binds the front portions of a plurality of tanks 10 aligned in the left-right direction X. As shown in FIGS. Further, the binding member 7 causes the housing 3 to hold the plurality of tanks 10 bound together.

The binding member 7 has a front wall 71 , a right wall 72 , a left wall 73 , an upper wall 74 and a lower wall 75 . These walls form an internal space 70 of the binding member 7 . The binding member 7 may further include an upright wall 771, which will be described later.

The front wall 71 consists of an upright wall 76 and an inclined wall 77 . The vertical wall 76 has a vertical surface extending in the vertical direction Z and the horizontal direction X. As shown in FIG. The inclined wall 77 connects the upper end of the standing wall 76 and the front end of the upper wall 74 . The inclined wall 77 is inclined with respect to the up-down direction Z and the front-rear direction Y, and the surface of the inclined wall 77 has an inclination of more than 0° and less than 90° from the vertical. The inclined wall 77 of the binding member 7 and the inclined wall 106 of the tank body 14 may be parallel.

The right wall 72 extends rearward from the right end of the front wall 71 . The left wall 73 extends rearward from the left end of the front wall 71 . The upper wall 74 extends rearward from the upper end of the front wall 71 (specifically, the upper end of the inclined wall 77). The right end of the upper wall 74 is connected to the upper end of the right wall 72 . The left end of the upper wall 74 is connected to the upper end of the left wall 73 . The lower wall 75 extends rearward from the lower end of the front wall 71 . The right end of the bottom wall 75 is connected to the bottom end of the right wall 72 . The left end of the bottom wall 75 is connected to the bottom end of the left wall 73 .

The lower wall 75 is formed with a downwardly extending cylindrical projection 78a. The protrusions 78a are formed at the right and left ends of the lower wall 75, respectively. As shown in FIG. 7, the convex portion 78a is inserted into the hole 34 formed in the bottom plate 33 of the housing 3 of the printer section 2. As shown in FIG. The upper wall 74 is formed with a cylindrical projection 78b extending upward. The convex portion 78b is formed near the center of the upper wall 74 in the left-right direction X. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the projection 78b is inserted into the hole 36 formed in the middle plate 35 of the housing 3 of the printer section 2. As shown in FIG. In this manner, the binding member 7 is fixed to and supported by the housing 3 while binding the plurality of tanks 10 .

As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of tanks 10 are inserted into the internal space 70 of the binding member 7 from behind. As shown in FIG. 5 , in a plurality of tanks 10 arranged in the horizontal direction X, gaps G1 are formed between adjacent tanks 10 .

As shown in FIG. 9, in the binding member 7 holding the plurality of tanks 10, the front wall 71 covers the front walls 101 of the plurality of tanks 10, and the top wall 74 covers the front portion of the top wall 104 of the tanks 10. Covering bottom wall 75 covers the front of bottom wall 105 of tank 10 .

As shown in FIG. 6, the standing wall 76 of the front wall 71 of the binding member 7 has a plurality of windows 79 arranged in the horizontal direction X at intervals. Each window 79 corresponds to four tanks 10B, 10Y, 10C and 10M. That is, in this embodiment, four windows 79 are formed. Although each window 79 has a rectangular shape in this embodiment, it may have a shape other than a rectangular shape.

As shown in FIG. 9 , in the bundling member 7 holding a plurality of tanks 10 , the vertical wall 102 of each tank 10 is exposed to the outside of the bundling member 7 through the window 79 . Further, as shown in FIG. 6 , when the cover 39 is in the closed position, the vertical wall 102 of each tank 10 is exposed to the outside of the housing 3 through the window 79 of the binding member 7 and the window 37 of the cover 39 . Thereby, the user can visually recognize the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 10 from the outside of the housing 3 through the window 79 and the window 37 .

A convex portion 81 projecting toward the internal space 70 is formed on the upper edge and the lower edge of each window 79 . In the bundling member 7 holding a plurality of tanks 10 , the vertical wall 102 of the front wall 101 of each tank 10 abuts on the peripheral protrusion 81 of the window 79 . Thereby, the front position of the tank 10 with respect to the binding member 7 is determined.

As shown in FIG. 6, the inclined wall 77 of the front wall 71 of the binding member 7 has a plurality of openings 82 arranged in the horizontal direction X at intervals. Each opening 82 corresponds to four tanks 10B, 10Y, 10C and 10M. That is, in this embodiment, four openings 82 are formed. In this embodiment, each opening 82 has a circular shape, but may have a shape other than a circular shape. As shown in FIG. 9 , in the plurality of tanks 10 held by the binding member 7 , the injection port 18 of each tank 10 is exposed to the outside of the binding member 7 through the opening 82 .

As shown in FIG. 6, the front portion of the upper wall 74 of the binding member 7 is formed with a cap attachment portion 83 to which the cap 5 described later is attached. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6A, the cap attachment portion 83 is a concave portion having a groove that opens forward.

<Connecting member 8>
The connecting member 8 binds by holding the rear portions of a plurality of tanks 10 arranged in a line in the left-right direction X. As shown in FIG. Further, the connecting member 8 allows the housing 3 to hold the bundled tanks 10 . The connecting member 8 has a main body 201 and a connecting portion 202 . As shown in FIG. 8, the connecting member 8 is configured by combining the connecting portion 202 from the rear of the main body 201 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the main body 201 has a base portion 203, an upright portion 204, and a brim portion 205. As shown in FIG. The standing portion 204 extends upward from the rear end portion of the base portion 203 . A brim portion 205 extends forward from the upper end of the upright portion 204 .

The base portion 203 is a substantially rectangular flat plate. Four grooves 210 extending in the front-rear direction Y are formed on the upper surface of the base portion 203 . The front end of the groove 210 opens forward. The width of each groove 210 in the left-right direction X is slightly larger than the width in the left-right direction X of the tank 10 held in the groove 210 . Each groove 210 moves the tank 10 in the front-rear direction Y while positioning the tank 10 in the left-right direction X by inserting a protrusion 137 (see FIG. 4 ) formed in the rear lower portion of the tank 10 . Act as a guide to guide you.

Two concave portions 211 and 212 are formed in the base portion 203 at positions that do not overlap with the groove 210 . The recesses 211 and 212 are arranged at positions separated from each other in the left-right direction X. As shown in FIG. Through holes 213 and 214 penetrating through the base portion 203 in the vertical direction Z are formed in the recesses 211 and 212, respectively. These through holes 213 and 214 are used to fix the base portion 203 of the connecting member 8 to the housing 3 . Specifically, the screws inserted through the through holes 213 and 214 are screwed into the screw holes of the housing 3 .

The width of the upright portion 204 in the left-right direction X is substantially the same as the width of the base portion 203 . Openings 215 (see FIG. 5) penetrating in the front-rear direction Y are formed in the standing portions 204 at positions corresponding to the rear ends of the respective grooves 210 . The guide tube 222 of the connecting portion 202 is inserted into the standing portion 204 through the opening 215 .

A partition plate 216 extending in the vertical direction Z separates adjacent openings 215 . Each partition plate 216 prevents the ink from scattering and adhering from one of the adjacent ink needles 223 to the other.

A rod 217 projecting forward is provided above each opening 215 . The rear wall 110 of the tank 10 abuts against the front end of the rod 217 to determine the rear position of the tank 10 .

The brim portion 205 faces the base portion 203 in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. A groove 218 that penetrates the brim portion 205 in the vertical direction Z and opens forward is formed at the tip of the brim portion 205 and above each groove 210 . A projection 136 formed on the rear upper portion of the tank 10 is fitted into the groove 218 . The movement of the tank 10 in the left-right direction X is restricted by the fitting between the groove 218 and the projection 136 . A plurality of protrusions 219 protrude upward from the upper surface of the brim portion 205 . The protrusion 219 positions the connecting member 8 with respect to the housing 3 by engaging with the housing 3 .

The connecting portion 202 has a connecting plate 221 , a guide cylinder 222 , an ink needle 223 , an ink flow path 224 and a joint 225 . The number of guide cylinders 222 , ink needles 223 , ink flow paths 224 , and joints 225 corresponds to the number of tanks 10 of the tank unit 9 .

The connection plate 221 has a flat plate shape and is fixed to the upright portion 204 with screws 226 . A plurality of guide cylinders 222 protrude forward from the connecting plate 221 . The guide tube 222 is inserted through the opening 215 of the standing portion 204 . An ink needle 223 is arranged coaxially with the guide cylinder 222 inside the guide cylinder 222 . The ink needle 223 is a tube projecting forward from the connecting plate 221 . When inserting the ink needle 223 into the protrusion 157 of the tank 10 , the protrusion 157 is guided by the guide tube 222 . The front end of the ink needle 223 inserted into the projecting portion 157 enters the ink outflow path 114 of the tank 10, and the internal space of the ink needle 223 and the ink outflow path 114 communicate with each other.

The rear end of the ink needle 223 opens to the rear surface of the connecting plate 221 and is connected to an ink channel 224 formed on the rear surface of the connecting plate 221 . An ink flow path 224 is formed by sealing the opening surface (rear surface) of the groove formed on the rear surface of the connecting plate 221 with a film (not shown). An independent ink channel 224 is provided corresponding to each ink needle 223 . Each ink channel 224 is connected to a joint 225 formed on the top of the connecting plate 221 . An ink tube 42 is connected to each joint 225 . In this manner, the connecting portion 202 forms an ink flow path that continues from the ink outflow path 114 of the tank 10 to the ink tube 42 .

[Case 3]
Returning to FIG. 1, the housing 3 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and has a vertical front wall 32 . An opening 38 is formed in the right portion of the front wall 32 . The opening 38 is closed by a cover 39 supported by the front wall 32 . The cover 39 is displaced between a closed position (the position shown in FIG. 1A) that closes the opening 38 and an open position that opens the opening 38 (the position shown in FIG. 1B).

A window 37 is formed in the cover 39 . The position of the window 37 in the longitudinal direction Y corresponds to that of the window 79 of the binding member 7 . Through the window 37, the tank 10 exposed in the window 79 of the binding member 7 can be visually recognized. That is, the amount of ink remaining in the tank 10 can be viewed from the outside of the housing 3 through the window 37 of the cover 39 at the closed position.

Also, when the cover 39 is in the open position, the inlet 18 provided in the tank 10 and the cap 5 sealing it are exposed through the opening 38 . Ink is supplied to the tank 10 while the inlet 18 and the cap 5 sealing it are exposed.

[Cap 5]
Here, the cap 5 will be explained in detail. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the tank 10 and the cap 5 attached to its inlet 18, FIG. 11 is an exploded side view of the cap 5, and FIGS. 12 and 13 are perspective views of the operating member 60. be. In FIG. 10, tank 10 is shown in cross section to clarify the relationship between cap 5 and inlet 18 of tank 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 10-12, the cap 5 is attached to the inlet 18 of the tank 10 to seal the inlet 18 in a liquid-tight manner. The cap 5 has a plug member 50 that closes the injection port 18 and an operation member 60 that a user's fingers or the like act on when the cap 5 is operated. The plug member 50 is made of an elastically deformable resin material such as an elastomer. The operating member 60 is made of a resin material that is harder than the resin material forming the plug member 50 .

The plug member 50 integrally has a head portion 51 , a seal portion 52 and an arm portion 53 . However, the arm portion 53 is not an essential element and may be omitted.

In the cap 5 attached to the injection port 18 , the head portion 51 of the plug member 50 is in contact with the opening edge of the injection port 18 . The head portion 51 has a disc shape with an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 108 forming the injection port 18 . Thereby, the sealing surface 51 a (downward surface) of the head portion 51 can contact the entire periphery of the opening edge of the inlet 18 .

The plug member 50 defines a “cap centerline C ₂ ” perpendicular to the sealing surface 51 a of the head portion 51 . The cap centerline C ₂ passes through substantially the center of the sealing surface 51 a of the head portion 51 . In the cap 5 attached to the inlet 18 , the cap centerline C ₂ coincides with the opening centerline C ₁ of the inlet 18 .

The arm portion 53 functions as a mooring rope that ties the cap 5 to the binding member 7 . The arm portion 53 has a strip shape. One end of the arm portion 53 is coupled to the head portion 51 , and the other end is provided with a connecting portion 54 to be connected to the binding member 7 . The connection portion 54 has a shape that engages with the cap attachment portion 83 (see FIG. 6A) of the binding member 7 . The arm portion 53 is connected to the binding member 7 by engaging the cap attachment portion 83 and the connection portion 54 .

The seal portion 52 protrudes from the sealing surface 51a of the head portion 51 in parallel with the cap centerline _C2 . The seal portion 52 is inserted into the inlet 18 in the cap 5 attached to the inlet 18 .

The sealing portion 52 includes, from the distal end side, a first portion 52a having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the injection port 18, a second portion 52b having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 108, and an inner diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the injection port 18. A third outer diameter portion 52c is formed continuously. The first portion 52a has a conical shape centered on the cap centerline _C2 and has a tapered shape. The second portion 52b and the third portion 52c are columnar (or cylindrical) with the cap centerline _C2 as the axis. The length of the third portion 52 c parallel to the cap centerline C ₂ is slightly shorter than the length of the cylinder portion 108 .

The operation member 60 integrally includes a base portion 61 , a holding portion 62 that holds the plug member 50 , and an operation portion 63 that acts when the user operates the cap 5 . Since the operation member 60 has appropriate hardness, operability is improved compared to the case where the user directly operates the plug member 50 .

The base portion 61 has a flat plate shape that is one size larger than the head portion 51 of the plug member 50 and can completely cover the surface 51b (upward surface) of the head portion 51 . As a result, when the base portion 61 is pressed, pressure can be evenly applied to the head portion 51 and the seal portion 52 of the plug member 50 .

A holding portion 62 is provided on the back surface 61 a (downward surface) of the base portion 61 . The holding portion 62 according to the present embodiment includes a protrusion 62a that holds the head portion 51 and the seal portion 52 of the plug member 50, and a guide 62b that holds the arm portion 53 of the plug member 50. As shown in FIG.

The protrusion 62a has a shaft portion protruding from the back surface 61a of the base portion 61 and a hook portion provided at the tip thereof. The head portion 51 and the seal portion 52 of the plug member 50 are provided with an engaging hole 58 penetrating through these axial portions. The protrusion 62 a is inserted into the engagement hole 58 and the hook portion of the protrusion 62 a is caught on the opening edge of the engagement hole 58 , thereby preventing the protrusion 62 a from coming off from the engagement hole 58 . Thereby, the head portion 51 and the seal portion 52 are held by the operating member 60 .

The guide 62b has a hole or groove through which the arm portion 53 of the plug member 50 is inserted. By inserting the arm portion 53 into the guide 62b, the portion of the arm portion 53 near the joint with the head portion 51 is held by the operation member 60. As shown in FIG. Further, by inserting the arm portion 53 into the guide 62b, the rotational phase of the plug member 50 and the operating member 60 around the cap center line _C2 is determined.

The operation portion 63 according to this embodiment is a pull tab 63A. The pull tab 63A has a ring portion 601 formed by a wall projecting from the surface 61b (upward surface) of the base portion 61. As shown in FIG. The inner diameter of the ring portion 601 may be such that a user's fingertip can be inserted therein. Further, the ring portion 601 may be an endless ring (see FIG. 12) or a ring with ends (see FIG. 13). The space between the surface 61b of the base portion 61 and the ring portion 601 is such that a user's fingertip can be inserted therein.

[Procedure for attaching cap 5]
Here, a procedure for attaching the cap 5 to the inlet 18 of the tank 10 will be described. A user operates the cap 5 from the front of the tank 10 . That is, the front wall 101 and the inclined wall 106 of the tank 10 face the user in the front-rear direction Y. As shown in FIG. The opening centerline C ₁ of the inlet 18 provided in the slanted wall 106 is slanted from the vertical at an angle greater than 0° and less than 90° so that the top is more forward.

In the plug member 50 of the cap 5 , the first portion 52 a of the seal portion 52 serves as an introduction portion to the inlet 18 . After positioning the cap 5 and the injection port 18 by inserting the tip of the first portion 52a of the seal portion 52 into the injection port 18, the user presses the surface of the base portion 61 of the operation member 60 with a finger. , the sealing portion 52 is pushed into the inlet 18 . By this operation, the second portion 52b and the first portion 52a of the seal portion 52 pass through the tubular portion 108 and reach the inside of the tank 10, and the third portion 52c reaches the inside of the tubular portion 108. As shown in FIG. The second portion 52b of the seal portion 52 contacts the inner side of the inclined wall 106. As shown in FIG. Further insertion of the plug member 50 is restricted by the contact of the head portion 51 of the plug member 50 with the opening edge of the injection port 18 .

In the cap 5 attached to the injection port 18 by the above procedure, the head portion 51 is pressed against the opening edge of the injection port 18 by the elastic recovery force of the third portion 52c of the seal portion 52, and the second portion 52b is inclined. Pressed against the inside of wall 106 . In this manner, the plug member 50 is prevented from coming off from the injection port 18 and the injection port 18 is liquid-tightly sealed by the plug member 50 .

In the cap 5 attached to the injection port 18, the proximal end of the pull tab 63A of the operating member 60 is connected to the rear end of the base portion 61, and the ring portion 601 faces forward where the user is.

[Detachment procedure of cap 5]
Next, a detachment procedure for detaching the cap 5 from the injection port 18 of the tank 10 will be described. A user operates the cap 5 from the front of the tank 10 .

In the cap 5 attached to the inlet 18 of the tank 10, at least a portion of the plug member 50 is exposed to the inside of the tank 10 (that is, the ink chamber 11), and the plug member 50 is covered with ink. Also, if ink adheres to the inlet 18 and its surroundings during the process of attaching and detaching the cap 5 , the ink adheres to the plug member 50 . When the cap 5 is removed from the inlet 18, the plug member 50 is elastically deformed. Therefore, even if the user pays attention, the ink adhering to the plug member 50 is washed away by the momentum of the elastic recovery of the plug member 50. It may scatter to surroundings. Therefore, the cap 5 according to the present embodiment has a structure that gives directivity to the ink scattering direction when the cap 5 is removed from the inlet 18 .

FIG. 14 shows how the cap 5 is removed from the inlet 18 of the tank 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, the user hooks the ring portion 601 of the operation member 60 of the cap 5 with a fingertip and pulls the ring portion 601 toward the user, that is, forward. Here, the force point E at which the user applies an external force is on the operating member 60 of the cap 5 . In this embodiment, the force point E is closer to the user than the opening center point O ₁ of the inlet 18 . In other words, the horizontal distance between the opening center point _O1 of the inlet 18 and the user is greater than the horizontal distance between the point of force E and the user.

When an external force is applied to the operating member 60 as described above, the cap 5 rotates around the fulcrum F at the portion in contact with the opening edge of the injection port 18 . A fulcrum F forming the center of rotation of the cap 5 is located closer to the user than the opening center point O ₁ of the injection port 18 . In other words, the horizontal distance between the opening center point _O1 of the inlet 18 and the user is greater than the horizontal distance between the fulcrum F and the user. In this embodiment, the fulcrum F is on the sealing surface 51a of the head portion 51 of the plug member 50, which is in contact with the opening edge of the inlet 18 in the cap 5, and in the tank 10, the inlet 18 on the opening edge of the

When the cap 5 rotates around the fulcrum F as described above, the sealing surface 51a moves away from the opening edge of the injection port 18 from a position diagonally opposite to the fulcrum F, and the sealing portion 52 is elastically deformed. Exit through entrance 18 . At that time, the rotational direction of the cap 5 is not the forward direction where the user is, but the reverse direction. Therefore, the direction in which the ink scatters from the cap 5 and/or the inlet 18 is backward when viewed from the inlet 18 rather than the front facing the user. In addition, while the cap 5 is rotating around the fulcrum F and immediately after the entire seal portion 52 is pulled out of the inlet 18, the seal portion 52 is moved through the head portion 51 (and the operation member 60). on the side opposite the user. Therefore, the ink scattered from the seal portion 52 and/or the injection port 18 does not spread from the head portion 51 to the user side. Thus, even if ink scatters from the cap 5 and/or the inlet 18 when the cap 5 is pulled out from the inlet 18, the ink can be prevented from adhering to the user.

As described above, the tank unit 9 according to one embodiment of the liquid container of the present invention includes the tank 10 having the injection port 18 for injecting the liquid, and the cap 5 for sealing the injection port 18 . The cap 5 has a plug member 50 made of an elastic resin material, and an operating member 60 coupled with the plug member 50 and made of a harder resin material than the plug member 50 . The plug member 50 has a head portion 51 that is in contact with the opening edge of the injection port 18 and a seal portion 52 that is inserted into the injection port 18 in an elastically deformed state. have. When the user pulls out the cap 5 attached to the injection port 18, the power point E where the user applies an external force is located at the operation member 60 of the cap 5, and the cap 5 when the external force is applied to the operation member 60 is positioned at the operation member 60. 5 is closer to the user than the opening center point O ₁ of the injection port 18 .

Further, the multifunction machine 1 according to one embodiment of the liquid consuming apparatus of the present invention includes a recording section 24 as a liquid consuming section, and a tank unit 9 as a liquid container containing the liquid consumed by the recording section 24. . Although the tank unit 9 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of tanks 10 , the liquid container of the present invention and the liquid container of the liquid consuming device of the present invention may include one or more tanks 10 .

In the multifunction device 1 and the tank unit 9 configured as described above, when an external force is applied to the force point E when the cap 5 is removed from the inlet 18, the cap 5 rotates around the fulcrum F. At that time, the rotational direction of the cap 5 is not the forward direction where the user is, but the reverse direction. Therefore, the direction in which the ink scatters from the seal portion 52 and/or the inlet 18 is backward when viewed from the opposite inlet 18 rather than the front facing the user when viewed from the inlet 18 . In addition, while the cap 5 is rotating and immediately after the entire sealing portion 52 of the cap 5 is pulled out of the inlet 18 , the sealing portion 52 is on the opposite side of the user through the head portion 51 . Therefore, the ink scattered from the seal portion 52 and/or the injection port 18 does not spread from the head portion 51 to the user side. Thus, even if ink scatters from the cap 5 and/or the inlet 18 when the cap 5 is pulled out from the inlet 18, the ink does not adhere to the user. Therefore, when the user removes the cap 5 from the inlet 18, the user can operate the cap 5 without worrying about ink scattering, so that the operability of the cap 5 is improved.

As described above, according to the multi-function device 1 and the tank unit 9 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to appropriately close the injection port 18 formed in the tank 10 containing the liquid and to improve the operability when the user removes the tank. It is possible to realize a liquid container with a cap 5 that can be used, and a liquid consumption device with this liquid container.

Further, in the multi-function device 1 and the tank unit 9 according to the present embodiment, the point of effort E is closer to the user than the opening center point O ₁ of the injection port 18 . The operation member 60 has a ring portion 601 on which the user's finger rests.

As a result, the user can operate the cap 5 without slipping the finger on the ring portion 601 . Further, when the arm portion 53 is omitted, the cap 5 removed from the injection port 18 can be fitted to the finger of the user, and a storage space for the cap 5 is not required.

[Modification 1 of cap 5]
Modification 1 of the cap 5 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the tank 10 and the cap 5B according to Modification 1 attached to its inlet 18, and FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the operation member 60B of the cap 5B according to Modification 1. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, a cap 5B according to Modification 1 has a plug member 50 and an operating member 60B, like the cap 5 according to the above-described embodiment. The cap 5B differs from the cap 5 according to the embodiment in the aspect of the operation member 60. As shown in FIG. Therefore, except for the operation member 60B of the cap 5B, the same or similar members as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description thereof is omitted by referring to the description of the above-described embodiment.

The operating member 60B of the cap 5B integrally has a base portion 61B, a holding portion 62, and an operating portion 63B. The base portion 61B has a block shape.

The base portion 61B is provided with a pressing portion 602 that faces upward when the cap 5B is attached to the inlet 18 of the tank 10 . The pressing portion 602 is the operation portion 63B according to this embodiment. A character such as “PUSH” may be formed on the surface of the pressing portion 602 so that the user can easily identify it as the pressing portion 602 . A support projection 603 protrudes from the lower surface of the base portion 61B. The form of the holding portion 62 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

When attaching the cap 5B to the injection port 18 , the user first positions the cap 5B and the injection port 18 by inserting the tip of the first portion 52 a of the seal portion 52 into the injection port 18 . Next, the user presses a finger against the pressing portion 602, which is the operation portion 63B of the operation member 60B, and pushes the seal portion 52 into the inlet 18. As shown in FIG. At this time, the user presses the operation part 63B so that the cap centerline _C2 of the cap 5B and the opening centerline _C1 of the injection port 18 are parallel to each other.

In the cap 5B attached to the injection port 18 as described above, the pressing portion 602 is closer to the user than the opening center point O ₁ of the injection port 18 . In other words, the horizontal distance between the opening center point _O1 of the inlet 18 and the user is greater than the horizontal distance between the pressing portion 602 and the user. In addition, in the cap 5B attached to the injection port 18, the support projection 603 is positioned outside the lowermost edge of the opening edge of the injection port 18 and is not in contact with the inclined wall 106. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 17 shows how the cap 5B is removed from the inlet 18 of the tank 10. FIG. When removing the cap 5B from the inlet 18, the user operates the cap 5B from the front of the tank 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 16, the user first places a finger on the pressing portion 602, which is the operation portion 63B, and presses the pressing portion 602 vertically downward. Here, the force point E at which the user applies an external force is on the operating member 60 of the cap 5B. Also, the force point E is closer to the user than the opening center point O ₁ of the injection port 18 . In other words, the horizontal distance between the opening center point _O1 of the inlet 18 and the user is greater than the horizontal distance between the point of force E and the user.

When an external force is applied to the operating member 60B as described above, the cap 5B first rotates about the portion in contact with the opening edge of the injection port 18 as the first fulcrum F1. The first fulcrum F1 forming the center of rotation of the cap 5B is closer to the user than the opening center point _O1 of the injection port 18. As shown in FIG. In other words, the horizontal distance between the opening center point _O1 of the inlet 18 and the user is greater than the horizontal distance between the first fulcrum F1 and the user. A first fulcrum F1 forming the center of rotation of the cap 5B is located on the sealing surface 51a of the head portion 51 of the plug member 50 that is in contact with the opening edge of the inlet 18 in the cap 5B. , is on the opening edge of the injection port 18 .

As shown in FIG. 17, while the cap 5B is rotating, the support projection 603 of the operating member 60B comes into contact with the inclined wall 106. As shown in FIG. Then, the rotation center of the cap 5B changes from the first fulcrum F1 to the second fulcrum F2. The second fulcrum F2 forming the center of rotation of the cap 5B is located at the tip of the support projection 603 in the cap 5B, and on the inclined wall 106 in contact with the support projection 603 in the tank 10. FIG. This second fulcrum F2 is also closer to the user than the opening center point _O1 of the inlet .

When the cap 5B rotates around the fulcrums F1 and F2 as described above, the seal portion 52 is elastically deformed and comes out of the inlet 18. As shown in FIG. At that time, the rotational direction of the cap 5B is not the forward direction where the user is, but the backward direction. Therefore, the direction in which the ink scatters from the cap 5B and/or the inlet 18 is backward when viewed from the inlet 18 rather than the front facing the user. In addition, while the cap 5B is rotating around the fulcrums F1 and F2, and immediately after the entire seal portion 52 is pulled out of the injection port 18, the seal portion 52 does not move toward the head portion 51 (and the operating member 60B). on the opposite side to the user through. Therefore, the ink scattered from the seal portion 52 and/or the injection port 18 does not spread from the head portion 51 to the user side. Thus, even if ink scatters from the cap 5B and/or the inlet 18 when the cap 5B is pulled out from the inlet 18, the ink can be prevented from adhering to the user.

As described above, the cap 5B according to Modification 1 has, as the operation portion 63B of the operation member 60B, the pressing portion 602 that applies a downward external force to the force point E by being pressed by the user's finger. According to the tank unit 9 (liquid container) provided with such a cap 5B and the multifunction device 1 (liquid consumption device) provided with the liquid container, in addition to/instead of the effects described in the above embodiment, the following There is an effect like. Since the pressing portion 602 is directly provided on the operating member 60 made of a resin material harder than the plug member 50 , the external force applied to the pressing portion 602 is efficiently transmitted to the plug member 50 . In addition, since a downward external force is applied from the pressing portion 602, that is, in a direction to rotate the cap 5B, the cap 5 can be reliably rotated around the fulcrums F1 and F2.

[Modification 2 of cap 5]
Modification 2 of the cap 5 according to the embodiment will be described. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a tank 10 and a cap 5C according to modification 2 attached to its inlet 18, and FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an operation member 60C of the cap 5C according to modification 2. . As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, a cap 5C according to modification 2 has a plug member 50 and an operation member 60C, like the cap 5 according to the above-described embodiment. The cap 5C has a different operation member 60 from the cap 5 according to the embodiment, and the plug member 50 does not have the arm portion 53 . Therefore, except for the operation member 60C of the cap 5C, the same or similar members as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description thereof is omitted by referring to the description of the above-described embodiment.

The operation member 60C of the cap 5C integrally has a base portion 61, a holding portion 62, and an operation portion 63C. The aspects of the base portion 61 and the holding portion 62 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

The operation portion 63C is a plate-like operation piece 604 extending from the base portion 61 in one direction on the same plane as the surface 61b of the base portion. A proximal end portion of the operating piece 604 is continuous with the base portion 61 . An upright portion 605 is formed at the tip of the operating piece 604 so that the user's toe can be easily hooked thereon. However, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, instead of the upright portion 605, an operation portion 63C' having an operation piece 604 formed with a concave portion 606 into which the user's fingertip is inserted may be employed. FIG. 20 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a tank 10 and a cap 5C according to Modification 2 attached to its inlet 18, and FIG. 21 is a perspective view of an operation member 60C of the cap 5C according to Modification 2. .

The binding member 7 covering the front portion of the tank 10 has an upright wall 771 formed at the boundary between the inclined wall 77 and the upper wall 74 . This upright wall 771 is located immediately behind the opening 82 formed in the inclined wall 77 . The standing wall 771 of the binding member 7 is positioned behind the injection port 18 of the tank 10 exposed from the opening 82 . That is, the upright wall 771 is located away from the injection port 18 as seen from the user who operates the cap 5C. The upright wall 771 decorates the front surface of the binding member 7, but can be an obstacle when the cap 5C is attached to or detached from the inlet 18. As shown in FIG.

When attaching the cap 5C to the inlet 18, the user first positions the cap 5C and the inlet 18 by inserting the tip of the first portion 52a of the seal portion 52 into the inlet 18. As shown in FIG. The user then presses the finger against the surface 61b of the base portion 61 of the operation member 60C to push the seal portion 52 into the injection port 18 .

In the cap 5C attached to the injection port 18 as described above, the operation portion 63C of the operation member 60C is positioned between the injection port 18 and the upright wall 771. As shown in FIG. That is, the operating piece 604 extends backward from the base portion 61 . A gap G2 of 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less is provided between the tip of the operation portion 63C and the standing wall 771. As shown in FIG. This gap G2 is used as an operation space into which the user's fingertip (or toe) is inserted when removing the cap 5C.

When removing the cap 5C from the inlet 18, the user operates the cap 5C from the front of the tank 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 18, the user first hooks the upright portion 605 of the operation portion 63C with the toe and pulls the operation portion 63C forward. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 20, the user hooks the toe on the recess 606 of the operation section 63C' and pulls the operation section 63C' forward. When an external force is applied to the operation member 60C in this manner, the cap 5C rotates around the fulcrum F that is in contact with the opening edge of the inlet 18. As shown in FIG.

A force point E at which the user applies an external force to the cap 5C when pulling out the cap 5C is farther from the user than the opening center point O ₁ of the injection port 18 . In other words, the horizontal distance between the opening center point _O1 of the injection port 18 and the user is smaller than the horizontal distance between the force point E and the user. The fulcrum F1 forming the center of rotation of the cap 5C is closer to the user than the opening center point _O1 of the inlet . In other words, the horizontal distance between the opening center point _O1 of the inlet 18 and the user is greater than the horizontal distance between the fulcrum F and the user. In this modification, the fulcrum F that forms the center of rotation of the cap 5C is on the sealing surface 51a of the head portion 51 of the plug member 50 that is in contact with the opening edge of the inlet 18, In tank 10 it is on the opening edge of inlet 18 .

When the cap 5</b>C rotates around the fulcrum F as described above, the seal portion 52 is elastically deformed and comes out of the inlet 18 . At that time, the rotational direction of the cap 5C is not the forward direction where the user is, but the backward direction. Therefore, the direction in which the ink scatters from the cap 5C and/or the inlet 18 is backward when viewed from the inlet 18 rather than the front facing the user. In addition, while the cap 5C is rotating around the fulcrum F and immediately after the entire seal portion 52 is pulled out of the injection port 18, the seal portion 52 is moved through the head portion 51 (and the operation member 60C). on the side opposite the user. Therefore, the ink scattered from the seal portion 52 and/or the injection port 18 does not spread from the head portion 51 to the user side. In this way, even if ink scatters from the cap 5C and/or the inlet 18 when the cap 5C is pulled out from the inlet 18, the ink can be prevented from adhering to the user.

As described above, in the cap 5C according to Modification 2, the operation member 60C has the operation piece 604 as the operation portion 63C. The operation piece 604 extends rearward from the base portion 61 of the operation member 60C, that is, away from the user when the cap 5C is attached to the injection port 18 . The operation piece 604 is formed with an upright portion 605 on which the user can put his/her toe. Alternatively, the operating piece 604 is formed with a concave portion 606 on which the user's fingertip is hooked. The upright portion 605 is sufficient for the user to operate the operation piece 604 with the tip of the user's fingertip, but the concave portion 606 where the user can put the fingertip can easily apply force to the operation piece 604 in a stable manner, resulting in better operability.

According to the tank unit 9 (liquid container) provided with such a cap 5C and the multifunction device 1 (liquid consumption device) provided with the liquid container, in addition to/instead of the effects described in the above embodiment, the following There is an effect like. When removing the cap 5C from the injection port 18, the point of force E where the user applies an external force is farther from the user than the opening center point _O1 of the injection port 18, and the center of rotation of the cap 5C when the external force is applied. The forming fulcrum F is closer to the user than the opening center point O ₁ of the inlet 18 . In other words, the force E and the fulcrum F are located on one side and the other through the opening center point _O1 of the injection port 18, and the force point E and the fulcrum F are separated from each other. As a result, the cap 5C can be rotated with a relatively small operating force on the principle of leverage.

In addition, in this modification, an obstacle (upright wall 771) exists at a location farther from the user than the inlet 18, and when the cap 5C is attached to the inlet 18, the operating member 60C and the obstacle (upright wall 771) A gap G2 of 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less is provided between the injection port 18 and the wall 771), and the force point E is located between the injection port 18 and the obstacle (upright wall 771).

As described above, when removing the cap 5C from the injection port 18, it is sufficient to apply a relatively small operating force to the operation member 60C. Even in such a case, the cap 5C can be satisfactorily operated using the small operation space (gap G2) as described above. This can contribute to miniaturization of the tank unit 9 and the multifunction machine 1 .

[Modification 3 of Cap 5]
A modification 3 of the cap 5 according to the embodiment will be described. 22 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a tank 10 and a cap 5D according to Modification 3 attached to its inlet 18, and FIGS. 23 and 24 are perspective views of an operating member 60D of the cap 5D according to Modification 3. It is a diagram. As shown in FIGS. 22 to 24, a cap 5D according to Modification 3 has a plug member 50 and an operating member 60D, like the cap 5 according to the above-described embodiment. The cap 5D differs from the cap 5 according to the embodiment in the aspect of the operation member 60. As shown in FIG. Therefore, except for the operating member 60D of the cap 5D, the same or similar members as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description thereof is omitted by referring to the description of the above-described embodiment.

An operation member 60D of a cap 5D according to Modification 3 integrally includes a base portion 61, a holding portion 62, and an operation portion 63D. The aspects of the base portion 61 and the holding portion 62 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

The operation portion 63D is a plate-like operation piece 607 extending from the base portion 61 in one direction on the same plane as the surface 61b of the base portion. A proximal end portion of the operating piece 607 is continuous with the base portion 61 . An anti-slip groove 608 is formed at the tip of the operation piece 607 so that the user can easily pick it up with his or her fingertips (see FIG. 23). However, instead of the groove 608, a knob 609 may be formed at the tip of the operating piece 607 (see FIG. 24). The knob 609 may be a ball, block, tab, or the like projecting from the operation piece 607 .

When attaching the cap 5D to the injection port 18, the user first positions the cap 5D and the injection port 18 by inserting the tip of the first portion 52a of the seal portion 52 into the injection port 18. As shown in FIG. The user then presses the finger against the surface 61b of the base portion 61 of the operation member 60D to push the seal portion 52 into the injection port 18. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the cap 5D is attached to the injection port 18. As shown in FIG.

In the cap 5D attached to the inlet 18, the operation piece 607, which is the operation portion 63D of the operation member 60D, extends rearward from the base portion 61, that is, away from the user when viewed from the user in front of the tank 10. .

FIG. 25 is a diagram of the cap 5D according to Modification 3 attached to the injection port 18 of the tank 10 as seen obliquely from above. As shown in FIG. 25, in the cap 5D attached to the inlet 18, the arm portion 53 of the plug member 50 extends rearward, ie, away from the user when viewed from the user in front of the tank 10. As shown in FIG. As seen from the user in front of the tank 10, the operating piece 607 is positioned on one of the left and right sides of the opening center point _O1 of the injection port 18, and the arm portion 53 is positioned on the other of the left and right sides. .

When removing the cap 5D from the inlet 18, the user operates the cap 5D from the front of the tank 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 22, the user first grasps the tip of the operation piece 607 or the knob 609, which is the operation unit 63D, and pulls the operation unit 63D forward. When an external force is applied to the operation member 60D in this manner, the cap 5D rotates around the fulcrum F that is in contact with the opening edge of the injection port 18. As shown in FIG.

A force point E at which the user applies an external force to the cap 5D when pulling out the cap 5D is farther from the user than the opening center point O ₁ of the injection port 18 . In other words, the horizontal distance between the opening center point _O1 of the injection port 18 and the user is smaller than the horizontal distance between the force point E and the user. Further, the fulcrum F forming the center of rotation of the cap 5D is closer to the user than the opening center point O ₁ of the injection port 18 . In other words, the horizontal distance between the opening center point _O1 of the inlet 18 and the user is greater than the horizontal distance between the fulcrum F and the user. In this modification, the fulcrum F that forms the center of rotation of the cap 5D is on the sealing surface 51a of the head portion 51 of the plug member 50 that is in contact with the opening edge of the inlet 18, In tank 10 it is on the opening edge of inlet 18 .

When the cap 5</b>D rotates about the fulcrum F as described above, the seal portion 52 is elastically deformed and comes out of the injection port 18 . At that time, the rotation direction of the cap 5D is not the forward direction where the user is, but the opposite backward direction. Therefore, the direction in which the ink scatters from the cap 5D and/or the inlet 18 is backward when viewed from the inlet 18 rather than the front facing the user. In addition, while the cap 5D is rotating around the fulcrum F and immediately after the entire seal portion 52 is pulled out of the injection port 18, the seal portion 52 is moved through the head portion 51 (and the operating member 60D). on the side opposite the user. Therefore, the ink scattered from the seal portion 52 and/or the injection port 18 does not spread from the head portion 51 to the user side. Thus, even if ink scatters from the cap 5D and/or the inlet 18 when the cap 5D is pulled out from the inlet 18, the ink can be prevented from adhering to the user.

As described above, in the cap 5D according to Modification 3, the operation member 60D has the operation piece 607 as the operation portion 63D. The operating piece 607 extends rearward from the base portion 61 of the operating member 60D, that is, away from the user when the cap 5D is attached to the injection port 18 .

Also, in the cap 5D according to Modification 3, when the cap 5D is attached to the inlet 18, the plug member has an arm portion 53 extending away from the user. As seen from the user, the arm portion 53 is positioned on one of the left and right sides of the opening center point _O1 of the injection port 18, and the operation piece 607 is positioned on the other of the left and right sides.

According to the tank unit 9 (liquid container) provided with such a cap 5D and the multifunction device 1 (liquid consumption device) provided with the liquid container, in addition to the effects described in the above embodiment and modified example 2/ Instead, the following effects are obtained. When the cap 5D is attached to the injection port 18, the arm portion 53 and the operation piece 607 as the operation portion 63D are aligned in the horizontal direction and do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the arm portion 53 does not interfere with the operation of the operation portion 63</b>D by the user. In addition, when the cap 5D is attached to the injection port 18, the arm portion 53 does not act on the operating portion 63D so as to push up the operating portion 63D.

Although the preferred embodiments (and modifications) of the present invention have been described above, details of the specific structures and/or functions of the above embodiments may be changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. can be included in the present invention. For example, the above configuration can be modified as follows.

For example, although both the binding member 7 and the connecting member 8 are fixed to the housing 3 in the above embodiment, only one of the binding member 7 and the connecting member 8 may be fixed to the housing 3 . For example, the connecting member 8 may be fixed to the housing 3 and the binding member 7 may be fixed to the connecting member 8 .

For example, in the above embodiments, ink was described as an example of liquid, but the present invention is not limited to this. Examples of liquid include, in addition to ink, a pretreatment liquid that is ejected onto the recording paper prior to ink during printing, and a liquid that is sprayed near the nozzles 411 of the recording head 41 to prevent the nozzles 411 of the recording head 41 from drying. Water etc. are illustrated.

1: MFP 2: Printer unit 3: Cases 5, 5B, 5C, 5D: Cap 7: Binding member 8: Connecting member 9: Tank unit 10: Tank 11: Ink chamber 12: Paper 13: Tank case 14: Tank bodies 15, 16: film 18: inlet 20: feed tray 21: feed unit 23: transport roller unit 24: recording unit 25: discharge roller unit 26: platen 27: discharge tray 28: transport path 29: guide member 31: Operation panel 32: Front wall 37: Window 38: Opening 39: Cover 40: Carriage 41: Recording head 42: Ink tube 43: Flexible flat cable 45, 46: Guide rail 50: Plug member 51: Head part 51a: Seal Stop surface 51b: surface 52: seal portion 53: arm portion 54: connection portion 58: engagement holes 60, 60B, 60C, 60D: operation members 61, 61B: base portion 62: holding portion 63: operation portion 63A: pull tab 63B , 63C, 63C', 63D: operation part 70: internal space 71-77: wall 79: window 82: opening 83: cap mounting part 101-107: wall 108: cylindrical part 201: main body 202: connecting part 203: base part 204: Standing portion 205: Brim portion 221: Connecting plate 222: Guide tube 223: Ink needle 224: Ink flow path 225: Joint 601: Ring portion 602: Pressing portion 603: Support projection 604: Operation piece 605: Standing portion 606: Recess 607: Operation piece 608: Groove 609: Knob 771: Upright wall _C1 : Opening center line _C2 : Cap center line
CD: Conveyance direction E: Force point F: Fulcrum G1: Gap G2: Gap _O1 : Opening center point X: Horizontal direction Y: Horizontal direction Z: Vertical direction

Claims (6)

A tank having an inlet for injecting a liquid and a cap for sealing the inlet,
The cap is made of a resin material having a head portion that is in contact with the opening edge of the injection port when attached to the injection port, and a seal portion that is inserted into the injection port in an elastically deformed state. and an operation member coupled with the plug member and made of a resin material harder than the plug member,
A force point where a user applies an external force when pulling out the cap attached to the injection port is located on the operation member, the force point is closer to the user than an opening center point of the injection port, and the operation member is It has a pressing portion that applies a downward external force to the point of force when pressed by the finger of the user, and the fulcrum forming the rotation center of the cap when the external force is applied to the operating member is the opening of the injection port. closer to said user than a central point;
liquid container. A tank having an inlet for injecting a liquid and a cap for sealing the inlet,
The cap is made of a resin material having a head portion that is in contact with the opening edge of the injection port when attached to the injection port, and a seal portion that is inserted into the injection port in an elastically deformed state. and an operation member coupled with the plug member and made of a resin material harder than the plug member,
A force point where a user applies an external force when pulling out the cap attached to the injection port is located on the operation member, and the force point is farther from the user than the center point of the opening of the injection port, and is located on the operation member. a fulcrum forming a rotation center of the cap when the external force is applied is closer to the user than an opening center point of the injection port;
an obstacle exists at a location farther from the user than the inlet;
A gap of 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less is provided between the operating member and the obstacle when the cap is attached to the inlet, and the force point is between the inlet and the obstacle. To position,
liquid container. A tank having an inlet for injecting a liquid and a cap for sealing the inlet,
The cap is made of a resin material having a head portion that is in contact with the opening edge of the injection port when attached to the injection port, and a seal portion that is inserted into the injection port in an elastically deformed state. and an operation member coupled with the plug member and made of a resin material harder than the plug member,
A force point where a user applies an external force when pulling out the cap attached to the injection port is located on the operation member, and the force point is farther from the user than the center point of the opening of the injection port, and is located on the operation member. a fulcrum forming a rotation center of the cap when the external force is applied is closer to the user than an opening center point of the injection port;
In a state in which the cap is attached to the injection port, the operation member has an operation piece extending away from the user, and the operation piece has a recess for the user to put a finger on.
liquid container. A tank having an inlet for injecting a liquid and a cap for sealing the inlet,
The cap is made of a resin material having a head portion that is in contact with the opening edge of the injection port when attached to the injection port, and a seal portion that is inserted into the injection port in an elastically deformed state. and an operation member coupled with the plug member and made of a resin material harder than the plug member,
A force point where a user applies an external force when pulling out the cap attached to the injection port is located on the operation member, and the force point is farther from the user than the center point of the opening of the injection port, and is located on the operation member. a fulcrum forming a rotation center of the cap when the external force is applied is closer to the user than an opening center point of the injection port;
In a state in which the cap is attached to the injection port, the operation member has an operation piece extending away from the user, and is one of left and right from the opening center point of the injection port as viewed from the user. the operating piece is positioned at
liquid container. In a state where the cap is attached to the injection port, the plug member has an arm portion extending away from the user, and is positioned at one of the left and right sides of the opening center point of the injection port as viewed from the user. the arm portion is positioned at and the operation piece is positioned at the other of left and right;
5. A liquid container according to claim 4 . a liquid consumer;
The liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , which contains the liquid to be consumed by the liquid consuming part;
a housing containing the liquid consuming unit and the liquid container;
Liquid consuming device.

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