JP7459654B2 - Adapters and printing systems - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to an adapter and a printing system.

Patent document 1 discloses a memory unit holding member used together with a liquid container. This memory unit holding member holds a memory unit that stores information about the liquid. The memory unit holding member is removably attached to the liquid container, and is installed in a printing device together with the liquid container. The printing device can detect incorrect installation of the liquid container by reading information from the memory unit provided in the memory unit holding member.

JP 2014-61693 A

In recent years, bottle-type liquid containers have been used to refill tanks in printing devices with liquid. Bottle-type liquid containers generally include a container body that contains the liquid and an injection nozzle provided at one end of the container body, and do not include a memory unit. When refilling the tank of a printing device with liquid, the injection nozzle is connected to an injection port provided on the printing device, and the liquid in the container body is supplied to the tank through the injection nozzle. Even with such liquid containers, a technology is desired that can prevent the liquid container from being erroneously attached or the liquid from being erroneously injected before the liquid is supplied to the printing device.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an adapter is provided that is inserted into a holder of a printing device before a liquid container that stores liquid is attached to an inlet of a tank of the printing device. The adapter is configured to be able to communicate with the printing device, and includes a memory that stores liquid information related to the liquid, a memory terminal that is connected to the memory and can be in electrical contact with a holder terminal of the holder, an insertion port that is provided integrally with the adapter and into which an injection nozzle of the liquid container can be inserted, and a contact portion that contacts the holder and stops the movement of the adapter in the insertion direction, the insertion port being positioned so as to overlap the injection port in the vertical direction when the movement of the adapter in the insertion direction stops, the contact portion being positioned at least in a portion of the tip of the adapter in the insertion direction, and the memory terminal being positioned between the insertion port and the contact portion.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a printing system is provided that includes the adapter of the above aspect and a printing device. In this printing system, the printing device has a control unit and a display unit, and when the control unit determines that the adapter attached to the holder is different from a predetermined adapter, it causes the display unit to display that a different adapter has been attached.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing device. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic structure of a liquid container, an adapter, and a holder. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the structure of a liquid container and an adapter. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic structure in the vicinity of an injection port. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which a liquid container is attached to an injection port via an adapter. FIG. 4 is a process diagram showing an ink refill procedure. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a comparative example in which a liquid container is attached without an adapter. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an adapter in a second embodiment. It is a top view of the adapter in 3rd Embodiment. FIG. 13 is a plan view of an adapter according to a fourth embodiment.

A. First embodiment:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The printing device 100 is an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium. As the medium, in addition to printing paper, it is possible to use a printing target made of any material such as a resin film or cloth. FIG. 1 shows an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction that are orthogonal to each other. The X direction and the Y direction are along the horizontal direction, and the Z direction is along the direction of gravity. The +X direction is the right direction when facing the front of the printing device 100, and the −X direction is the left direction when facing the front of the printing device 100. The +Y direction is the direction from the front to the back of the printing apparatus 100, and the -Y direction is the opposite direction. The +Z direction is the direction of gravity, and the -Z direction is the opposite direction. In the following, the +Z direction will also be referred to as "down" and the -Z direction will also be referred to as "up". In the following, when each direction is not given a code, the direction includes both a positive direction and a negative direction. The X, Y, and Z directions shown in FIG. 2 and subsequent figures correspond to the X, Y, and Z directions shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, a printing apparatus 100 is provided with a paper cassette 30 that can be detachably attached to the bottom of the apparatus to accommodate recording paper P, which is an example of a medium. The paper cassette 30 includes a hopper 31, and the hopper 31 receives driving force from a drive source (not shown) and swings about a swing shaft 31a, so that the recording paper P stored in the paper cassette 30 is It approaches and separates from a feed roller 32 that is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown).

The recording paper P sent out from the paper cassette 30 by the feed roller 32 passes through the nip position between the feed roller 34 and the separation roller 36, where it is separated and sent downstream to reach the upstream transport roller pair 38. Hereinafter, the transport path from the paper cassette 30 to the upstream transport roller pair 38 is referred to as the "supply transport path". The paper transport path between the upstream transport roller pair 38 and the downstream transport roller pair 40 is configured as a head facing area 43 where the recording paper P faces the head unit 52. In the head facing area 43, the head unit 52 records on the recording paper P. A platen 42 that supports the recording paper P is arranged in the head facing area 43. Hereinafter, the transport path from the upstream transport roller pair 38 to the downstream transport roller pair 40 is referred to as the "recording transport path".

In this embodiment, the head facing area 43 configuring the recording conveyance path of the printing apparatus 100 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. Further, the supply conveyance path is connected to the recording conveyance path while being inclined in a direction along the inclination of the recording conveyance path. That is, the supply conveyance path and the recording conveyance path are connected in a substantially straight line. These supply conveyance path, recording conveyance path, and discharge path 47, which will be described later, are collectively referred to as a "paper conveyance path." The guide member G forms part of the paper conveyance path. Note that the head facing area 43 and the supply conveyance path do not need to be inclined.

In the paper transport path of the printing device 100, the downstream side from the head facing area 43 is configured as a discharge path 47 that forms a curved path with the head unit 52 positioned on the inside and discharges the recording paper P face down. After recording, the recording paper P is curved and inverted with the recording surface on the inside and proceeds along the discharge path 47. More specifically, the discharge path 47 is a transport path from the downstream transport roller pair 40 to the discharge roller pair 48. A plurality of feed roller pairs 44, 45, 46 are provided between the downstream transport roller pair 40 and the discharge roller pair 48.

The recording paper P conveyed through the ejection path 47 is ejected toward the ejection tray 50 by a pair of ejection rollers 48 provided at the paper ejection port 49 with the recording surface facing down.

The printing device 100 includes a control unit 10 that includes one or more processors and memory. The control section 10 controls the head unit 52. The head unit 52 of this embodiment is a line head. The head unit 52 includes a nozzle surface 20 facing the head facing area 43 . The nozzle surface 20 is provided with a plurality of nozzles that eject ink in the form of droplets along the width direction of the recording paper P. Each nozzle is equipped with an actuator for ejecting ink. As the actuator, for example, a piezo element or a heater is used. The control unit 10 performs printing on the recording paper P by controlling actuators provided in the nozzles. Note that the head unit 52 may be a serial head. In this case, the control unit 10 performs recording on the recording paper P by reciprocating the head unit 52 along the width direction of the recording paper P.

The printing device 100 is equipped with a display unit 60 configured with a liquid crystal display or the like. The display content of the display unit 60 is controlled by the control unit 10. The display unit 60 is controlled by the control unit 10 to display various errors and messages.

The printing device 100 is equipped with a tank 70 that stores ink. The tank 70 supplies ink to the head unit 52. The top of the tank 70 is equipped with a cylindrical inlet 71 that extends upward so as to be exposed to the outside of the printing device 100. The tank 70 is filled with ink from a liquid container described below through the inlet 71. A holder 80 is provided near the inlet 71 into which an adapter 90 shown in Figure 2 and subsequent figures is inserted. The tank 70, holder 80, and adapter 90 are provided for each type of ink that can be ejected by the printing device 100.

Figure 2 is a side view showing the structure of the liquid container 200, the adapter 90, and the holder 80. Figure 3 is a front view showing the structure of the liquid container 200 and the adapter 90. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the structure near the inlet 71. Figure 5 is a plan view of the adapter 90. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the liquid container 200 attached to the inlet 71 via the adapter 90. A system including the printing device 100 and the adapter 90 is also referred to as a printing system 300. The adapter 90 is shipped, for example, packaged with the corresponding liquid container 200.

2 and 3, the liquid container 200 includes a bottomed cylindrical container body 201 that contains ink, and a cylindrical injection nozzle 202 that has a smaller diameter than the container body 201. Inside the injection nozzle 202, a flow path is formed along the direction in which the injection nozzle 202 extends, and the flow path is connected to the internal space of the container body 201. The injection nozzle 202 is connected to an injection port 71 provided in the printing device 100 when refilling the tank 70 with ink. When stored, the liquid container 200 is in a first position in which the injection nozzle 202 is located above the container body 201, and when refilling ink, the injection nozzle 202 is in a second position in which the injection nozzle 202 is located below the container body 201. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the second position when refilling ink. Inside the injection nozzle 202, a valve body that opens when the injection port 71 is inserted is provided. As the valve body, for example, a slit valve can be used. Instead of a valve body, the injection nozzle 202 may be provided with a sealing membrane that is broken when the injection port 71 is inserted.

A liquid container-side erroneous attachment prevention structure 210 is provided around the injection nozzle 202 . The liquid container-side erroneous attachment prevention structure 210 includes a first convex portion 211 and a second convex portion 212 that protrude along the direction in which the injection nozzle 202 extends. In this embodiment, the first convex portion 211 and the second convex portion 212 are arranged at positions sandwiching the injection nozzle 202 therebetween. The cross-sectional shapes of the first convex portion 211 and the second convex portion 212 differ depending on the type of liquid container 200. In this embodiment, the shape of the first convex portion 211 and the shape of the second convex portion 212 are different shapes. On the other hand, the shape of the first convex portion 211 and the shape of the second convex portion 212 may be point-symmetrical with respect to the direction in which the injection nozzle 202 extends. Further, the first convex portion 211 and the second convex portion 212 in this embodiment are spaced apart from the injection nozzle 202 in the radial direction. On the other hand, the first convex portion 211 and the second convex portion 212 may be connected to the injection nozzle 202 in the radial direction.

A contact surface 203 is provided between the container body 201 and the injection nozzle 202, which contacts the upper surface of the adapter 90 when refilling with ink. When refilling with ink, the contact surface 203 comes into contact with the upper surface of the adapter 90, thereby positioning the liquid container 200 in the Z direction.

As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5, the adapter 90 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The adapter 90 is formed, for example, from resin or metal. The adapter 90 is inserted into the holder 80 of the printing device 100 before the liquid container 200 that stores ink is attached to the inlet 71 of the tank 70 of the printing device 100.

In the present embodiment, the height of the adapter 90 along the Z direction is smaller than the width along the X direction, and the adapter 90 has a substantially flat plate shape. In this embodiment, the adapter 90 is inserted into the holder 80 along the horizontal direction. The direction in which the adapter 90 is inserted into the holder 80 is referred to as the insertion direction. In this embodiment, the insertion direction is the +Y direction.

The holder 80 is formed with a recess 86 that opens in the -Y direction, which is the opposite direction to the insertion direction. Adapter 90 is inserted into holder 80 through recess 86 . The recess 86 includes an upper wall 77 and a lower wall 78 that face each other in the Z direction, and a back wall 79 located on the +Y direction side with respect to the opening of the recess 86 . Note that, in addition to the upper wall 77, the lower wall 78, and the back wall 79, the recess 86 may be configured by two side walls facing each other along the Y direction.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, a rail 81 is provided on the top surface of the printing device 100 along the insertion direction. The rail 81 is divided near the injection port 71. The divided interval is equal to or greater than the distance from the outermost surface of the first convex portion 211 to the outermost surface of the second convex portion 212 provided on the liquid container 200. The height of the rail 81 along the Z direction is equal to or greater than the height of the injection port 71. The width of the rail 81 along the X direction is equal to or greater than the diameter of the injection port 71. A groove 82 having approximately the same width as the width of the rail 81 is formed on the bottom surface of the adapter 90. When the adapter 90 is attached to the holder 80, the adapter 90 is inserted into the holder 80 by sliding the rail 81 in the insertion direction with the groove 82 of the adapter 90 fitted into the rail 81. The rail 81 regulates the movement of the adapter 90 in the X direction when the adapter 90 is attached to the holder 80 and while the adapter 90 is being attached to the holder 80.

The adapter 90 includes a contact portion 92 that contacts the holder 80. The contact portion 92 contacts the back wall 79 of the holder 80. The contact portion 92 stops the adapter 90 from moving in the insertion direction when the adapter 90 is inserted into the holder 80 . The contact portion 92 is arranged at at least a portion of the tip of the adapter 90 in the insertion direction. In this embodiment, the entire distal end surface of the adapter 90 in the insertion direction corresponds to the contact portion 92. A state in which the adapter 90 is inserted into the holder 80 and the contact portion 92 is in contact with the holder 80 is hereinafter referred to as an attached state.

The adapter 90 includes a memory 95. The memory 95 is configured to be able to communicate with the printing device 100 and stores liquid information regarding ink. The adapter 90 also includes a memory terminal 96 that can be electrically contacted with the holder terminal 83 provided on the holder 80. The memory terminal 96 has a contact area that contacts the holder terminal 83 in the attached state. In this embodiment, the memory 95 and memory terminal 96 are provided on a board 97 attached to the adapter 90. More specifically, a memory terminal 96 is formed on the front surface of the substrate 97, a memory 95 is arranged on the back surface of the substrate 97, and these are electrically connected by wiring formed on the substrate 97. Note that in other embodiments, the memory 95 and the memory terminal 96 may be provided directly on the adapter 90 instead of on the board 97.

In this embodiment, the memory terminal 96 is provided on the top surface of the adapter 90. The memory terminal 96 is arranged between an insertion port 91 and a contact portion 92, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the shortest distance L2 from the memory terminal 96 to the insertion port 91 is longer than the shortest distance L1 from the memory terminal 96 to the contact portion 92. As shown in FIG. 2, the holder 80 is provided with a holder terminal 83 at a position that faces and contacts the memory terminal 96 in the attached state. Holder terminal 83 is connected to control section 10 . In the attached state, the control unit 10 can access the memory 95 through the holder terminal 83 and the memory terminal 96 and read the liquid information stored in the memory 95.

The adapter 90 is provided with an insertion port 91 that is integral with the adapter 90. The size of the insertion port 91 is larger than the diameter of the injection port 71 and the diameter of the injection nozzle 202. In the attached state, when the adapter 90 is viewed from above, the injection port 71 is exposed from the insertion port 91. In other words, when the movement of the adapter 90 in the insertion direction stops, the insertion port 91 is positioned so that it overlaps with the injection port 71 in the vertical direction. When filling the tank 70 with ink, the injection nozzle 202 provided on the liquid container 200 is inserted into the insertion port 91, and the injection nozzle 202 is attached to the injection port 71 of the tank 70 through the insertion port 91.

In this embodiment, an adapter-side mis-attachment prevention structure 94 is provided around the insertion opening 91 of the adapter 90, into which the liquid container-side mis-attachment prevention structure 210 provided on the liquid container 200 can be inserted. In this embodiment, the adapter-side mis-attachment prevention structure 94 is configured with a first recess 941 and a second recess 942 provided at positions sandwiching the insertion opening 91 in the Y direction. In this embodiment, the first recess 941 and the second recess 942 are configured as through holes that pass through the adapter 90 in the Z direction. The first recess 941 and the second recess 942 may be provided at positions sandwiching the insertion opening 91 in the X direction. The first recess 941 and the second recess 942 may also be connected to the insertion opening 91 in the horizontal direction.

The cross-sectional shape of the first convex portion 211 of the liquid container-side erroneous attachment prevention structure 210 is substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the first recess 941, and the cross-sectional shape of the second convex portion 212 of the liquid container-side erroneous attachment prevention structure 210 is a shape that substantially matches the cross-sectional shape of the first recess 941. The shape substantially matches the cross-sectional shape of the second recess 942. In this embodiment, the first convex portion 211 and the second convex portion 212 provided in the liquid container 200 protrude beyond the injection nozzle 202 . Therefore, when attaching the liquid container 200 to the injection port 71, first the first convex part 211 and the second convex part 212 are inserted into the first concave part 941 and the second concave part 942, respectively, and then the injection nozzle 202 is inserted into the insertion port 91. Then, as the liquid container 200 is moved downward, the injection nozzle 202 is connected to the injection port 71, and the liquid container 200 is attached to the injection nozzle 202. Note that in other embodiments, the injection nozzle 202 may protrude more than the first convex portion 211 and the second convex portion 212.

The adapter 90 of this embodiment has a stepped portion 98 provided between the memory terminal 96 and the contact portion 92. The portion where the stepped portion 98 is formed is lower in height than other portions. In other words, it is depressed in the +Z direction. This stepped portion 98 constitutes a liquid reservoir space 99 in which ink accumulates. A liquid absorbing member 84 made of sponge or the like is disposed on the holder 80 at a portion facing the stepped portion 98 in the attached state. Ink accumulated in the liquid reservoir space 99 before or during insertion of the adapter 90 is absorbed by the liquid absorbing member 84 when the adapter 90 is inserted into the holder 80. Note that the liquid absorbing member 84 may be placed on the stepped portion 98 of the adapter 90 instead of on the holder 80.

The adapter 90 includes a regulating part 93 that contacts the positioning part 85 provided on the holder 80 and regulates movement in a transverse direction intersecting the insertion direction. In this embodiment, the cross directions are the X direction and the Z direction. The positioning portion 85 in this embodiment is configured as a cylindrical projection extending in the -Y direction from the innermost back wall 79 of the recess 86 of the holder 80. The tip of the positioning portion 85 in the -Y direction is formed into a tapered shape. The restricting portion 93 of the adapter 90 is constituted by a hole extending from the distal end surface of the adapter 90 in the −Y direction. With the positioning part 85 inserted into the regulating part 93, the outer surface of the positioning part 85 located in the +X direction, -X direction, +Z direction, and -Z direction contacts the inner surface of the regulating part 93. Therefore, in the attached state, the positioning portion 85 contacts the restriction portion 93, thereby restricting movement of the adapter 90 in the X direction and the Z direction. Note that the positioning portion 85 preferably has a length that does not overlap the memory terminal 96 when viewed from vertically above in the attached state. With such a length, it is possible to prevent the positioning portion 85 from coming into contact with the memory terminal 96 and damaging the memory terminal 96 when the adapter 90 is incorrectly attached to the holder 80 .

The arrangement of the positioning portion 85 of the holder 80 varies depending on the type of adapter 90 to be attached to the holder 80. In addition, the arrangement of the regulating portion 93 on the adapter 90 varies depending on the holder 80 into which the adapter 90 is to be inserted. Therefore, if an adapter 90 different from the adapter 90 to be attached to the holder 80 is inserted into the holder 80, the tip of the positioning portion 85 will hit the contact portion 92 of the adapter, making it impossible to properly attach the adapter 90 to the holder 80, and also making it impossible for the memory terminal 96 to properly contact the holder terminal 83. This makes it possible to physically and electrically prevent the incorrect attachment of an incorrect adapter 90 to the holder 80.

Figure 7 is a process diagram showing the ink refill procedure. First, in step S10, the adapter 90 is inserted and attached to the holder 80. In step S20, the control unit 10 reads the liquid information from the memory 95. Then, in step S30, it is determined whether the read liquid information differs from predetermined information. For example, if the information representing the ink color contained in the read liquid information differs from the information representing the predetermined color, the control unit 10 determines that the read liquid information differs from the predetermined information.

If it is determined in step S30 that the read liquid information is different from predetermined information, the control unit 10 controls the display unit 60 in step S40 to display information indicating that a different adapter is attached. let For example, the control unit 10 causes the display unit 60 to display a message saying "A different adapter has been installed. Please install the specified adapter." When information indicating that a different adapter is attached is displayed on the display unit 60, the replenishment procedure ends without replenishing ink.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S30 that the read liquid information matches the predetermined information, the control unit 10 controls the display unit 60 in step S50 to display a message indicating the next step. For example, the control unit 10 prompts the user to attach the liquid container 200 to the inlet 71 by displaying the message "Please attach the ink bottle included with the adapter to the main body" on the display unit 60.

In step S60, the injection nozzle 202 of the liquid container 200 is connected to the injection port 71 through the insertion port 91 of the adapter 90, and the liquid container 200 is attached to the injection port 71. Then, in step S70, the ink in the liquid container 200 is replenished into the tank 70.

When refilling of the tank 70 with ink is complete, in step S80, the liquid container 200 and the adapter 90 are removed from the printing device 100. Note that the adapter 90 may remain attached to the holder 80.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a comparative example in which the liquid container 200 is attached to the injection port 71 without intervening the adapter 90. As shown in this figure, when the adapter 90 is not used, even if the liquid container 200 is attached to the injection port 71, the liquid container 200 is supported only by the injection port 71, resulting in an unstable posture. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. Since the liquid container 200 is supported by the side erroneous attachment prevention structure 94 and the container body 201 is supported by the upper surface of the adapter 90, the liquid container 200 can be attached to the inlet 71 in a stable posture. Therefore, ink can be refilled stably. Furthermore, since the liquid container 200 is attached to the injection port 71 via the adapter 90, the liquid container side incorrect attachment prevention structure 210 and the injection nozzle 202 are prevented from coming into contact with the rail 81 and the injection port 71 and damaging them. It can be suppressed.

In the embodiment described above, the adapter 90 including the memory 95 and the insertion port 91 is inserted into the holder 80 before the replenishment of ink from the liquid container 200 to the tank 70 of the printing apparatus 100 is started. Therefore, based on the liquid information recorded in the memory 95, it can be determined whether the appropriate adapter 90 is inserted, and the liquid container 200 can be attached to the inlet 71 in a stable posture. Therefore, the occurrence of incorrect mounting of the liquid container 200 or incorrect injection of ink can be suppressed before actually replenishing the ink.

In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the distance L2 from the memory terminal 96 to the insertion opening 91 is longer than the distance L1 from the memory terminal 96 to the contact portion 92 provided on the adapter 90. Therefore, ink leaking from the liquid container 200 or tank 70 is less likely to reach the memory terminal 96, so that poor contact at the memory terminal 96 due to leaked ink can be suppressed.

Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a step portion 98 that constitutes a liquid reservoir space 99 is provided between the memory terminal 96 and the contact portion 92. Therefore, even if ink adheres to the leading end of the adapter 90 when the adapter 90 is attached to the holder 80, it becomes difficult for the ink to reach the memory terminal 96. Therefore, it is possible to prevent contact failure from occurring in the memory terminal 96 due to ink adhering to the leading end of the adapter 90. Moreover, in this embodiment, since the liquid absorbing member 84 is arranged in the liquid reservoir space 99, it is possible to more effectively suppress the liquid from adhering to the memory terminal 96.

In addition, in this embodiment, the step portion 98 is disposed on the tip side of the memory terminal 96 in the insertion direction, so that the memory terminal 96 is disposed on the rear side of the step portion 98. Therefore, after the adapter 90 is positioned at its tip, contact can be made between the memory terminal 96 and the holder terminal 83, and electrical failure of these terminals can be prevented.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the adapter 90 has a restriction part 93 that contacts the positioning part 85 provided on the holder 80 and restricts movement in a transverse direction that intersects the insertion direction. Therefore, poor contact between the memory terminal 96 and the holder terminal 83 can be suppressed.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the arrangement of the regulating portions 93 differs depending on the type of ink stored in the liquid container 200. Therefore, when the adapter 90 corresponding to the liquid container 200 storing a different type of ink is inserted into the holder 80, the tip of the positioning part 85 hits the contact part 92 of the adapter, and the adapter 90 is not properly attached to the holder 80. Cannot be installed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent different types of adapters from being incorrectly attached to the holder and from replenishing the tank with different types of ink.

In addition, in this embodiment, an adapter-side mis-installation prevention structure 94 is provided around the insertion port 91 provided in the adapter 90, into which the liquid container-side mis-installation prevention structure 210 provided in the liquid container 200 can be inserted. This effectively prevents a different liquid container 200 from being installed in the injection port 71 of the printing device 100.

Further, in the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 100 includes the control section 10, and when it is determined that the adapter 90 attached to the holder 80 is different from a predetermined adapter 90, the control section 10 controls the display section. 60 displays information indicating that a different adapter 90 is attached. Therefore, it is possible to notify the user that the adapter 90 is different from the one that should be originally used. Further, if the adapter 90 is the one that should be used originally, the user can be prompted to attach a liquid container 200 that corresponds to the adapter 90, such as the liquid container 200 included in the package.

B. Second embodiment:
9 is a diagram showing an adaptor 90b in the second embodiment. The adaptor 90 in the first embodiment has a substantially flat plate shape. In contrast, the adaptor 90b in the second embodiment is formed so that the thickness of the contact portion 92 side is greater than that of the adaptor-side erroneous installation prevention structure 94. With this shape, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the positioning portion 85 in the Z direction within the holder 80. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent erroneous installation of the adaptor 90b.

C. Third embodiment:
FIG. 10 is a plan view of an adapter 90c in the third embodiment. In the adapter 90 of the first embodiment, the entire distal end surface of the adapter 90 in the insertion direction is configured as a contact portion 92. In contrast, in the third embodiment, the contact portion 92 is located at the tip of the protrusion that protrudes in the insertion direction. Even in this configuration, movement of the adapter 90 in the insertion direction can be stopped by the contact portion 92c.

D. Fourth embodiment:
FIG. 11 is a plan view of an adapter 90d in the fourth embodiment. The adapter 90d in the fourth embodiment includes a perforation line CL around the memory terminal 96 and the memory 95. The perforation line CL is formed, for example, in the shape of a groove or a perforation. The user can easily recycle the metal contained in the memory terminals 96 and the memory 95 by separating the memory terminals 96 and the memory 95 from the adapter 90 along the tear line CL after using the adapter 90d.

E. Other embodiments:
(E-1) In the embodiment described above, the restricting portion 93 formed in the adapter 90 is configured as a hole extending from the distal end surface of the adapter 90 in the −Y direction. On the other hand, the restricting portion 93 is configured as a groove extending in the -Y direction from the distal end surface of the adapter 90, and the groove may penetrate through the adapter 90 in the Z direction. According to such a configuration, the positioning portion 85 provided on the holder 80 and the restriction portion 93 provided on the adapter 90 can restrict movement of the adapter 90 in the X direction in the attached state.

(E-2) In the above embodiment, the liquid container side erroneous attachment prevention structure 210 has two convex portions, and the adapter side erroneous attachment prevention structure 94 has two concave portions. On the other hand, the number of protrusions and recesses may be one or three or more. Further, corresponding uneven shapes may be formed on the side surfaces of the convex portions and the inner surfaces of the concave portions.

(E-3) In the embodiment described above, at least one of the width and height of the rail 81 may differ depending on the type of adapter 90. By doing so, it is possible to more effectively prevent different adapters 90 from being attached to the holder 80.

(E-4) In the above embodiment, the memory terminal 96 is arranged horizontally on the top surface of the adapter 90. On the other hand, the memory terminal 96 may be arranged to be inclined in the insertion direction by providing the adapter 90 with an inclined portion. In this case, the holder terminal 83 provided on the holder 80 side is also arranged at an angle like the memory terminal 96.

(E-5) In the above embodiment, the distance L1 from the memory terminal 96 to the insertion port 91 is longer than the distance L1 from the memory terminal 96 to the contact portion 92. In contrast, the distance L1 from the memory terminal 96 to the insertion port 91 may be shorter than the distance L1 from the memory terminal 96 to the contact portion 92. These distances may also be the same.

(E-6) In the above embodiment, the adapter 90 includes a stepped portion 98 between the memory terminal 96 and the contact portion 92. On the other hand, the adapter 90 does not need to include the stepped portion 98. Further, the holder 80 does not need to include the liquid absorbing member 84.

(E-7) In the above embodiment, the positioning portion 85 provided on the holder 80 and the regulating portion 93 provided on the adapter 90 may be omitted. Even if these are omitted, the controller 10 can determine whether the adapter 90 attached to the holder 80 is the corresponding adapter 90 by reading the liquid information stored in the memory 95. Therefore, incorrect mounting of the liquid container 200 can be suppressed.

(E-8) In the above embodiment, the arrangement of the regulating part 93 provided on the adapter 90 and the arrangement of the positioning part 85 provided on the holder 80 are independent of the type of liquid stored in the liquid container 200. , may be the same. Even in such a case, it is possible to restrict the movement of the adapter 90 in the direction crossing the insertion direction in the attached state.

(E-9) In the above embodiment, the liquid container-side mis-attachment prevention structure 210 provided on the liquid container 200 and the adapter-side mis-attachment prevention structure 94 provided on the adapter 90 may be omitted. Even if these are omitted, the control unit 10 can read the liquid information stored in the memory 95 and determine whether the adapter 90 attached to the holder 80 is the corresponding adapter 90, thereby preventing the liquid container 200 from being mis-attached.

(E-10) In the above embodiment, when the control unit 10 determines that the adapter 90 attached to the holder 80 is different from the predetermined adapter 90, the control unit 10 indicates that a different adapter 90 is attached to the display unit 60. Display information indicating this. On the other hand, the control unit may omit such processing. Even if such processing is omitted, by changing the arrangement of the positioning part 85 and the regulating part 93 depending on the type of liquid stored in the liquid container 200, the user can easily Depending on whether it is reached or not, it can be understood that a different adapter 90 is being inserted.

(E-11) In the above embodiment, the printing device 100 is provided with rails 81 to move the adapter 90 in the insertion direction. In contrast, the printing device 100 does not have to be provided with rails 81. For example, the injection port 71 can be used as a substitute for the rails. Also, if the injection port 71 is provided at a position lower than the bottom wall 78, the groove portion 82 of the adapter 90 can be omitted. In this case, it is preferable that the recess 86 of the holder 80 into which the adapter 90 is inserted has not only the top wall 77, bottom wall 78, and back wall 79, but also two side walls arranged to sandwich the adapter 90 in the Y direction in order to restrict the movement of the adapter 90 in the Y direction.

(E-12) In the above embodiment, the rail 81 is divided near the injection port 71. In contrast, for example, the rail 81 may not be divided, and the rail 81 may be formed with a hole where the injection port 71 is located and a hole where the liquid container side mis-attachment prevention structure 210 is inserted. In this way, it is possible to prevent a user who is unaware of the method of attaching the adapter 90 before the liquid container 200 from mistakenly attaching a different liquid container 200 to the injection port 71.

(E-13) In the above embodiment, the adapter-side mis-installation prevention structure 94 formed on the adapter 90 is configured as a through-hole that penetrates the adapter 90 in the thickness direction. In contrast, the adapter-side mis-installation prevention structure 94 may be formed as a recess and may not penetrate the adapter 90. In this case, the liquid container-side mis-installation prevention structure 210 provided on the liquid container 200 only needs to have a length that corresponds to the depth of the adapter-side mis-installation prevention structure 94.

(E-14) In the above embodiment, the adapter 90 may be made of biodegradable plastic. If the adapter 90 is made of biodegradable plastic, it is easy to reuse the adapter 90 after use, for example, as a name tag for a flowering tree.

(E-15) In the above embodiment, the control unit 10 counts the number of times ink is ejected from the nozzles provided in the head unit 52 using a soft count, and stores the count value in the memory provided in the control unit 10. Ink consumption may be managed by storing the information. Then, when the control unit 10 detects that the specified adapter 90 is attached to the holder 80, the control unit 10 may reset the count value to the initial state. By doing so, it is possible to appropriately manage ink consumption.

F. Other forms:
The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described below are used to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems or achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. In order to do so, it is possible to replace or combine them as appropriate. Further, unless the technical feature is described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

(1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an adapter that is inserted into a holder of a printing device before a liquid container that stores liquid is attached to an inlet of a tank of the printing device, the adapter being configured to be able to communicate with the printing device and including a memory that stores liquid information related to the liquid, a memory terminal that is connected to the memory and is capable of electrical contact with a holder terminal of the holder, an insertion port that is provided integrally with the adapter and allows an injection nozzle of the liquid container to be inserted, and a contact portion that contacts the holder and stops movement of the adapter in an insertion direction, the insertion port being disposed at a position that overlaps vertically with the injection port when movement of the adapter in the insertion direction stops, the contact portion being disposed at at least a portion of a tip of the adapter in the insertion direction, and the memory terminal being disposed between the insertion port and the contact portion.
According to this embodiment, by inserting the adapter into the holder before refilling of liquid from the liquid container into the tank of the printing device begins, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of incorrect installation of the liquid container or the incorrect injection of liquid.

(2) In the above embodiment, the distance from the memory terminal to the insertion opening may be longer than the distance from the memory terminal to the contact portion. In this embodiment, leaked liquid is less likely to reach the memory terminal, so that contact failure in the memory terminal caused by leaked liquid can be suppressed.

(3) In the above embodiment, a step portion may be provided between the memory terminal and the contact portion to form a liquid collection space. In this embodiment, even if liquid adheres to the front side of the adapter when the adapter is attached to the holder, the liquid is less likely to reach the memory terminal. Therefore, it is possible to prevent poor contact of the memory terminal caused by liquid adhering to the front side of the adapter.

(4) In the above embodiment, a liquid absorbing member may be disposed in the liquid reservoir space. With this configuration, adhesion of liquid to the memory terminal can be more effectively suppressed.

(5) In the above embodiment, the holder may include a regulating part that contacts the positioning part provided on the holder and regulates movement in a transverse direction that intersects with the insertion direction. With this configuration, poor contact between the memory terminal and the holder terminal can be suppressed.

(6) In the above embodiment, the arrangement of the regulating portion may vary depending on the type of liquid stored in the liquid container. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress incorrect attachment of different types of adapters.

(7) In the above embodiment, an adapter side erroneous attachment prevention structure into which a liquid container side erroneous attachment prevention structure provided on the liquid container can be inserted may be provided around the insertion opening. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent different liquid containers from being attached to the inlet of the tank of the printing device.

(8) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a printing system including the adapter of the above aspect and a printing device, wherein the printing device has a control unit and a display unit, and when the control unit determines that the adapter attached to the holder is different from a predetermined adapter, the control unit causes the display unit to display information indicating that a different adapter has been attached.
In this manner, the user can be informed that the adapter is different from the one that should be used, and if the adapter is the one that should be used, the user can be prompted to attach a liquid container that is compatible with the adapter.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Control part, 20... Nozzle surface, 30... Paper cassette, 31... Hopper, 31a... Swing shaft, 32... Feed roller, 34... Feed roller, 36... Separation roller, 38... Upstream conveyance roller pair, 40... Downstream transport roller pair, 42... platen, 43... head opposing area, 44, 45, 46... feed roller pair, 47... discharge path, 48... discharge roller pair, 49... paper discharge port, 50... discharge tray, 52... head Unit, 60...Display section, 70...Tank, 71...Inlet, 77...Upper wall, 78...Lower wall, 79...Back wall, 80...Holder, 81...Rail, 82...Groove, 83...Holder terminal, 84... Liquid absorbing member, 85... Positioning part, 86... Recessed part, 90... Adapter, 91... Insertion port, 92... Contact part, 93... Regulating part, 94... Adapter side incorrect attachment prevention structure, 95... Memory, 96... Memory terminal, 97... Substrate, 98... Step portion, 99... Liquid storage space, 100... Printing device, 200... Liquid container, 201... Container body, 202... Injection nozzle, 203... Contact surface, 210... Liquid container side incorrect attachment prevention structure , 211...first convex part, 212...second convex part, 300...printing system, 941...first concave part, 942...second concave part

Claims (8)

An adapter that is inserted into a holder of a printing device before a liquid container for storing liquid is attached to an inlet of a tank of the printing device,
a memory configured to be able to communicate with the printing device and storing liquid information relating to the liquid;
a memory terminal connected to the memory and capable of electrical contact with a holder terminal of the holder;
an insertion port provided integrally with the adapter and into which an injection nozzle of the liquid container can be inserted;
a contact portion that comes into contact with the holder to stop the adapter from moving in the insertion direction;
Equipped with
the insertion port is disposed at a position vertically overlapping with the injection port when the movement of the adapter in the insertion direction stops;
the contact portion is disposed on at least a part of a leading end of the adapter in the insertion direction,
The memory terminal is disposed between the insertion opening and the contact portion.
An adapter characterized by: The adapter according to claim 1,
The adapter wherein the distance from the memory terminal to the insertion port is longer than the distance from the memory terminal to the contact portion. 3. The adapter according to claim 1 or 2,
An adapter having a step portion provided between the memory terminal and the contact portion and forming a liquid collection space. 4. The adapter according to claim 3,
An adapter in which a liquid absorbing member is arranged in the liquid reservoir space. An adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An adapter having a restricting portion that contacts a positioning portion provided on the holder and restricts movement in a direction intersecting the insertion direction. 6. The adapter of claim 5,
The arrangement of the regulation portion differs depending on the type of liquid stored in the liquid container. An adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The adapter has an adapter-side mis-attachment prevention structure provided around the insertion opening, into which the liquid-container-side mis-attachment prevention structure provided on the liquid container can be inserted. An adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 7;
A printing device;
A printing system comprising:
The printing device has a control unit and a display unit,
When the control unit determines that the adaptor attached to the holder is different from a predetermined adaptor, the control unit causes the display unit to display information indicating that a different adaptor is attached.
A printing system comprising:

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