JP7338156B2 - system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system comprising a storage body for storing liquid and a tank to which the storage body can be connected.

A system is conventionally known that includes a reservoir that stores liquid and a tank that can be connected to the reservoir. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-100002 discloses a system configured by an ink cartridge that stores ink and an image recording apparatus that includes a tank to which the ink cartridge can be connected.

An image recording apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a feed tray that supports sheets fed into the apparatus, and a discharge tray that supports sheets discharged from the apparatus. The feed tray and the discharge tray are arranged in the center in the width direction of the image recording apparatus.

The image recording apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 has four tanks, and an ink cartridge is connected to each tank. When the user operates the image recording apparatus (for example, when the user operates the touch panel of the image recording apparatus or sets paper in the image recording apparatus), all four tanks are visible from the user's perspective. , to the right of the feed tray and the discharge tray. Also, the ink cartridge is connected to the tank along the horizontal direction.

JP 2018-122515 A

However, in the image recording apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the user operates the image recording apparatus, the tank is arranged to the right of the feed tray and the discharge tray. The tank is not arranged to the left of the feed tray and discharge tray. Therefore, the image recording apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot effectively utilize the space to the left of the feed tray and the discharge tray. Therefore, the increase in the size of the tank was restricted.

Further, in the image recording apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the ink cartridge is connected to the tank along the horizontal direction, there is a possibility that the ink cartridge may be erroneously pulled out of the tank.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a system that can increase the size of a tank and reduce the possibility that a reservoir connected to the tank will accidentally come out of the tank. to provide.

(1) A system according to the present invention includes a housing that extends in a depth direction that intersects with a height direction and that has a conveying path through which sheets pass; A first tank that is arranged on one side of the transport path inside the body and stores liquid, and a first tank that is arranged on the other side of the transport path inside the housing in the width direction and stores the liquid. a second tank connectable to the first tank and storing a liquid; a second reservoir connectable to the second tank and storing a liquid; a liquid ejection head disposed inside the body for ejecting the liquid supplied from the first tank and the second tank; The first storage body and the second storage body have liquid communication holes through which the stored liquid can flow to the outside. The first tank includes a first flow pipe extending upward from the upper end of the first tank and connectable to the liquid flow hole of the first reservoir. The second tank includes a second flow pipe extending upward from the upper end of the second tank and connectable to the liquid flow hole of the second reservoir.

According to this configuration, the first tank and the second tank (hereinafter, the first tank and the second tank are also collectively referred to as tanks) are arranged separately on one side and the other side of the transport path in the width direction. . Thereby, the size of each tank can be increased compared to a configuration in which all of the tanks are arranged only on one side of the transport path in the width direction.

Moreover, according to this configuration, the reservoir is connected to the tank from above. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the storage body accidentally falling out of the tank, as compared with the configuration in which the storage body is connected to the tank along the horizontal direction.

(2) At least one of the first tank and the second tank has a translucent first wall. The housing includes a front wall having an opening through which sheets are ejected. The first wall is visible from the outside of the housing through a translucent first translucent portion formed on the front wall.

Normally, the user of the system takes out the ejected sheet facing the front wall of the housing. That is, the sheet ejected from the front of the housing is taken out. According to this configuration, the remaining amount of liquid stored in the tank can be checked from the front of the housing through the first wall.

(3) The first reservoir has a translucent second wall. When the first storage body is connected to the first tank, the second wall is visible from the outside of the housing through the first translucent portion.

(4) The second reservoir has a translucent third wall. When the second reservoir is connected to the second tank, the third wall is visible from the outside of the housing through the first translucent portion.

Normally, the user of the system takes out the ejected sheet facing the front wall of the housing. That is, the sheet ejected from the front of the housing is taken out. With configurations (3) and (4), the remaining amount of liquid stored in the storage body can be checked from the front of the housing through the second wall and the third wall.

(5) The housing includes a side wall extending from the widthwise end of the front wall in a direction intersecting the widthwise direction and the heightwise direction. The first wall is visible from the outside of the housing through a second translucent portion formed on the side wall.

According to this configuration, the remaining amount of the liquid stored in the tank can be checked not only from the front but also from the side through the first wall.

(6) The first reservoir has a translucent second wall. When the first reservoir is connected to the first tank, the second wall is visible from the outside of the housing through the second translucent portion.

(7) The second reservoir has a translucent third wall. When the second reservoir is connected to the second tank, the third wall is visible from the outside of the housing through the second translucent portion.

According to this configuration, it is possible to check the remaining amount of the liquid stored in the reservoir from the side through the second wall and the third wall in addition to the front.

(8) The system according to the present invention includes a plurality of at least one of the first tank and the second tank. At least one of the plurality of first tanks or the plurality of second tanks is arranged in parallel along the width direction.

According to this configuration, it is easy to configure the tanks arranged in parallel along the width direction to be visible from the front.

(9) The system according to the present invention includes a plurality of at least one of the first storage bodies and the second storage bodies. At least one of the plurality of first storage bodies and the plurality of second storage bodies are arranged in parallel along the width direction.

According to this configuration, it is easy to configure so that the storage bodies arranged in parallel along the width direction can be visually recognized from the front.

(10) The system according to the present invention includes a plurality of at least one of the first tank and the second tank. At least one of the plurality of first tanks or the plurality of second tanks is arranged in parallel along the depth direction.

According to this configuration, it is easy to configure the tanks arranged in parallel along the depth direction to be visible from the side.

(11) The system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of at least one of the first storage bodies and the second storage bodies. At least one of the plurality of first storage bodies and the plurality of second storage bodies are arranged in parallel along the depth direction.

According to this configuration, it is easy to configure the storage bodies arranged in parallel along the depth direction so that they can be visually recognized from the side.

(12) A liquid having a first specific gravity is stored in the first tank and the first reservoir. A liquid having a second specific gravity smaller than the first specific gravity is stored in the second tank and the second reservoir.

According to this configuration, for example, a mechanism required only for the liquid having the first specific gravity (for example, a pigment stirring mechanism required when the liquid having the first specific gravity is a pigment) is provided only near the first tank. should be placed in That is, the mechanism does not have to be arranged near the second tank. Therefore, the size of the second tank can be increased.

(13) The first tank and the second tank each include an air communication hole that communicates the internal spaces of the first tank and the second tank with the atmosphere, and one end of which extends below the air communication hole in the internal space. a first flow channel whose other end is open to the outside through the first flow pipe or the second flow pipe; one end located below one end of the first flow channel in the internal space; and a second flow path opened to the outside through the first flow pipe or the second flow pipe.

According to this configuration, in a state where the reservoir is connected to the tank, when the liquid stored in the tank is consumed and the liquid level of the liquid becomes lower than the opening at the lower end of the first flow path, the air is communicated with the atmosphere. It enters the tank through the hole and enters the reservoir through the first channel. Then, the liquid corresponding to the volume of the air that has entered the reservoir is supplied from the reservoir through the second flow path into the tank. When the liquid level in the tank reaches the opening of the first channel, the liquid supply is stopped. Thereby, the liquid level of the liquid stored in the tank can be kept constant.

(14) The first tank, the second tank, the first storage body, and the second storage body each have an atmosphere communication hole that communicates the inside thereof with the atmosphere. When the first storage body is connected to the first tank, the head difference between the liquid level of the liquid stored in the first storage body and the liquid level of the liquid stored in the first tank causes the A liquid flows between the first reservoir and the first tank. When the second storage body is connected to the second tank, the head difference between the liquid level of the liquid stored in the second storage body and the liquid level of the liquid stored in the second tank causes the A liquid flows between the second reservoir and the second tank.

According to this configuration, the liquid stored in the reservoir can be supplied to the tank without requiring a complicated configuration.

(15) The system according to the present invention provides a covering position that covers the upper ends of the first reservoir connected to the first tank and the second reservoir connected to the second tank, and opens the upper ends. A cover is provided which is movable to an open position. The first reservoir and the second reservoir are in a closed position to close the air communication hole of the first reservoir and the second reservoir, and the atmosphere of the first reservoir and the second reservoir. A valve movable to an open position for opening the communication hole and a biasing member biasing the valve to the closed position are provided. The valve moves to the open position against the urging force of the urging member by coming into contact with the cover at the covering position.

According to this configuration, the valve is biased to the closed position by the biasing member when the reservoir is not connected to the tank. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid stored in the reservoir from leaking to the outside through the air communication hole of the reservoir.

Also according to this configuration, when the reservoir is connected to the tank, the valve moves to the open position when the cover is moved to the covering position. As a result, the liquid can be supplied from the reservoir to the tank by the difference in water head.

(16) The system according to the present invention provides a covering position that covers the upper ends of the first reservoir connected to the first tank and the second reservoir connected to the second tank, and opens the upper ends. A cover is provided which is movable to an open position.

According to this configuration, the reservoir connected to the tank can be protected by the cover.

(17) The cover at the covering position abuts the first reservoir from above. The position where the cover in the covering position is in contact with the first reservoir and the liquid circulation hole of the first reservoir overlap in the line of sight along the height direction.

(18) The cover at the covering position abuts the second reservoir from above. The position where the cover in the covering position is in contact with the second reservoir and the liquid circulation hole of the second reservoir overlap in the line of sight along the height direction.

According to the configurations (17) and (18), the position where the cover in the covering position is in contact with the reservoir and the liquid communication hole overlap when viewed in the vertical direction. Therefore, the posture of the reservoir connected to the tank can be stabilized.

(19) The system according to the present invention comprises a first holding mechanism that holds the first storage body connected to the first tank.

(20) The system according to the present invention includes a second holding mechanism that holds the second storage body in a state of being connected to the second tank.

According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the reservoir from unintentionally coming off the tank.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a tank can be enlarged and the possibility that the storage body connected to the tank will fall out from a tank by mistake can be made low.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-function device 10 in which an ink cartridge 30 is installed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the MFP 10 without the ink cartridge 30 installed. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the MFP 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of the lower housing 13. FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the lower housing 13. FIG. 6A is a right side view of the lower housing 13, and FIG. 6B is a left side view of the lower housing 13. FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the ink cartridge 30, and FIG. 7B is a perspective view of the tank 103. FIG. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view around the ink cartridge 30 in the attached state. FIG. 9 is a front view of lower housing 13 in a modified example. FIG. 10 is a plan view of lower housing 13 in a modified example. FIG. 11A is a right side view of lower housing 13 in a modified example, and FIG. 11B is a left side view of lower housing 13 in a modified example. FIG. 12 is a front view of lower housing 13 in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a plan view of the lower housing 13 in the modified example. FIG. 14A is a right side view of lower housing 13 in a modified example, and FIG. 14B is a left side view of lower housing 13 in a modified example. 15A and 15B are vertical cross-sectional views of the ink cartridge 30 and its surroundings in the attached state in the modified example, in which (A) shows the state in which the cover 18 is in the covering position, and (B) shows the state in which the cover 18 is in the open position. .

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. It should be noted that the embodiment described below is merely an example in which the present invention is embodied, and it goes without saying that the embodiment can be changed as appropriate without changing the gist of the present invention.

[Overall Configuration of MFP 10]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the multi-function device 10 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole.

The direction of gravity is defined as a downward direction 53 and the direction opposite to the downward direction 53 is defined as an upward direction 54 with reference to a posture in which the MFP 10 is installed on a horizontal plane so that it can be used. A front wall 44 is defined as a wall in which the opening 17 of the MFP 10 is provided. Also, a right direction 55 and a left direction 56 are defined when the MFP 10 is viewed from the front. The upward direction 54 and downward direction 53, the forward direction 51 and backward direction 52, and the rightward direction 55 and leftward direction 56 are orthogonal to each other. The forward direction 51 and the backward direction 52 are defined as the front-back direction (an example of the depth direction). The upward direction 54 and the downward direction 53 are defined as the vertical direction (an example of the height direction). A right direction 55 and a left direction 56 are defined as the left-right direction (an example of the width direction).

The MFP 10 includes a printer 11 and a scanner 12 . A system is configured by the multi-function device 10 and an ink cartridge 30 described later.

The printer 11 is an image recording apparatus, such as an inkjet printer, that records an image by ejecting ink droplets onto a sheet 2 (an example of a sheet, see FIG. 3) based on an inkjet recording method. Scanner 12 is a flatbed scanner.

The printer 11 is located in a lower housing 13 (an example of a housing) of the MFP 10 . Scanner 12 is above printer 11 in lower housing 13 . Note that the scanner 12 may be provided in the upper housing 14 of the MFP 10 .

The upper housing 14 is above the lower housing 13 . The upper housing 14 is connected to the lower housing 13 at the rear end of the MFP 10 . Upper housing 14 is rotatable in the direction of arrow 104 around shaft 106 located at the joint with lower housing 13 . As a result, the upper housing 14 can be rotated between the cover position indicated by broken lines in FIG. 1 and the open position indicated by solid lines in FIG. The upper housing 14 at the covering position covers the upper end of the lower housing 13 . The upper housing 14 in the open position opens the upper end of the lower housing 13 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , the multifunction device 10 includes a recording head 21 (an example of a liquid ejection head), a mounting section 110 and an ink tube 20 . At least one tank 103 capable of storing ink is arranged in the mounting portion 110 . The ink cartridge 30 is attached to the attachment portion 110 . Ink (an example of liquid) to be supplied to the recording head 21 is stored in the ink cartridge 30 . The ink cartridge 30 attached to the attachment portion 110 is connected to the tank 103 . The ink tube 20 connects the print head 21 and at least one tank 103 . An opening 112 is formed at the upper end of the mounting portion 110 .

The ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the mounting portion 110 from the top to the bottom through the opening 112 to be mounted. The ink cartridge 30 is pulled out from the mounting portion 110 upward through the opening 112 . 1, 3, and 8 show the mounting state in which the mounting of the ink cartridge 30 to the mounting portion 110 is completed. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the ink cartridge 30 is not attached to the attachment portion 110 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the ink cartridge 30 and the recording head 21 are connected via the tank 103 and the ink tube 20 in the installed state. The recording head 21 is arranged inside the lower housing 13 . The recording head 21 has a sub-tank 28 . The sub-tank 28 temporarily stores ink supplied through the ink tube 20 . The recording head 21 ejects ink supplied from the sub-tank 28 from the nozzles 29 by an inkjet recording method. Specifically, a driving voltage is selectively applied to the piezo elements 29 A provided corresponding to the nozzles 29 from a head control board (not shown) provided in the recording head 21 . As a result, ink is ejected from the nozzles 29 . The recording head 21 is mounted on the carriage 34 . The carriage 34 is supported by a frame (not shown) of the lower housing 13 so as to be movable in the left-right direction.

The MFP 10 includes a feed tray 15 , a feed roller 23 , a transport roller pair 25 , a platen 26 , a discharge roller pair 27 , and a discharge tray 16 . The sheet 2 fed from the feed tray 15 to the transport path 24 by the feed rollers 23 is transported in the transport direction 19 by the transport roller pair 25 . The conveying direction 19 is indicated in FIG. 3 by a dashed-dotted arrow. When the paper 2 is conveyed to the platen 26 by the conveying roller pair 25, the carriage 34 moves along the horizontal direction. At this time, the recording head 21 ejects ink onto the paper passing over the platen 26 . As a result, an image is recorded on the paper 2 . After passing through the platen 26 , the paper 2 is supported by the discharge roller pair 27 on the discharge tray 16 provided at the most downstream side of the transport path 24 . The paper 2 supported by the ejection tray 16 is ejected through the opening 17 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the transport path 24 extends in the front-rear direction from the transport roller pair 25 to the discharge roller pair 27 via between the recording head 21 and the platen 26 . The transport path 24 is formed substantially in the center of the lower housing 13 in the left-right direction. The carriage 34 can move to the area where the transport path 24 is formed (the area between the two dashed lines in FIG. 5), the area to the right of the transport path 24, and the area to the left of the transport path 24. .

[Mounting part 110]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the mounting portion 110 includes a mounting portion 110A arranged at the right end of the lower housing 13 and a mounting portion 110B arranged at the left end of the lower housing 13. As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting section 110A is located to the right of the transport path 24. As shown in FIG. The mounting section 110B is located to the left of the transport path 24. As shown in FIG. The mounting portion 110A and the mounting portion 110B have substantially the same configuration. Therefore, the configuration of the mounting portion 110A will be described below, and the configuration of the mounting portion 110B will be omitted in principle and will be described as necessary.

As shown in FIG. 3, the mounting portion 110A includes a holder 101, a tank 103, an optical sensor 113, a connector 130, and a stopper 131. As shown in FIG. Note that the mounting section 110A does not have to include the optical sensor 113 .

[Holder 101]
As shown in FIG. 3, the holder 101 constitutes the housing of the mounting portion 110A. The holder 101 has a back wall 81 and a bottom wall 82 . The back wall 81 is positioned behind the front wall 44 of the lower housing 13 and faces the front wall 44 in the front-rear direction. The bottom wall 82 extends forward from the lower end of the inner wall 81 . An inner space 108 of the holder 101 is formed by the inner wall 81 , the bottom wall 82 , the front wall 44 of the lower housing 13 , and the right side wall 45 (an example of side walls) of the lower housing 13 . The right side wall 45 extends rearward from the right end of the front wall 44 and constitutes the right end of the lower housing 13 .

In the case of the mounting portion 110B, the internal space 108 of the holder 101 is formed by the back wall 81, the bottom wall 82, the front wall 44 of the lower housing 13, and the left side wall 46 (an example of a side wall) of the lower housing 13. ing. The left side wall 46 extends rearward from the left end of the front wall 44 and constitutes the left end of the lower housing 13 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 , openings 47 (an example of a first translucent portion) are formed at the right and left ends of the front wall 44 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6A, an opening 48 (an example of a second translucent portion) is formed in the front end portion of the right side wall 45 . As shown in FIG. 6B, an opening 49 (an example of a second translucent portion) is formed in the front end portion of the left side wall 46 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , the upper end of the holder 101 facing the bottom wall 82 in the vertical direction is an opening 112 that communicates the internal space 108 of the holder 101 with the outside of the holder 101 .

A cover 18 is provided near the opening 112 of the holder 101 . The cover 18 is rotatably supported by the upper end of the inner wall 81 . The cover 18 is rotatable in the direction of an arrow 105 around a shaft 107 located at the joint with the back wall 81 when the upper housing 14 is in the open position. As a result, the cover 18 can be placed in a covering position, which is indicated by broken lines in FIGS. It is rotatable.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, when the ink cartridge 30 is connected to the tank 103, the cover 18 in the covered position covers the upper end of the ink cartridge 30, and the cover 18 in the open position covers the ink cartridge. The upper end of 30 is open.

The internal space 108 of the holder 101 is partitioned into three chambers arranged in the left-right direction by partition walls (not shown). Tank 103 , optical sensor 113 , and connector 130 may be placed in respective chambers of partitioned interior space 108 . Note that the internal space 108 may not have a partition wall. In this case, all the tanks 103, optical sensors 113, and connectors 130 to be arranged are arranged in the internal space 108, which is one room.

In this embodiment, one ink cartridge 30 is attached to the attachment portion 110B. Therefore, the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110B is not partitioned into a plurality of rooms (it is composed of one room).

In this embodiment, the tank 103 and the optical sensor 113 are arranged in each of the three chambers of the mounting section 110A, and the connector 130 is not arranged. On the other hand, the tank 103, the optical sensor 113, and the connector 130 are arranged in one room of the mounting section 110B.

The number of rooms in the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting parts 110A and 110B and the number of tanks 103, optical sensors 113, and connectors 130 arranged in each room are not limited to the above numbers.

[Tank 103]
As shown in FIG. 3, in the lower part of the inner space 108 of the holder 101, there is a tank 103. As shown in FIG. Tank 103 is supported by bottom wall 82 .

As described above, the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110A is partitioned into three chambers aligned in the horizontal direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, three tanks 103 are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction in the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110A. Note that when a plurality of tanks 103 are arranged on the mounting portion 110B, the plurality of tanks 103 may also be arranged in parallel along the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the tank 103 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped housing 117 .

The housing 117 includes a front wall 91 , a rear wall 92 , a top wall 93 , a bottom wall 94 , a right side wall 95 and a left side wall 96 . The front wall 91, the right side wall 95, and the left side wall 96 are examples of the first wall. The front wall 91 and the rear wall 92 are separated in the front-rear direction. An upper wall 93 is between the front wall 91 and the rear wall 92 and extends from the upper end of the front wall 91 to the upper end of the rear wall 92 . A lower wall 94 is between the front wall 91 and the rear wall 92 and extends from the lower end of the front wall 91 to the lower end of the rear wall 92 . An upper wall 93 and a lower wall 94 connect the front wall 91 and the rear wall 92 . A right side wall 95 is between the front wall 91 and the rear wall 92 and extends from the right end of the front wall 91 to the right end of the rear wall 92 . Left side wall 96 is between front wall 91 and rear wall 92 and extends from the left end of front wall 91 to the left end of rear wall 92 . A right side wall 95 and a left side wall 96 connect the front wall 91 and the rear wall 92 . The upper wall 93 and the lower wall 94 are vertically separated. The right side wall 95 and the left side wall 96 are separated in the left-right direction. Peripheral edges of the right side wall 95 and the left side wall 96 are continuous with the front wall 91 , the rear wall 92 , the upper wall 93 and the lower wall 94 .

As shown in FIG. 8, housing 117 has interior space 119 . The internal space 119 is a space formed by a front wall 91 , a rear wall 92 , an upper wall 93 , a lower wall 94 , a right side wall 95 and a left side wall 96 . Ink can be stored in the internal space 119 .

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the three chambers of the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110A include, in order from the left chamber, tanks 103 (hereinafter referred to as tanks 103) in which cyan ink is stored. 103C), a tank 103 storing magenta ink (hereinafter referred to as tank 103M), and a tank 103 storing yellow ink (hereinafter referred to as tank 103Y). there is A tank 103 containing black ink (hereinafter referred to as a tank 103B) is arranged in one chamber of the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110B. Hereinafter, the tanks 103C, 103M, 103Y, and 103B are collectively referred to as the tank 103 as well. Further, in this embodiment, dye ink is stored in all the tanks 103 . Tank 103B is an example of a first tank. Tanks 103C, 103M, and 103Y are examples of second tanks.

Note that the color of the ink stored in each tank 103 is not limited to the colors described above. Further, the material of the ink stored in each tank 103 is not limited to dye. For example, the ink stored in the tanks 103 arranged in the three chambers of the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110A is stored in the tank 103 arranged in one chamber of the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110B. Ink having a specific gravity (second specific gravity) greater than the specific gravity (first specific gravity) of the ink may be stored. Examples of the second specific gravity ink include white ink and pigment ink. Examples of the first specific gravity ink include cyan, magenta, and yellow inks and dye inks.

Needless to say, the color and material of the ink stored in the tank 103 arranged in each room are not limited to the above examples, and can be set as appropriate.

The housing 117 has translucency that allows the ink stored in the internal space 119 to be visible from the outside.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the front wall 91 of the housing 117 faces the opening 47 formed in the front wall 44 of the lower housing 13 in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the front wall 91 can be visually recognized through the opening 47 when the lower housing 13 is viewed from the front. The front wall 91 has translucency. Therefore, when the lower housing 13 is viewed from the front, the ink stored in the internal space 119 can be visually recognized through the opening 47 and the front wall 91 . In this embodiment, the ink stored in the tanks 103C, 103M, and 103Y can be visually recognized through the opening 47 formed at the right end of the front wall 44 and the front wall 91, and the ink stored in the tank 103B can be seen through the front wall 91. It is visible through an opening 47 formed in the left end of wall 44 and through front wall 91 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6A, the right side wall 95 of the housing 117 laterally faces the opening 48 formed in the right side wall 45 of the lower housing 13 . Thereby, when the lower housing 13 is viewed from the right side, the right side wall 95 can be visually recognized through the opening 48 . Moreover, the right side wall 95 has translucency. Therefore, when the lower housing 13 is viewed from the right side, the ink stored in the internal space 119 can be visually recognized through the opening 48 and the right side wall 95 . In this embodiment, the ink stored in the tank 103Y can be visually recognized through the opening 48 and the right side wall 95. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the left side wall 96 of the housing 117 laterally faces the opening 49 formed in the left side wall 46 of the lower housing 13 . Accordingly, the left side wall 96 can be visually recognized through the opening 49 when the lower housing 13 is viewed from the left side. Also, the left side wall 96 is translucent. Therefore, when the lower housing 13 is viewed from the left side, the ink stored in the internal space 119 is visible through the opening 49 and the left side wall 96 . In this embodiment, the ink stored in the tank 103B is visible through the opening 49 and the left side wall 96. As shown in FIG.

In addition, in the case 31 of the tank 103 (the tanks 103C, 103M, and 103Y in this embodiment) attached to the attachment portion 110A, at least the front wall 91 facing forward and the right side wall 95 facing right are translucent. as long as it has a gender. In addition, in the housing 31 of the tank 103 (tank 103B in this embodiment) mounted on the mounting portion 110B, at least the front wall 91 facing forward and the left side wall 96 facing left have translucency. It is good if there is

In addition, not all of the tanks 103B, 103C, 103M, and 103Y need to have translucent walls, but at least one of the tanks 103B, 103C, 103M, and 103Y has a translucent wall. Furthermore, it is more preferable that all of the tanks 103B, 103C, 103M, and 103Y have translucent walls.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the upper wall 93 of the housing 117 of the tank 103 is formed with an air communication hole 124 penetrating through the upper wall 93 . Thereby, the internal space 119 communicates with the atmosphere. Also, the internal space 119 communicates with the ink tube 20 . As a result, the ink stored in the internal space 119 is supplied to the recording head 21 through the ink tube 20 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the tank 103 has a flow pipe 120 . The circulation pipe 120 provided in the tank 103B is an example of a first circulation pipe. The flow pipe 120 provided in the tanks 103C, 103M, 103Y is an example of a second flow pipe.

The flow pipe 120 extends vertically and penetrates the upper wall 93 . Flow pipe 120 extends upward from top wall 93 .

The flow pipe 120 has an outer peripheral wall 122 and a partition wall 123 . The partition wall 123 extends above the outer peripheral wall 122 . The partition wall 123 divides the inner space of the outer peripheral wall 122 into two spaces. One of the two spaces is the first channel 125 . The other of the two spaces is the second channel 126 .

The first flow path 125 is a space surrounded by the rear portion of the outer peripheral wall 122 and the partition wall 123 . An opening 125A is formed at one end of the first flow path 125, and an opening 125B is formed at the other end of the first flow path 125. As shown in FIG.

The second flow path 126 is a space surrounded by the front portion of the outer peripheral wall 122 and the partition wall 123 . An opening 126A is formed at one end of the second flow path 126, and an opening 126B is formed at the other end of the second flow path 126. As shown in FIG.

Openings 125 A, 126 A are in interior space 119 . The openings 125A and 126A are below the air vent 124. As shown in FIG. Opening 126A is below opening 125A.

Openings 125B and 126B are outside tank 103 . The opening 125B communicates the internal space 119 with the outside of the tank 103 via the first flow path 125. As shown in FIG. The opening 126B communicates the internal space 119 with the outside of the tank 103 via the second flow path 126. As shown in FIG.

[Optical sensor 113]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, an optical sensor 113 is arranged on the inner wall 81 of the holder 101 . The optical sensor 113 has a light emitter and a light receiver. The light-emitting part and the light-receiving part are arranged opposite to each other with a gap in the left-right direction.

The optical sensor 113 outputs different detection signals to the controller 1 (see FIG. 3) depending on whether or not the light-receiving part receives the light emitted from the light-emitting part in the horizontal direction. Optical sensor 113 and controller 1 are connected by cable 4 . For example, the optical sensor 113 outputs a low level signal to the controller 1 under the condition that the light emitted from the light emitter cannot be received by the light receiver (that is, the received light intensity is less than a predetermined intensity). On the other hand, the optical sensor 113 outputs a high-level signal to the controller 1 under the condition that the light output from the light emitting section can be received by the light receiving section (that is, the received light intensity is equal to or higher than a predetermined intensity).

The controller 1 controls the operation of the multifunction machine 10, and is composed of, for example, a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. are mounted on the control board 3 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the control board 3 is arranged in the right rear portion inside the lower housing 13 . As shown in FIG. 5, the cable 4 that connects the optical sensor 113 of the mounting section 110B and the control board 3 extends from the mounting section 110B toward the mounting section 110A above the transport path 24 and above the recording head 21. , and is wired rearward toward the control board 3 together with the cable 4 extending from the optical sensor 113 arranged corresponding to each of the tanks 103C, 103M, 103Y of the mounting portion 110A. there is A cable 4 connecting the optical sensor 113 of the mounting portion 110A and the control board 3 is wired rearward from the mounting portion 110A toward the control board 3 . Note that the control board 3 may be arranged at a position other than the right rear portion inside the lower housing 13 . The wiring of the cable 4 is appropriately determined according to the arrangement position of the control board 3 .

[Connector 130]
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the connector 130 is arranged on the inner wall 81 of the holder 101 . Connector 130 includes four contacts 132 . The four contacts 132 are arranged in parallel at intervals in the left-right direction. Each contact 132 corresponds to each electrode 65 on the circuit board 64 of the ink cartridge 30 . Note that the number of contacts 132 is not limited to four.

The contact 132 is composed of a conductive and elastic member. The contact 132 protrudes forward from the connector 130 . The contact 132 is connected to a substrate (not shown). Thereby, the contact 132 is electrically connected to an electric circuit also mounted on the substrate. The electric circuit is electrically connected to the controller 1 (see FIG. 3) by a cable 5 . Cable 5 is wired in the same manner as cable 4 (see FIG. 3).

In this embodiment, among the tanks 103B, 103C, 103M, and 103Y, only the connector 130 corresponding to the tank 103B is provided. That is, the connector 130 is provided corresponding to one chamber of the mounting portion 110B, and is not provided in the mounting portion 110A. However, connector 130 may be provided corresponding to at least one of tanks 103C, 103M, and 103Y. That is, the connector 130 may be provided in at least one of the three chambers of the mounting portion 110A.

[Stopper 131]
As shown in FIG. 3, the stopper 131 protrudes rearward from the upper end of the front wall 44 of the housing. The stopper 131 is for holding the ink cartridge 30 attached to the attachment portion 110 . The stopper 131 is supported by the front wall 44 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The stopper 131 is slidable in the left-right direction between a holding position where the ink cartridge 30 is held in the mounting portion 110 (the ink cartridge 30 is connected to the tank 103) and a release position where the holding is released. be. The stopper 131 provided in the mounting portion 110B (the stopper 131 projecting into the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110A) is an example of a first holding mechanism. The stopper 131 provided in the mounting portion 110A (the stopper 131 projecting into the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110B) is an example of a second holding mechanism.

If the through-hole 152 of the ink cartridge 30, which will be described later, can be opened and closed by a valve biased by a spring, the ink cartridge 30 connected to the tank 103 is connected to the tank 103 by the reaction force of the spring. The stopper 131 restricts movement in the direction in which the ink cartridge 30 is released, and the ink cartridge 30 can be held in a state of being connected to the tank 103 . When the ink cartridge 30 connected to the tank 103 does not move in the direction in which the connection with the tank 103 is released due to the reaction force of the spring as in the present embodiment, the mounting portion 110 pushes the stopper 131 . You don't have to.

[Ink cartridge 30]
The ink cartridge 30 shown in FIG. 7A is a container that stores ink. Three ink cartridges 30 are housed in respective chambers of the internal space 108 (see FIG. 3) divided into three in the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110A. Also, one ink cartridge 30 is accommodated in the internal space 108 (see FIG. 3) of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110B.

As described above, the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110A is partitioned into three chambers aligned in the horizontal direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the three ink cartridges 30 mounted in the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110A are arranged in parallel along the horizontal direction. When a plurality of ink cartridges 30 are arranged in the mounting portion 110B, the plurality of ink cartridges 30 may also be arranged in parallel along the horizontal direction.

The color of the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 arranged in each room of the internal space 108 is the same as the color of the ink stored in the tank 103 arranged in each room. That is, in this embodiment, the three chambers in the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110A contain, in order from the left chamber, ink cartridges 30 (hereinafter referred to as ink cartridges 30C) in which cyan ink is stored. ), an ink cartridge 30 storing magenta ink (hereinafter referred to as ink cartridge 30M), and an ink cartridge 30 storing yellow ink (hereinafter referred to as ink cartridge 30Y) are installed. . An ink cartridge 30 containing black ink (hereinafter referred to as an ink cartridge 30B) is mounted in one chamber of the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110B. That is, the ink cartridge 30C is connected to the tank 103C, the ink cartridge 30M is connected to the tank 103M, the ink cartridge 30Y is connected to the tank 103Y, and the ink cartridge 30B is connected to the tank 103B. Hereinafter, the ink cartridges 30C, 30M, 30Y, and 30B are collectively referred to as the ink cartridge 30 as well. The ink cartridge 30B is an example of a first reservoir. The ink cartridges 30C, 30M, and 30Y are examples of second reservoirs.

Note that the number of ink cartridges 30 arranged in the internal space 108 and the color and material of the ink stored in the ink cartridges 30 arranged in each room are determined by the configuration of the mounting portion 110 (the inside of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110). It is determined according to the number of rooms in the space 108 and the color and material of the ink stored in each tank 103 .

The ink cartridges 30C, 30M, 30Y and 30B have substantially the same configuration except that the ink cartridge 30B is larger than the ink cartridges 30C, 30M and 30Y. Therefore, the configuration of the ink cartridge 30B will be described below, and the configuration of the ink cartridges 30C, 30M, and 30Y will be omitted in principle and will be described as necessary. Although the configuration of the ink cartridge 30B will be described below, the ink cartridge 30B is referred to as the ink cartridge 30 for convenience.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 8, the ink cartridge 30 includes a housing 31, a protrusion 67, a circuit board 64, and a protrusion . In the following description of the configuration of the ink cartridge 30, unless otherwise specified, it is assumed that the ink cartridge 30 is in the upright posture (the posture connected to the tank 103, which is the posture shown in FIG. 8). A direction and a left-right direction are defined.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the housing 31 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. As a whole, the housing 31 has a flat shape in which the dimension along the left-right direction is smaller than the dimension along the front-rear direction, and the dimension along each of the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is larger than the dimension along the left-right direction. .

The housing 31 includes a front wall 40 , a rear wall 41 , a top wall 39 , a bottom wall 42 , a right side wall 37 and a left side wall 38 . The front wall 40 and the rear wall 41 are separated in the front-rear direction. The upper wall 39 is between the front wall 40 and the rear wall 41 and extends from the upper end of the front wall 40 to the upper end of the rear wall 41 . The lower wall 42 is between the front wall 40 and the rear wall 41 and extends from the lower end of the front wall 40 to the lower end of the rear wall 41 . An upper wall 39 and a lower wall 42 connect the front wall 40 and the rear wall 41 . Right side wall 37 is between front wall 40 and rear wall 41 and extends from the right end of front wall 40 to the right end of rear wall 41 . Left side wall 38 is between front wall 40 and rear wall 41 and extends from the left end of front wall 40 to the left end of rear wall 41 . A right side wall 37 and a left side wall 38 connect the front wall 40 and the rear wall 41 . The upper wall 39 and the lower wall 42 are vertically separated. The right side wall 37 and the left side wall 38 are separated in the left-right direction. The peripheral edges of the right side wall 37 and the left side wall 38 are continuous with the front wall 40 , the rear wall 41 , the upper wall 39 and the lower wall 42 .

As shown in FIG. 8, housing 31 has internal space 151 . The internal space 151 is a space formed by the front wall 40 , the rear wall 41 , the upper wall 39 , the lower wall 42 , the right side wall 37 and the left side wall 38 . Ink can be stored in the internal space 151 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 31 is inserted downward into the holder 101 through the opening 112 and pulled out upward while the cover 18 is in the open position.

The housing 31 has translucency that allows the ink stored in the internal space 151 to be visible from the outside.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, in the mounted state, the front wall 40 of the housing 31 faces the opening 47 formed in the front wall 44 of the lower housing 13 in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the front wall 40 can be visually recognized through the opening 47 when the lower housing 13 is viewed from the front. Further, since the front wall 40 is translucent, the ink stored in the internal space 151 can be visually recognized through the opening 47 and the front wall 40 when the lower housing 13 is viewed from the front. In this embodiment, the ink stored in the ink cartridges 30C, 30M, and 30Y is visible through the opening 47 formed at the right end of the front wall 44 and the front wall 40, and the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30B is visible. , through an opening 47 formed in the left end of the front wall 44 and through the front wall 40 . The front wall 40 of the ink cartridge 30B is an example of a second wall. The front wall 40 of the ink cartridges 30C, 30M, 30Y is an example of a third wall.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6A, in the mounted state, the right side wall 37 of the housing 31 laterally faces the opening 48 formed in the right side wall 45 of the lower housing 13 . Thereby, when the lower housing 13 is viewed from the right side, the right side wall 37 can be visually recognized through the opening 48 . In addition, since the right side wall 37 is translucent, the ink stored in the internal space 151 can be visually recognized through the opening 48 and the right side wall 37 when the lower housing 13 is viewed from the right side. In this embodiment, the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30</b>Y can be visually recognized through the opening 48 and the right side wall 95 . The right side wall 37 of the ink cartridge 30Y is an example of a third wall.

As shown in FIG. 6B, in the mounted state, the left side wall 38 of the housing 31 laterally faces the opening 49 formed in the left side wall 46 of the lower housing 13 . Thereby, when the lower housing 13 is viewed from the left side, the left side wall 38 can be visually recognized through the opening 49 . Further, since the left side wall 38 is translucent, the ink stored in the internal space 151 is visible through the opening 49 and the left side wall 38 when the lower housing 13 is viewed from the left side. In this embodiment, the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30B is visible through the opening 49 and the left side wall 96. As shown in FIG. The left side wall 38 of the ink cartridge 30B is an example of a third wall.

In the housing 31 of the ink cartridges 30 (in this embodiment, the ink cartridges 30C, 30M, and 30Y) mounted in the mounting portion 110A, at least the front wall 40 facing forward and the right side wall 37 facing right are It is sufficient that it has translucency. In addition, in the housing 31 of the ink cartridge 30 (the ink cartridge 30B in this embodiment) mounted in the mounting portion 110B, at least the front wall 40 facing forward and the left wall 38 facing left are translucent. It's fine if you have it.

Further, although not all of the ink cartridges 30B, 30C, 30M, and 30Y need not have a light-transmitting wall, at least one of the ink cartridges 30B, 30C, 30M, and 30Y has a light-transmitting wall. and more preferably, all of the ink cartridges 30B, 30C, 30M, and 30Y have translucent walls.

As shown in FIG. 7A, a through hole 152 (an example of a liquid circulation hole) is formed in the lower wall 42 of the housing 31 . The internal space 151 communicates with the outside through the through holes 152 . Ink stored in the internal space 151 can flow to the outside through the through holes 152 . However, in this embodiment, the through hole 152 is closed by a seal 153 attached to the outer surface of the lower wall 42 . Therefore, the circulation of the ink stored in the internal space 151 to the outside is restricted.

Note that the means for closing the through hole 152 is not limited to the seal 153 . For example, a so-called duckbill type valve may be attached to the through hole 152, or the through hole 152 may be closed by a valve having the same configuration as the valve 35 shown in FIG. 15 to be described later.

[Protrusion 67]
As shown in FIGS. 7A and 8, the rear wall 41 of the housing 31 has a projection 67 projecting rearward. The projection 67 extends vertically.

A right surface or a left surface of the projection 67 is a surface on which the light emitted by the optical sensor 113 of the mounting portion 110 hits. In this embodiment, the protrusion 67 is a resin plate containing, for example, a color material (black pigment) capable of blocking or attenuating light. As another form, at least the light blocking surface of the projection 67 may be pasted with a material such as aluminum foil that does not transmit light.

[Circuit board 64]
As shown in FIGS. 7A and 8, a circuit board 64 is attached to the rear wall 41 of the housing 31. As shown in FIG. Circuit board 64 is below protrusion 67 . Note that the position of the circuit board 64 is not limited to below the protrusion 67 . The circuit board 64 has a substrate 63 , memory (not shown), and electrodes 65 .

In this embodiment, the circuit board 64 is provided only in the ink cartridge 30B among the ink cartridges 30B, 30C, 30M, and 30Y. In other words, the circuit board 64 is not provided in the ink cartridges 30C, 30M, and 30Y. However, the circuit board 64 may be provided in at least one of the ink cartridges 30C, 30M, and 30Y.

The circuit board 64 is formed by mounting a memory on a board 63, which is a rigid board made of glass epoxy or the like, and forming four electrodes 65 thereon. The number of electrodes 65 is determined according to the number of contacts 132 of mounting portion 110, and is not limited to four.

The memory is mounted on the back surface of the substrate 63 (the surface facing the rear wall 41). In this embodiment, when the substrate 63 is attached to the rear wall 41, a recess (not shown) capable of accommodating the memory is formed in the rear wall 41 at a position corresponding to the memory. Note that the mounting position of the memory is not limited to the back surface of the substrate 63 .

Information related to the ink cartridge 30 is stored in the memory so that it can be read by the controller 1 (see FIG. 3) of the multifunction machine 10 . The information about the ink cartridge 30 is, for example, data indicating information such as the lot number, date of manufacture, and ink color. In addition, information regarding the amount of ink stored in the ink cartridge 30, such as the amount of ink consumed, may be stored. The memory is, for example, a semiconductor memory such as a non-volatile memory such as FRAM (registered trademark) or a volatile memory such as SRAM.

Each of the four electrodes 65 corresponds to each of the four contacts 132 of the mounting portion 110 . As shown in FIG. 7A, four electrodes 65 are exposed so as to be electrically connectable. Each electrode 65 extends in the vertical direction. Each electrode 65 is spaced apart and located in a line in the left-right direction. Each electrode 65 is electrically connected to a memory.

[Protrusion 70]
As shown in FIG. 8 , the protrusion 70 protrudes forward from the front wall 40 of the housing 31 . In the mounted state, when the stopper 131 of the mounting portion 110 is in the holding position, the protrusion 70 is directly below the stopper 131 . At this time, the removal of the ink cartridge 30 from the mounting portion 110 is restricted by the stopper 131 . In the mounted state, when the stopper 131 of the mounting portion 110 is at the release position, the protrusion 70 is positioned laterally different from the stopper 131 . At this time, the ink cartridge 30 can be removed from the mounting portion 110 without being restricted by the stopper 131 . The protrusion 70 provided on the ink cartridge 30B is an example of a first holding mechanism. The protrusions 70 provided on the ink cartridges 30C, 30M, and 30Y are an example of a second holding mechanism.

Instead of the stopper 131 sliding, the ink cartridge 30 may be horizontally moved or rotated. When the ink cartridge 30 moves or rotates, the protrusion 70 and the stopper 131 are shifted from the vertically overlapping position, so that the ink cartridge 30 can be extracted from the mounting portion 110 without being restricted by the stopper 131. may be assumed.

Also, the ink cartridge 30 may not have the protrusion 70 . In this case, for example, the stopper 131 at the holding position may restrict the ink cartridge 30 from being extracted from the mounting portion 110 by contacting the upper wall 39 of the ink cartridge 30 .

[Operation of mounting ink cartridge 30 to mounting portion 110]
The operation of mounting the ink cartridge 30 to the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110 will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 7A, in the ink cartridge 30 that is not attached to the attachment portion 110, the through hole 152 is sealed by the seal 153, so that the ink stored in the internal space 151 flows out. are prevented from doing so.

Further, in the mounting portion 110 to which the ink cartridge 30 is not mounted, there is no other member between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the optical sensor 113 . This allows light to travel from the light emitter to the light receiver. At this time, the optical sensor 113 outputs a high-level detection signal to the controller 1 (see FIG. 3). When the controller 1 receives a high-level detection signal from the optical sensor 113 , it determines that the ink cartridge 30 is not attached to the attachment portion 110 .

Also, in the mounting portion 110 where the ink cartridge 30 is not mounted, the stopper 131 is at the release position.

First, the upper housing 14 (see FIG. 1) is pivoted from the covered position to the open position. As a result, the upper end of the lower housing 13 is opened and the cover 18 is exposed. The cover 18 is then pivoted from the covered position to the open position. This exposes the opening 112 .

The ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the internal space 108 of the holder 101 from above the holder 101 through the opening 112 . In the present embodiment, the ink cartridge 30 is inserted downward into the holder 101. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the ink cartridge 30 is inserted in a direction inclined with respect to the vertical direction (downward oblique direction). It may be inserted into holder 101 .

As shown in FIG. 8 , when the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the holder 101 , the flow pipe 120 breaks through the seal 153 from below the ink cartridge 30 and penetrates the through hole 152 to open the internal space of the ink cartridge 30 . Enter 151. That is, the flow pipe 120 is connected to the through hole 152 . This allows the ink stored in the internal space 151 to flow through the flow pipe 120 to the internal space 119 of the tank 103 .

A ring member (not shown) made of an elastic material such as rubber is attached to the periphery of the through hole 152 . The ring member liquid-tightly adheres to the outer peripheral surface of the flow pipe 120 passing through the through hole 152 .

Also, when the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the holder 101 , the protrusion 67 is positioned between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the optical sensor 113 . As a result, the protrusion 67 blocks light from traveling from the light emitting portion to the light receiving portion. At this time, the optical sensor 113 outputs a low-level detection signal to the controller 1 (see FIG. 3). When the controller 1 receives the low-level detection signal from the optical sensor 113 , it determines that the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the attachment portion 110 .

Also, when the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the holder 101, each electrode 65 of the circuit board 64 comes into contact with the corresponding contact 132 from the front. By bringing each electrode 65 into contact with the corresponding contact 132 and conducting, the voltage Vc is applied to the electrode 65, the electrode 65 is grounded, and power is supplied to the electrode 65. FIG. Also, the memory mounted on the circuit board 64 is electrically connected to the controller 1 (see FIG. 3) due to the electrical connection between the contact 132 and the electrode 65 . This allows the controller 1 to access the memory. As a result, the data stored in the memory are input to the controller 1 .

Also, after the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the holder 101, the stopper 131 is moved from the release position to the holding position. As a result, the ink cartridge 30 is held in a state of being attached to the attachment portion 110 . After that, the cover 18 is rotated from the open position to the covering position, and the upper housing 14 is rotated from the open position to the covering position.

When the ink cartridge 30 is extracted from the holder 101, the upper housing 14 is rotated from the covered position to the open position, and the cover 18 is rotated from the covered position to the open position. After that, the stopper 131 is moved from the holding position to the releasing position. As a result, the ink cartridge 30 can be removed from the mounting portion 110 without being restricted by the stopper 131 . Next, the user grips the ink cartridge 30 and pulls the ink cartridge 30 upward. As a result, the flow pipe 120 is removed from the through hole 152 and the ink cartridge 30 is extracted from the holder 101 .

The supply of ink from the ink cartridge 30 to the tank 103 in the mounted state shown in FIG. 8 will be described below. In this embodiment, ink is supplied from the ink cartridge 30 to the tank 103 by a so-called chicken feed method, as described in detail below.

When the ink cartridge 30 is connected to the tank 103 and the openings 125B and 126B of the flow pipe 120 are positioned in the internal space 151 of the ink cartridge 30, the internal space 151 and the internal space 119 of the tank 103 form the first flow path. 125 and the second channel 126 are in communication. 8, the ink stored in the internal space 151 flows into the second channel 126 through the opening 126B, and flows through the opening 126A of the second channel 126 into the internal space 151. Circulate to space 119 . 8, air enters the internal space 119 through the atmosphere communication hole 124 and flows into the internal space 151 from the first channel 125 through the opening 125B. Here, the volume of ink flowing from the ink cartridge 30 to the tank 103 and the volume of air flowing from the tank 103 to the ink cartridge 30 are substantially the same. In this manner, so-called gas-liquid replacement is performed.

As the ink flows into the internal space 119, the ink level in the internal space 119 rises and reaches the opening 125A of the first channel 125. Traffic is cut off. This stops the flow of air from the internal space 119 to the internal space 151 . Therefore, the flow of ink from the internal space 151 to the internal space 119 is stopped.

[Action and effect of the present embodiment]
According to this embodiment, the tank 103B and the tanks 103C, 103M, and 103Y are arranged separately on the left and right sides of the transport path 24 . Thereby, the size of each tank 103 can be increased compared to a configuration in which all of the tanks 103 are arranged on only one side of the transport path 24 in the left-right direction.

According to this embodiment, the ink cartridge 30 is connected to the tank 103 from above. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the ink cartridge 30 is accidentally pulled out of the tank 103 compared to the embodiment in which the ink cartridge 30 is connected to the tank 103 along the horizontal direction.

According to this embodiment, the ink cartridge 30 is connected to the tank 103 from above. Therefore, the ink cartridge 30 is above the tank 103 . This makes it easy to use up the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 .

Normally, the user stands in front of the lower housing 13 and takes out the ejected paper 2 . According to this embodiment, the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 103 can be checked from the front of the lower housing 13 through the front wall 91 .

Normally, the user stands in front of the lower housing 13 and takes out the ejected paper 2 . According to the above embodiment, the remaining amount of ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 can be checked from the front of the lower housing 13 through the front wall 40 .

According to this embodiment, the remaining amount of ink stored in the tank 103 can be checked from the side through the front wall 91 in addition to the front.

According to this embodiment, the remaining amount of ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 can be checked through the front wall 40 not only from the front but also from the side.

According to this embodiment, it is easy to configure the tanks 103 arranged in parallel along the left-right direction to be visible from the front.

According to this embodiment, it is easy to configure the ink cartridges 30 arranged in parallel along the left-right direction to be visible from the front.

According to this embodiment, for example, a mechanism necessary only for ink having the first specific gravity (for example, a necessary pigment stirring mechanism when the ink having the first specific gravity is a pigment) is provided only near the tank 103B. should be placed in That is, the mechanism does not need to be arranged near the tanks 103C, 103M, 103Y. Therefore, the tanks 103C, 103M, and 103Y can be enlarged.

According to this embodiment, in the mounted state, when the ink stored in the tank 103 is consumed and the liquid level of the ink becomes lower than the opening 125A at the lower end of the first flow path 125, air is released from the air communication hole 124. It enters the tank 103 and enters the ink cartridge 30 through the first channel 125 . Then, ink corresponding to the volume of the air entering the ink cartridge 30 is supplied from the ink cartridge 30 through the second flow path 126 into the tank 103 . When the liquid surface of the ink in the tank 103 reaches the opening 125A of the first channel 125, the supply of ink is stopped. As a result, the liquid surface of the ink stored in the tank 103 can be kept constant.

According to this embodiment, the ink cartridge 30 connected to the tank 103 can be protected by the cover 18 .

According to this embodiment, the projections 70 and 131 can prevent the ink cartridge 30 from unintentionally coming off the tank 103 .

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, the tanks 103 are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction in the internal space 108 of the holder 101 . However, the arrangement of the tanks 103 is not limited to parallel arrangement along the horizontal direction.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the tank 103 and the ink cartridge 30 may be arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction in the internal space 108 of the holder 101 of the mounting portion 110A.

In this case, the front wall 91 of the tank 103Y and the front wall 40 of the ink cartridge 30Y are visible through the opening 47 formed in the right end of the front wall 44 of the lower housing 13. FIG. Further, the ink stored in the tank 103Y is visible through the opening 47 and the front wall 91, and the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30Y is visible through the opening 47 and the front wall 40.

Also, the right side walls 95 of the tanks 103C, 103M and 103Y and the right side walls 37 of the ink cartridges 30C, 30M and 30Y are visible through the openings 48 formed in the right side wall 45 of the lower housing 13 . In addition, the ink stored in the tanks 103C, 103M, and 103Y is visible through the opening 48 and the right side wall 95, and the ink stored in the ink cartridges 30C, 30M, and 30Y is visible through the opening 48 and the right side wall 37. is.

This makes it possible for the user to recognize that the liquid surface of the ink approaches the vicinity of the lower end of the ink cartridge 30 and that the replacement timing of the ink cartridge 30 is approaching. Further, since the liquid surface of the tank 103 is also visible, it is possible to let the user know that some printing is possible even if the ink in the ink cartridge 30 runs out. Further, when the liquid surface of the tank 103 approaches the lower end, it means that the ink in the ink cartridge has been used up. The user can recognize the need to replace the ink cartridge (ink replenishment) when the liquid surface of the tank 103 approaches the lower end.

When a plurality of tanks 103 and ink cartridges 30 are arranged in the mounting portion 110B, the plurality of tanks 103 and ink cartridges 30 may also be arranged in parallel along the front-rear direction.

According to the modification shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, it is easy to configure the ink cartridge 30 and the tank 103 arranged in parallel along the front-rear direction so that they can be visually recognized from the side.

Moreover, the shape of each tank 103 is not limited to the same shape, and may be different shapes. For example, tanks 103C, 103M, and 103Y may be configured as shown in FIGS. 12-14. The tank 103Y has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The tank 130M is L-shaped in plan view, is larger than the tank 103Y, and is arranged from the left to the rear of the tank 103Y. The tank 130C is L-shaped in plan view, is larger than the tank 103M, and is arranged from the left to the rear of the tank 103M.

12-14, the front walls 91 of the tanks 103C, 103M, 103Y are visible through the opening 47 formed in the right end of the front wall 44 of the lower housing 13. As shown in FIG. Also, the ink stored in the tanks 103C, 103M, and 103Y can be visually recognized through the opening 47 and the front wall 91. As shown in FIG.

Also, the right side walls 95 of the tanks 103C, 103M, and 103Y are visible through the openings 48 formed in the right side wall 45 of the lower housing 13 . Also, the ink stored in the tanks 103C, 103M, and 103Y can be visually recognized through the opening 48 and the right side wall 95. As shown in FIG.

In the configuration shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the ink cartridges 30 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, as in the above-described embodiment (see FIGS. 4 to 6). Of course, the configuration of each ink cartridge 30 is not limited to parallel arrangement along the horizontal direction. For example, the ink cartridges 30C, 30M and 30Y may be configured in the same shape as the tanks 103C, 103M and 103Y shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, respectively.

In the above-described embodiment, ink is supplied from the ink cartridge 30 to the tank 103 by a chicken feed method, but it may be performed by a method other than the chicken feed method. For example, the supply of ink from the ink cartridge 30 to the tank 103 depends on the liquid surface of the ink stored in the internal space 151 of the ink cartridge 30 and the inside of the tank 103, as will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. It may be performed by a head difference from the liquid surface of the ink stored in the space 119 . It should be noted that in the following description, portions of configuration different from those of the above embodiment will be described, and descriptions of portions of configuration that are the same as those of the above embodiment will also be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 15, the tank 103 is L-shaped in side view. The tank 103 extends further rearward than the inner wall 81 of the holder 101 and extends upward behind the inner wall 81 .

The flow pipe 120 does not have a partition wall 123 . In other words, the internal space of the flow pipe 120 is formed by only one channel 127 .

An air communication hole 155 is formed through the upper wall 39 of the ink cartridge 30 . Thereby, the internal space 151 communicates with the atmosphere. The atmosphere communication hole 155 is configured to be openable and closable. In the configuration shown in FIG. 15, the ink cartridge 30 includes a valve 35 and a coil spring 36 (an example of a biasing member). The valve 35 and coil spring 36 are arranged in a subspace 154 defined by the inner wall 50 of the housing 31 . The valve 35 is movable between an open position (see FIG. 15A) that opens the air communication hole 155 and a closed position that closes the air communication hole 155 (see FIG. 15B). A coil spring 36 biases the valve 35 to the closed position. When the valve 35 is in the closed position, the tip portion 35A of the valve 35 protrudes upward from the upper wall 39 of the housing 31 . In addition, the configuration for opening and closing the atmosphere communication hole 155 is not limited to the configuration including the valve 35 and the coil spring 36, and various known configurations can be adopted.

The ink cartridge 30 is attached to the holder 101 of the attachment portion 110 in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

After the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the holder 101, the valve 35 is biased by the coil spring 36 to the closed position as shown in FIG. 15B until the cover 18 is rotated from the open position to the cover position. It is in. In other words, the internal space 151 of the ink cartridge 30 is not open to the atmosphere. Therefore, the ink does not flow from the internal space 151 to the internal space 119 of the tank 103 via the channel 127, and the liquid surface of the ink stored in the internal space 151 is maintained at the position P1.

In the mounted state, when the cover 18 is rotated from the open position to the covering position, the tip portion 35A of the valve 35 is brought into contact with the cover 18 from above and pushed downward. As a result, the valve 35 moves from the closed position to the open position against the biasing force of the coil spring 36, as shown in FIG. 15(A). As a result, the internal space 151 of the ink cartridge 30 is exposed to the atmosphere. Therefore, the ink flows from the internal space 151 to the internal space 119 via the flow path 127 due to the difference in water head between the liquid surfaces of the internal spaces 151 and 119 . As a result, the liquid surface of the ink stored in the internal spaces 151 and 119 reaches the position P2.

Here, the tip portion 35A of the valve 35 is directly above the through hole 152. As shown in FIG. That is, in a plan view, the distal end portion 35A of the bulb 35 and the through hole 152 overlap at least partially. In other words, in plan view, the position where the cover 18 contacts the ink cartridge 30 and the through hole 152 at least partially overlap each other. Note that the tip portion 35A of the bulb 35 and the through hole 152 do not have to overlap in plan view.

Also in the above-described embodiment (configuration shown in FIG. 8), the cover 18 at the cover position may abut against the ink cartridge 30 from above. In this case, it is preferable that the position where the cover 18 contacts the ink cartridge 30 and the through hole 152 at least partially overlap each other in a plan view.

According to the modification shown in FIG. 15, the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 can be supplied to the tank 103 without requiring a complicated configuration.

According to the modification shown in FIG. 15, when the ink cartridge 30 is not connected to the tank 103, the valve 35 is biased by the coil spring 36 to the closed position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 from leaking to the outside through the air communication hole 155 .

According to the variant shown in FIG. 15, when the ink cartridge 30 is connected to the tank 103, the valve 35 moves to the open position when the cover 18 is moved to the covering position. As a result, ink can be supplied from the ink cartridge 30 to the tank 103 by the difference in water head.

According to the modification shown in FIG. 15, the position where the cover 18 in the cover position abuts the ink cartridge 30 and the through hole 152 overlap when viewed in the vertical direction. Therefore, the posture of the ink cartridge 30 connected to the tank 103 can be stabilized.

In the above-described embodiment, the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 and the tank 103 passes through the opening 47, which is an example of the first light-transmitting section formed in the lower housing 13, and 48, which is an example of the second light-transmitting section. 49 was visible. However, the means for visually recognizing the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 and the tank 103 is not limited to the openings 47, 48, and 49 as long as it has translucency. For example, the openings 47, 48, 49 may be covered with transparent plates. In this case, since the plate is translucent, the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 and the tank 103 can be seen through the plate. The plate provided on the front wall 44 is an example of a first translucent portion. The plates provided on the right side wall 45 and the left side wall 46 are examples of the second translucent portion.

The multifunction machine 10 may not have the cover 18 . In this case, in the configuration shown in FIG. 15 , it may be the upper housing 14 that abuts against the distal end portion 35A of the valve 35 . In other words, the upper housing 14 functions as a cover instead of the cover 18 .

In the above embodiment, the upper housing 14 and the cover 18 are moved to the covered position and the open position by turning, but they may be moved to the covered position and the open position by means other than turning (for example, sliding back and forth).

In the above embodiment, the ink cartridge 30 having the circuit board 64 and the projection 67 is connected to the tank 103 , but the reservoir connected to the tank 103 is not limited to the ink cartridge 30 . For example, a bottle without circuit board 64 or projection 67 may be connected to tank 103 as a reservoir. In this case, the means for circulating the ink stored in the bottle to the tank 103 may be the chicken feed method as described above or the water head difference means, or other means (for example, pumping the bottle). means for circulating the ink stored in the bottle to the tank 103).

The shape of the reservoir may be a rectangular parallelepiped like the ink cartridge 30, or other shapes. For example, the bottles described above may be configured in a cylindrical shape. Also, the shape of the tank 103 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped.

In the above embodiments, ink is described as an example of liquid, but instead of ink, for example, pretreatment liquid that is ejected onto paper prior to ink during printing may be stored in the liquid cartridge. Further, water for cleaning the recording head 21 may be stored in the liquid cartridge.

2... paper (sheet)
13 Lower housing (housing)
21... Recording head (liquid ejection head)
24 Conveyance path 30B Ink cartridge (first reservoir)
30C, 30M, 30Y... Ink cartridges (second reservoirs)
103B... Tank (first tank)
103C, 103M, 103Y...Tanks (second tanks)
120... Distribution pipe (first distribution pipe, second distribution pipe)
152... Through hole (liquid circulation hole)

Claims (24)

a housing having a conveying path extending in the depth direction intersecting the height direction and through which the sheet passes;
a first tank disposed on one side of the transport path inside the housing in a width direction orthogonal to the height direction and the depth direction, and storing a liquid;
a second tank disposed on the other side of the transport path in the interior of the housing in the width direction and storing a liquid;
a first reservoir that is connectable to the first tank and stores a liquid;
a second reservoir that is connectable to the second tank and stores a liquid;
a liquid ejection head disposed inside the housing for ejecting the liquid supplied from the first tank and the second tank;
The first storage body and the second storage body have liquid communication holes through which the stored liquid can flow to the outside,
The first tank includes a first circulation pipe extending upward from the upper end of the first tank and connectable to the liquid circulation hole of the first reservoir,
The second tank includes a second circulation pipe extending upward from the upper end of the second tank and connectable to the liquid circulation hole of the second reservoir,
At least one of the first tank and the second tank has a translucent first wall,
The housing includes a front wall having an opening through which the sheet is discharged,
The system in which the first wall is visible from the outside of the housing through a translucent first translucent portion formed on the front wall. a housing having a conveying path extending in the depth direction intersecting the height direction and through which the sheet passes;
a first tank disposed on one side of the transport path inside the housing in a width direction orthogonal to the height direction and the depth direction, and storing a liquid;
a second tank disposed on the other side of the transport path in the interior of the housing in the width direction and storing a liquid;
a first reservoir that is connectable to the first tank and stores a liquid;
a second reservoir that is connectable to the second tank and stores a liquid;
a liquid ejection head disposed inside the housing for ejecting the liquid supplied from the first tank and the second tank;
The first storage body and the second storage body have liquid communication holes through which the stored liquid can flow to the outside,
The first tank includes a first circulation pipe extending upward from the upper end of the first tank and connectable to the liquid circulation hole of the first reservoir,
The second tank includes a second circulation pipe extending upward from the upper end of the second tank and connectable to the liquid circulation hole of the second reservoir,
At least one of the first tank and the second tank is provided in plurality,
A system in which at least one of the plurality of first tanks or the plurality of second tanks is arranged in parallel along the depth direction. a housing having a conveying path extending in the depth direction intersecting the height direction and through which the sheet passes;
a first tank disposed on one side of the transport path inside the housing in a width direction orthogonal to the height direction and the depth direction, and storing a liquid;
a second tank disposed on the other side of the transport path in the interior of the housing in the width direction and storing a liquid;
a first reservoir that is connectable to the first tank and stores a liquid;
a second reservoir that is connectable to the second tank and stores a liquid;
a liquid ejection head disposed inside the housing for ejecting the liquid supplied from the first tank and the second tank;
The first storage body and the second storage body have liquid communication holes through which the stored liquid can flow to the outside,
The first tank includes a first circulation pipe extending upward from the upper end of the first tank and connectable to the liquid circulation hole of the first reservoir,
The second tank includes a second circulation pipe extending upward from the upper end of the second tank and connectable to the liquid circulation hole of the second reservoir,
At least one of the first storage body and the second storage body is provided in plurality,
A system in which at least one of the plurality of first reservoirs or the plurality of second reservoirs is arranged in parallel along the depth direction. a housing having a conveying path extending in the depth direction intersecting the height direction and through which the sheet passes;
a first tank disposed on one side of the transport path inside the housing in a width direction orthogonal to the height direction and the depth direction, and storing a liquid;
a second tank disposed on the other side of the transport path in the interior of the housing in the width direction and storing a liquid;
a first reservoir that is connectable to the first tank and stores a liquid;
a second reservoir that is connectable to the second tank and stores a liquid;
a liquid ejection head disposed inside the housing for ejecting the liquid supplied from the first tank and the second tank;
The first storage body and the second storage body have liquid communication holes through which the stored liquid can flow to the outside,
The first tank includes a first circulation pipe extending upward from the upper end of the first tank and connectable to the liquid circulation hole of the first reservoir,
The second tank includes a second circulation pipe extending upward from the upper end of the second tank and connectable to the liquid circulation hole of the second reservoir,
The first tank, the second tank, the first reservoir, and the second reservoir each have an air communication hole that communicates the inside thereof with the atmosphere,
When the first storage body is connected to the first tank, the head difference between the liquid level of the liquid stored in the first storage body and the liquid level of the liquid stored in the first tank causes the A liquid circulates between the first reservoir and the first tank,
When the second storage body is connected to the second tank, the head difference between the liquid level of the liquid stored in the second storage body and the liquid level of the liquid stored in the second tank causes the A system in which liquid flows between the second reservoir and the second tank. a housing having a conveying path extending in the depth direction intersecting the height direction and through which the sheet passes;
a first tank disposed on one side of the transport path inside the housing in a width direction orthogonal to the height direction and the depth direction and storing a liquid;
a second tank disposed on the other side of the transport path in the interior of the housing in the width direction and storing a liquid;
a first reservoir that is connectable to the first tank and stores a liquid;
a second reservoir that is connectable to the second tank and stores a liquid;
a liquid ejection head disposed inside the housing for ejecting the liquid supplied from the first tank and the second tank;
a covering position covering the upper ends of the first reservoir connected to the first tank and the second reservoir connected to the second tank, and a cover movable to an opening position opening the upper ends. prepared,
The first storage body and the second storage body have liquid communication holes through which the stored liquid can flow to the outside,
The first tank includes a first circulation pipe extending upward from the upper end of the first tank and connectable to the liquid circulation hole of the first reservoir,
The second tank includes a second flow pipe extending upward from the upper end of the second tank and connectable to the liquid flow hole of the second reservoir. At least one of the first tank and the second tank has a translucent first wall,
The housing includes a front wall having an opening through which the sheet is discharged,
6. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 5 , wherein the first wall is visible from the outside of the housing through a translucent first translucent portion formed on the front wall. The first reservoir has a translucent second wall,
7. The system according to claim 1 or 6 , wherein the second wall is visible from outside the housing through the first translucent portion when the first reservoir is connected to the first tank. The second reservoir has a translucent third wall,
8. Any one of claims 1, 6 , and 7, wherein when the second reservoir is connected to the second tank, the third wall is visible from the outside of the housing through the first translucent portion. The system described in . The housing includes a side wall extending from the width direction end of the front wall in a direction intersecting the width direction and the height direction,
9. The system according to any one of claims 1, 6 to 8 , wherein the first wall is visible from the outside of the housing through a second translucent portion formed on the side wall. The first reservoir has a translucent second wall,
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the second wall is visible from outside the housing through the second translucent portion when the first reservoir is connected to the first tank. The second reservoir has a translucent third wall,
11. The system according to claim 9 or 10 , wherein the third wall is visible from outside the housing through the second translucent portion when the second reservoir is connected to the second tank. The system comprises a plurality of at least one of the first tank and the second tank,
12. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first tanks or the plurality of second tanks are arranged in parallel along the width direction. The system comprises a plurality of at least one of the first reservoir and the second reservoir,
13. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first reservoirs or the plurality of second reservoirs are arranged in parallel along the width direction. A liquid having a first specific gravity is stored in the first tank and the first reservoir,
14. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , wherein the second tank and the second reservoir store a liquid having a second specific gravity smaller than the first specific gravity. The first tank and the second tank are
an atmosphere communication hole that communicates the internal spaces of the first tank and the second tank with the atmosphere;
a first flow path having one end located below the atmosphere communication hole in the internal space and having the other end opened to the outside through the first flow pipe or the second flow pipe;
a second flow path having one end located below one end of the first flow path in the internal space and having the other end opened to the outside through the first flow pipe or the second flow pipe; 15. The system according to any one of 14 to 14 . A covering position covering the upper ends of the first reservoir connected to the first tank and the second reservoir connected to the second tank, and a cover movable to an opening position opening the upper ends,
The first reservoir and the second reservoir are
a valve movable to a closed position for closing the air communication holes of the first reservoir and the second reservoir and an open position for opening the air communication holes of the first reservoir and the second reservoir; ,
a biasing member that biases the valve to the closed position;
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the valve is moved to the open position against the biasing force of the biasing member by abutting the cover in the covered position. The cover at the covering position is in contact with the first reservoir from above,
6. The position where the cover in the covering position is in contact with the first reservoir and the liquid communication hole of the first reservoir overlap in a line of sight along the height direction. 17. The system according to 16 . the cover at the covering position is in contact with the second reservoir from above,
5, wherein the position where the cover in the covering position is in contact with the second reservoir and the liquid communication hole of the second reservoir overlap in a line of sight along the height direction; 18. The system according to any one of 16 and 17 . The system comprises a plurality of at least one of the first tank and the second tank,
6. The system according to any one of claims 1, 3 to 5 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first tanks or the plurality of second tanks are arranged in parallel along the depth direction. The system comprises a plurality of at least one of the first reservoir and the second reservoir,
7. The system according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4 to 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first reservoirs or the plurality of second reservoirs are arranged in parallel along the depth direction. The first tank, the second tank, the first reservoir, and the second reservoir each have an air communication hole that communicates the inside thereof with the atmosphere,
When the first storage body is connected to the first tank, the head difference between the liquid level of the liquid stored in the first storage body and the liquid level of the liquid stored in the first tank causes the A liquid circulates between the first reservoir and the first tank,
When the second storage body is connected to the second tank, the head difference between the liquid level of the liquid stored in the second storage body and the liquid level of the liquid stored in the second tank causes the 6. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 or 5 , wherein liquid flows between the second reservoir and the second tank. A covering position covering the upper ends of the first reservoir connected to the first tank and the second reservoir connected to the second tank, and a cover movable to an opening position opening the upper ends. Item 5. The system according to any one of Items 1 to 4 . 6. A system according to any preceding claim, comprising a first retaining mechanism for retaining said first reservoir in connection with said first tank. 6. A system according to any preceding claim, comprising a second holding mechanism for holding said second reservoir in connection with said second tank.

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