JP7312383B2 - 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 channel and the gas channel are opened to the lower surface of the cartridge and the upper surface of the sub-tank, respectively. An air inlet is provided through the upper wall of the sub-tank, and gas passes through the sub-tank from the air inlet and is supplied to the gas flow path (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 amount of introduced ink is introduced into the cartridge from the atmosphere inlet 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. When the liquid level in the sub-tank rises due to the introduction of the ink and the opening of the gas flow path is blocked, the supply of 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 used continuously by replacing the empty cartridge with a cartridge filled with ink while leaving the sub-tank in the printer.

Japanese Patent No. 4934338

In the liquid supply device, both the liquid flow path and the gas flow path are positioned equidistantly from the air inlet in the horizontal plane. As a result, the gas introduced from the air inlet may flow around, for example, toward the liquid channel, hindering the flow of the liquid from the liquid channel or preventing the gas from flowing smoothly from the air inlet to the gas channel. As a result, the efficiency of gas-liquid replacement may be lowered.

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 apparatus that enables gas-liquid replacement efficiently.

(1) According to the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, the liquid supply apparatus includes a tank and a cartridge attachable to the tank, wherein the cartridge has a first storage chamber for storing the liquid and a communication port communicating with the first storage chamber, the tank includes a second storage chamber for storing the liquid, a first opening formed at one end side communicating with the second storage chamber, and a first opening formed at the other end side opposite to the one end side and outside. a joint in which the liquid channel and the gas channel are formed in a portion including at least the second opening; and an atmosphere communication port communicating the second storage chamber with the outside. Each of the liquid channel and the gas channel has a vertical portion extending vertically upward from the first opening. The vertical portion is defined by a cylindrical outer wall and an inner wall that vertically divides an internal space defined by the inner surface of the outer wall. Along the first direction, the liquid channel in the vertical portion, the gas channel in the vertical portion, and the air communication port are positioned in order away from the one end.

According to the above configuration, since the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber are connected via the gas flow path and the liquid flow path, the liquid in the first storage chamber can be supplied to the second storage chamber by gas-liquid replacement. Since the first storage chamber is arranged above the second storage chamber, liquid is supplied from the first storage chamber to the second storage chamber as the amount of liquid in the second storage chamber decreases. Further, since the liquid channel and the gas channel are defined by the inner surface of the outer wall and the surface of the inner wall, the liquid channel and the gas channel are integrated. Therefore, compared to the case where the liquid channel and gas channel are separated, the space required for connecting the liquid channel and gas channel to the second storage chamber is reduced, and the size of the tank can be reduced. Moreover, since the liquid channel is arranged at a position separated from the space between the gas channel and the air communication port, the gas flows smoothly from the air communication port toward the gas channel. Therefore, gas-liquid replacement is efficiently performed.

(2) Preferably, both the first openings of the liquid channel and the gas channel communicate with the second storage chamber in the narrow portion.

According to the above configuration, since both the liquid channel and the gas channel are connected to the narrow width portion, the gas introduced from the atmosphere communication port is easily guided directly to the gas channel without passing over the gas channel and flowing toward the liquid channel. Therefore, the gas smoothly flows from the atmosphere communication port toward the gas flow path.

(3) Preferably, the width in the second direction of the liquid channel and the gas channel in the vertical portion is the same as the width in the second direction of the second storage chamber defined by the narrow portion.

According to the above configuration, since the widths of the liquid channel and the gas channel are the same as the width of the second storage chamber defined by the narrow portion, the gas introduced from the atmosphere communication port is easily guided directly to the gas channel without passing over the gas channel and flowing toward the liquid channel.

(4) Preferably, the tank has a wide portion having a width that is wider than the narrow portion in the second direction and does not exceed the width of the cartridge, and the second storage chamber is formed across the wide portion and the narrow portion.

According to the above configuration, since the width of the second storage chamber is increased by the wide portion, the amount of liquid that can be stored in the second storage chamber is ensured without widening the width of the tank in the first direction.

(5) Preferably, the vertical portion extends above the upper wall of the tank defining the upper surface of the second storage chamber in the wide portion.

(6) Preferably, the joint extends in the first direction, the liquid channel and the gas channel have horizontal portions formed in the joint and extending horizontally from the second opening, and the joint is connectable to the communication port of the cartridge along the first direction.

According to the above configuration, since the cartridge can be attached to and detached from the tank in the horizontal direction, the operability in exchanging the cartridge is excellent.

(7) An image recording apparatus according to the present invention includes the liquid supply device and a recording section that ejects the liquid supplied from the tank.

According to the above configuration, gas-liquid replacement is efficiently performed.

In the liquid supply device according to the present invention, gas-liquid replacement is efficiently performed.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a multifunction device 10 according to this 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.

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 modified as appropriate without changing the gist of the present invention. A vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to a posture in which the multifunction device 10 and the ink cartridge 50 attached to the multifunction device 10 are placed on a horizontal plane so that it can be used (the posture shown in FIG. 1, which is sometimes referred to as a “use posture”). 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]
The multifunction machine 10 and the ink supply device 15 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[Overall Configuration of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, a multifunction device 10 (an example of an image recording device) 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 section 11 and image reading by the scanner section 12 .

As shown in FIG. 2, inside the housing 14, 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, and a platen 42 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 . 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 forward-rotating transport roller 34 and a pinch roller 35 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 conveying 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).

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 section 70 (see FIGS. 5 and 11).

[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.

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 divide 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 lock 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 unlock 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 can be removed from the storage case 71 .

[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.

Liquid channel 103 has a first opening 131 , a second opening 132 , a vertical portion 133 and a horizontal portion 134 . 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 (an example of the vertical direction) from the first opening 131 in the liquid channel 103 . The horizontal portion 134 is a portion extending rearward (an example of the horizontal direction) 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 first opening 141 , a second opening 142 , a vertical portion 143 and a horizontal portion 144 . The first 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 first opening 141 opens along the vertical direction 7 . The second 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 second opening 142 opens along the front-rear direction 8 . The second 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 (an example of the vertical direction) from the first opening 141 in the gas flow path 104 . The horizontal portion 144 is a portion extending rearward (an example of the horizontal direction) from the second opening 142 in the gas flow path 104 . The upper end of vertical portion 143 is connected to the rear end of horizontal portion 144 .

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

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 11, the outer wall of the tank body 101 has 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 (an example of one end portion in the first direction) 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 (an example of a second direction orthogonal to the first direction) 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 first 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 cylindrical 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, a length 149 of the first opening 141 of the gas channel 104 along the front-rear direction 8 (an example of the horizontal direction) is longer than a length 148 of the first opening 131 of the liquid channel 103 along the front-rear direction 8 (an example of the horizontal direction). The length of the first 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 first 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 first 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 . The first rib 117 and the lower wall 109 are spaced apart. A first rib 117 is provided on each of the two front curved side walls 111 positioned on the left and right, and the two first ribs 117 are positioned apart in the left-right direction 9 in one second storage chamber 105 .

[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).

[Joint body 118]
As shown in FIG. 7, the joint body 118 includes an outer cylindrical portion 122 positioned at the rear end, a tip portion 123 positioned at the front end, and a body portion 124 connecting the outer cylindrical portion 122 and the tip portion 123. 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 main body 118 is fixed to the tank main 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 further into the communication port 61. In this mounted state, the second opening 132 of the liquid channel 103 and the second 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 . 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 first opening 141 of the gas channel 104, and the air communication port 106 are positioned in this order from the communication port 61 of the first storage chamber 53 toward the rear. The position 7 in the vertical direction of the communication port 61 of the first storage chamber 53 corresponds to the position 7 in the vertical direction where the first storage chamber 53 communicates with the liquid flow path 103, and the direction toward the rear from the communication port 61 at the position 7 in the vertical direction 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 arranged in the front-rear direction 8 (an example of the horizontal direction). 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 (an example of the horizontal direction). 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 (an example of the horizontal direction) 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 does 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 that closes the communication port 61 retracts forward against the biasing force of the spring 63, and the plug member 120 that closes the upper opening 125 and the lower opening 126 retracts 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 is introduced into the first storage chamber 53 through the atmosphere communication port 106 and the gas flow path 104. 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 first 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 first opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is opened. When the first 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 maintained at the position of the first opening 141 of the gas flow path 104.

When the first storage chamber 53 runs out of ink, the multifunction machine 10 can continuously perform the recording operation by replacing the empty ink cartridge 50 with another ink cartridge 50 filled with ink.

[Action and effect of the present embodiment]
According to the ink supply device 15 according to the present embodiment, the first storage chamber 53 and the second storage chamber 105 are connected via the gas flow path 104 and the liquid flow path 103, so the ink in the first storage chamber 53 can be supplied to the second storage chamber 105 by gas-liquid replacement. Since the first storage chamber 53 is arranged above the second storage chamber 105, ink is supplied from the first storage chamber 53 to the second storage chamber 105 as the amount of ink in the second storage chamber 105 decreases. Further, since the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 are partitioned by the inner surface of the joint body 118 and the surface of the partition wall 127, the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 are integrated. Therefore, compared to the case where the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 are separated, the space required for connecting the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 to the second storage chamber 105 is reduced, and the size of the sub-tank 100 can be reduced. Further, since the liquid channel 103 is arranged at a position separated from the space between the gas channel 104 and the air communication port 106 , the gas flows smoothly from the air communication port 106 toward the gas channel 104 . Therefore, gas-liquid replacement is efficiently performed.

In addition, since both the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 are connected to the narrow width portion 151, the gas introduced from the atmosphere communication port 106 is easily guided directly to the gas flow path 104 without flowing over the gas flow path 104 toward the liquid flow path 103. Therefore, the gas smoothly flows from the atmosphere communication port 106 toward the gas flow path 104 .

Further, since the widths of the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 are the same as the width of the second storage chamber 105 defined by the narrow width portion 151, the gas introduced from the air communication port 106 is easily guided directly to the gas channel 104 without passing over the gas channel 104 and flowing toward the liquid channel 103.

Further, since the width of the second storage chamber 105 is increased by the wide portion 150, the amount of ink that can be stored in the second storage chamber 105 is ensured without widening the width of the sub-tank 100 in the front-rear direction 8.

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.

According to the MFP 10 of the present invention, gas-liquid replacement is efficiently performed.

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

In the above embodiment, both the first opening 131 of the liquid channel 103 and the first opening 141 of the gas channel 104 communicate with the second storage chamber 105 in the narrow portion 151, but one of the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 may communicate with the second storage chamber 105 in the wide portion 150.

In the above embodiment, the width of the vertical portions 133 and 143 of the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 in the left-right direction 9 is the same as the width of the second storage chamber 105 defined by the narrow portion 151 in the left-right direction 9, but the width of the liquid channel 103 and the gas channel 104 may differ from the width defined by the narrow portion 151.

In the above embodiment, the sub-tank 100 has the wide portion 150 that is wider than the narrow portion 151 in the left-right direction 9 and does not exceed the width of the ink cartridge 50. However, the width of the wide portion 150 in the left-right direction 9 may exceed the width of the ink cartridge 50.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... MFP 15... Ink supply device 24... Recording unit 50... Ink cartridge 53... First storage chamber 61... Communication port 100... Sub-tank 102... Joint 103... Liquid channel 104... Gas channel 105... Second storage chamber 106... Air communication port 131... First opening 132... Second opening 133... Vertical part 134... Horizontal part 141... First opening 142... Second opening 143... Lead Straight portion 144 Horizontal portion 150 Wide portion 151 Narrow portion

Claims (9)

a first chamber for storing liquid;
a second chamber for storing liquid;
a liquid flow path connecting the first chamber and the second chamber;
a gas flow path connecting the first chamber and the second chamber;
an air communication passage connecting the outside and the second chamber,
The second chamber is at least partly below the first chamber in the vertical direction, and has a wide portion having two wide walls facing each other in a first horizontal direction and a narrow portion having a narrower width than the wide portion having another two walls facing each other in the first horizontal direction,
the air communication passage is connected to the second chamber at the wide portion,
the liquid channel is connected to the second chamber at the narrow portion,
The gas channel is at least partially connected to the second chamber at the narrow width portion, is open across the width of the narrow width portion, and is arranged between the liquid channel and the atmospheric communication channel in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first direction. A first communication passage communicating between the second chamber and the first chamber,
2. The liquid reservoir according to claim 1, wherein said liquid channel and said gas channel are arranged within said first communication channel. 3. The liquid reservoir according to claim 2, wherein said first communication path includes a wall dividing said liquid channel and said gas channel. 4. The liquid reservoir according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said liquid channel is open across the width of said narrow portion. 5. The liquid reservoir according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a valve that shuts off said gas channel and said liquid channel. 6. The liquid reservoir according to claim 5 , wherein said valve is one valve that shuts off both said gas flow path and said liquid flow path. 7. The liquid reservoir according to claim 5 , wherein said valves are arranged at ends of said gas flow path and said liquid flow path. 8. The liquid reservoir according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an opening through which the gas flow path connects to the first chamber is positioned vertically above an opening in which the liquid flow path connects to the first chamber. a liquid reservoir according to any one of claims 1 to 8;
and a recording unit that ejects the liquid supplied from the second chamber.

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