WO2018199225A1 - Liquid consumption apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to prevent blockage of an upper housing in a state in which a filling port of a tank is not completely closed. A complex machine 10 is provided with: a black tank 18 that is arranged in a first housing 13 and has an ink supply port 28 opened upward for filling ink; a cap 25 that is capable of opening and closing the ink supply port 28; a tank cover 26 that is arranged in the first housing 13 and rotatable to a covering position at which the cap 25 is covered and an exposed position at which the cap 25 is not covered; a second housing 14 that is rotatable to a closed position at which the first housing 13 is covered from above and an open position at which the first housing 13 is not covered; a restriction member 40 that is movable to a first position at which movement of the second housing 14 to the closed position is restricted and a second position at which the movement is allowed; and a switching mechanism 50 that switches the restriction member 40 to the second position when the tank cover 26 is placed at the covering position, and that switches the restriction member 40 to the first position when the tank cover 26 is placed at a position other than the covering position.

Description

Liquid consumption device

The present invention relates to a liquid consuming apparatus that consumes ink.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printer (an example of a liquid consuming device) having a tank that can be refilled with ink and a recording head that discharges ink supplied from the tank from a nozzle and records an image on a sheet is known (for example, a patent) Reference 1). When the liquid in the tank is consumed, the liquid stored in the bottle can be replenished through the inlet of the tank.

Some printers have a lower housing and an upper housing. The upper housing is disposed above the lower housing and is movable between an open position where the upper surface of the lower housing is opened and a closed position where the upper surface of the lower housing is closed. When the upper housing moves to the open position, the sheet jammed in the lower housing can be taken out.

Further, in a printer having a lower casing and an upper casing, the tank as described above is disposed in the lower casing, and an inlet for replenishing ink is formed facing upward in the tank. There is something. Normally, the injection port is closed by fitting a cap formed of an elastic body such as rubber, and can be opened by removing the cap when refilling ink. Some printers that include a lower housing and an upper housing are provided with an open / close lid that covers the cap fitted to the inlet from above in order to protect the cap and the tank.

In order to replenish ink in the tank in the printer as described above, first, the upper housing is moved from the closed position to the open position. Thereby, the opening / closing lid is exposed. Next, the opening / closing lid is opened. Thereby, the inlet and the cap are exposed. Next, the inlet is opened by removing the cap from the inlet. Thereby, ink can be replenished into the tank.

JP 2012-20495 A

The printer described above may cause the following problems. Normally, the opening / closing lid is normally closed when the cap is normally fitted to the injection port. On the other hand, in a state where the cap is not fitted into the inlet or halfway, the opening / closing lid is blocked by the cap and cannot be completely closed. Therefore, it is possible to recognize whether or not the cap is normally fitted to the injection port depending on whether or not the open / close lid is completely closed.

However, the upper casing is usually heavier than the open / close lid. For this reason, when the upper housing moves from the open position to the closed position when the open / close lid is not completely closed, the open / close lid moves to close while elastically deforming the cap due to the weight of the upper housing. End up. Thereby, even if the open / close lid is not completely closed, the upper housing moves to the closed position while pushing the open / close lid. As a result, it cannot be recognized from the outside of the printer that the inlet is not properly fitted in the cap. Then, the quality of the ink changes due to mixing of foreign matter into the tank through the injection port or evaporation of the ink solvent through the injection port.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid consuming device capable of preventing the upper casing from being closed when the inlet of the tank is not completely closed. That is.

(1) A liquid consuming apparatus according to the present invention is provided in a first casing having an open portion, the first casing, and a storage chamber for storing liquid, and injecting liquid into the storage chamber. A tank having an inlet; a consuming unit that consumes liquid stored in the tank; a cap that can be attached to and detached from the inlet; a covering position that covers the tank and the cap; and the tank and the cap are exposed. A lid movable to an exposed position; a closed position covering the open portion of the first housing; a second housing movable to an open position opening the open portion of the first housing; and the second A restricting member movable to a first position for restricting movement of the housing to the closed position and a second position for allowing movement of the second housing to the closed position, and the lid other than the covering position The restriction member is the first position, When the serial lid is positioned in the covering position, and a switching mechanism for the regulating member and the second position.

According to the above configuration, when the lid is located at a position other than the covering position, the movement of the second housing to the closed position is regulated by the regulating member. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the second casing from covering the open portion of the first casing in a state where the lid is not completely closed.

On the other hand, when the lid is located at the covering position, the movement of the second housing to the closed position is not restricted by the restriction member. Thereby, in the state in which the lid is completely closed, the second casing can cover the open portion of the first casing.

(2) The switching mechanism includes a first urging member that urges the restricting member toward the first position, and a lock position that restricts movement of the restricting member at the first position toward the second position. And a lock member that can move to the unlock position that allows the restriction member to move toward the second position of the first position, and a second bias member that biases the lock member to the lock position. And in the process of moving the lid from the exposed position to the covering position, the cover is brought into contact with the lock member to resist the biasing force of the second biasing member from the lock position to the unlock position. And a first contact portion that moves the lock member to the unlock position in a state where the lid is located at the covering position. One of the second housing and the regulating member abuts against the other of the second housing or the regulating member in the process of moving the second housing from the open position to the closed position, and A second contact portion is provided that moves the member to the second position against the biasing force of the first biasing member.

According to the above configuration, when the lid is located at a position other than the covering position, the restricting member is biased to the first position by the first biasing member, and the lock member is biased to the lock position by the second biasing member. It is energized. Thereby, the movement of the restricting member toward the second position is restricted by the lock member. Then, in the process of moving the second housing from the open position to the closed position, even if the second contact portion contacts the other of the second housing or the restriction member, the movement of the restriction member to the second position is locked. Regulated by members. As a result, since the movement of the second casing to the closed position is restricted, it is possible to prevent the second casing from covering the open portion of the first casing when the lid is not completely closed. .

On the other hand, when the lid is positioned at the covering position, the first contact portion positions the lock member at the unlock position against the biasing force of the second biasing member. When the second housing moves from the open position to the closed position in this state, the second abutting portion comes into contact with the other of the second housing or the regulating member, so that the regulating member becomes the first urging member. Moves to the second position against the biasing force. That is, the movement of the second housing to the closed position is not restricted. As a result, in a state where the lid is completely closed, the second housing can cover the open portion of the first housing.

(3) The switching mechanism connects the urging member that urges the regulating member to the second position, the lid, and the regulating member, and is directed from the covering position of the lid to the exposed position. A connecting portion that moves the restricting member to the first position against the urging force of the urging member in conjunction with the movement of the urging member, and the second member of the restricting member at the first position toward the second position. A lock position that restricts movement; and a lock member that is movable to an unlock position that allows movement of the restriction member toward the second position of the first position. The lock member is located at the lock position in a state in which no force is applied from the outside. One of the lid or the lock member includes a contact portion that can come into contact with or separate from the other of the lid or the lock member. In the state where the lid is located at the covering position, the abutting portion abuts against the other of the lid or the lock member to move the lock member to the unlock position, and the lid is moved from the covering position. In the process of moving to the exposure position, the cover is separated from the other of the lid or the lock member. The lock member is positioned at the lock position after the restricting member is moved to the first position by the connecting portion in the process of moving the lid from the covering position to the exposed position.

According to the above configuration, when the lid moves from the covering position toward the exposure position, the regulating member moves to the first position against the urging force of the urging member by the connecting portion in conjunction with the movement. That is, when the lid is located at a position other than the covering position, the regulating member is located at the first position. Thereafter, the lock member moves to the lock position. As a result, the restricting member is locked at the first position by the locking member. This restricts the movement of the second housing to the closed position. As a result, it is possible to prevent the second casing from covering the opening of the first casing when the lid is not completely closed.

On the other hand, when the lid moves to the covering position, the abutting portion comes into contact with the other of the lid or the lock member, and moves the lock member to the unlock position. Thereby, since the restriction | limiting of the movement of the control member by a lock member is cancelled | released, a control member moves to a 2nd position from a 1st position with the urging | biasing force of a urging member. That is, when the lid is located at the covering position, the restricting member is located at the second position. Thereby, the movement of the second housing to the closed position is not restricted. As a result, in a state where the lid is completely closed, the second housing can cover the open portion of the first housing.

(4) For example, the lid moves to the covering position and the exposure position by rotating.

(5) The lid is moved from the covering position to the exposed position by rotating so that the front end moves upward. The restricting member at the second position is disposed behind and below the pivot shaft of the lid in the first housing. The first position is a position ahead of the second position. The switching mechanism includes a connecting portion that connects the lid and the regulating member. When the lid is located at the covering position, the restricting member is located at the second position.

According to the above configuration, the regulating member is located at the second position in a state where the lid is located at the covering position. Thereby, the movement of the second housing to the closed position is not restricted. As a result, in a state where the lid is completely closed, the second housing can cover the open portion of the first housing.

Further, according to the above configuration, the restriction member at the second position is disposed behind and below the pivot shaft of the lid. That is, the connecting portion extends rearward and downward from the cover at the covering position. Therefore, when the lid rotates from the covering position toward the exposed position, that is, when the lid rotates so that the front end of the lid moves upward, the connecting portion moves downward and forward. In conjunction with the movement, the restricting member moves forward so as to be pulled by the connecting portion. That is, the restricting member moves from the second position to the first position. This restricts the movement of the second housing to the closed position. As a result, it is possible to prevent the second casing from covering the opening of the first casing when the lid is not completely closed.

(6) For example, the second casing moves to the closed position and the open position by rotating.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the second casing from being closed when the tank inlet is not completely closed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 when the second housing 14 is in the closed position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 when the second housing 14 is in the open position and the tank cover 26 is in the covering position. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the black tank 18 to which the cap 25 is attached, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the black tank 18 from which the cap 25 has been removed. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the multifunction machine 10 when the second housing 14 is in the open position and the tank cover 26 is in the exposed position. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the multi-function device 10 along the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8 at the position of the black tank 18 in the left-right direction 9. FIG. 5A shows the second housing 14 in the open position and the tank cover. 26 shows the state of the covering position, and (B) shows the state of the second housing 14 in the closed position. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 along the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8 at the position of the black tank 18 in the left-right direction 9. FIG. 6A shows the second housing 14 in the open position and the tank cover. 26 shows the state of the exposed position, and (B) shows the state where the rotation of the second housing 14 to the closed position is restricted by the restricting member 40. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 of the second embodiment along the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8 at the position of the black tank 18 in the left-right direction 9, and FIG. A state where the open position and the tank cover 26 are in the covering position is shown, and a state where the second housing 14 is in the closed position is shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 according to the second embodiment along the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8 at the position of the black tank 18 in the left-right direction 9, and FIG. The state where the open position and the tank cover 26 are in the exposed position is shown, and (B) shows the state where the rotation of the second housing 14 to the closed position is restricted by the restricting member 40. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 according to the third embodiment along the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8 at the position of the black tank 18 in the left-right direction 9. In FIG. A state where the open position and the tank cover 26 are in the covering position is shown, and a state where the second housing 14 is in the closed position is shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the multifunction machine 10 according to the third embodiment along the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8 at the position of the black tank 18 in the left-right direction 9, and FIG. The state where the open position and the tank cover 26 are in the exposed position is shown, and (B) shows the state where the rotation of the second housing 14 to the closed position is restricted by the restricting member 40.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined on the basis of the posture in which the multifunction device 10 is installed on a horizontal plane, and the front-rear direction 8 is defined with the surface on which the discharge tray 15 of the multifunction device 10 is provided as the front surface. The left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction machine 10 is viewed from the front. In the present embodiment, in a posture in which the multifunction machine 10 is installed on a horizontal plane, the up-down direction 7 corresponds to the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 correspond to the horizontal direction. The front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 are orthogonal to each other.

[Overall configuration of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 (an example of a liquid consuming apparatus) includes a printer unit 11 and a scanner unit 12.

The printer unit 11 includes a first housing 13. The 1st housing | casing 13 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is a box shape by which upper direction was open | released. An opening 27 is formed on the front surface of the first housing 13. The first housing 13 includes an internal space. The internal space of the first housing 13 communicates with the outside of the first housing 13 through the opening 27.

The scanner unit 12 is a flat bed scanner. The scanner unit 12 includes a second housing 14. The second housing 14 is disposed above the first housing 13. The second housing 14 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second housing 14 is connected to the first housing 13 by a connector 16 at the rear end portion of the multifunction machine 10. The second housing 14 is rotatable about the connector 16 to an open position shown in FIGS. 2 and 5A and a closed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 5B.

When the second housing 14 is in the closed position, the second housing 14 covers the open portion of the first housing 13. Here, the opening portion is covered with the second housing 14 when the second housing 14 is in the closed position among those provided in the first housing 13, while the second housing 14 is in the open position. It refers to what is sometimes exposed (see FIG. 2). In the present embodiment, the upper surface 13A of the first housing 13 shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 20, the sheet conveyance path 72, and the tank cover 26 are examples of the opening unit.

The second housing 14 has a box shape with one surface open. When the second housing 14 is in the closed position, the opened one surface faces downward. When the second housing 14 is in the open position, as shown in FIG. 2, the open portion of the first housing 13 is open. The connection between the second casing 14 and the first casing 13 is not limited to the connector 16 as shown in FIG. For example, the second housing 14 may be connected to the first housing 13 by a hinge.

The second housing 14 includes a feeding path 71 (see FIG. 2) and a feeding tray 17 (see FIG. 1). A feeding path 71 shown in FIG. 2 is a path through which a sheet on which image recording is performed passes. The feeding tray 17 shown in FIG. 1 opens and closes the feeding path 71 on the upper surface of the second housing 14. The feeding tray 17 closes the feeding path 71 in a state where the feeding tray 17 is rotated so as to constitute a part of the upper surface of the second housing 14 (a state indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1). On the other hand, the feeding tray 17 opens the feeding path 71 in a state where the feeding tray 17 is rotated so as to protrude rearward from the second housing 14 (a state indicated by a broken line in FIG. 1). Further, in a state where the sheet is rotated so as to protrude rearward from the second housing 14, the upper surface of the feeding tray 17 becomes a tray surface that supports the sheet and guides it to the feeding path 71.

As shown in FIG. 5, the second housing 14 includes a protrusion 30 (an example of a second contact portion). The protrusion 30 protrudes downward from the right end portion and the left end portion of the lower surface 14A of the second housing 14. The protrusion 30 protruding from the left end portion of the lower surface 14A can be brought into contact with a regulating member 40 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) corresponding to the black tank 18 (see FIG. 2) (FIGS. 5B and 6). B)). The protrusion 30 protruding from the right end portion of the lower surface 14A can contact a regulating member 40 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) corresponding to the three-color tank 19 (see FIG. 2) (FIGS. 5B and 6). (See (B)). 2 and 4, the illustration of the protrusion 30 is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding unit 21, a conveyance path 72, a recording unit 20 (an example of a consumption unit), a discharge tray 15, a black tank 18, in an internal space of the first housing 13. And a three-color tank 19.

The feeding unit 21 feeds the sheet on the feeding tray 17 to the lower side of the recording head 22 of the recording unit 20 via the feeding path 71 by a feeding roller (not shown).

The conveyance path 72 is a path along which the sheet that has passed through the feeding path 71 is conveyed. The conveyance path 72 is formed below the recording unit 20 from the rear to the front of the recording unit 20.

The recording unit 20 includes a recording head 22 and a guide rail 23 that guides the recording head 22 in the left-right direction 9. Although not shown in FIG. 2, black ink is supplied from the black tank 18 through the ink tubes to the recording head 22, and three color inks are supplied from the three color tanks 19 through the three ink tubes. The The recording unit 20 discharges the ink supplied to the recording head 22 from a plurality of nozzles formed on the lower surface of the recording head 22 toward the sheet. Thereby, an image is recorded on the sheet. That is, the recording unit 20 consumes ink stored in the black tank 18 and the three-color tank 19.

The discharge tray 15 is disposed below the recording unit 20 and ahead of the recording unit 20. The discharge tray 15 supports the sheet on which the image is recorded by the recording unit 20.

The black tank 18 (an example of a tank) is located to the left of the opening 27 at the front end of the internal space of the first housing 13. The three-color tank 19 (an example of a tank) is located to the right of the opening 27 at the front end of the internal space of the first housing 13. The black tank 18 is an ink tank having a storage chamber for storing black ink (an example of a liquid). The three-color tank 19 is an ink tank having storage chambers for storing three colors of ink (an example of liquid) of yellow, magenta, and cyan.

As shown in FIG. 3, the black tank 18 includes a tank body 24 and a cap 25.

A storage chamber for storing black ink is formed inside the tank body 24. As shown in FIG. 3B, the upper surface 24A of the tank body 24 is formed with an ink supply port 28 (an example of an injection port) for replenishing the storage chamber with black ink. The ink supply port 28 is opened upward. The ink supply port 28 may be opened other than the upper side. An ink discharge port (not shown) for supplying ink from the storage chamber to the recording head 22 is formed on the rear surface 24 </ b> B of the tank body 24.

The cap 25 is made of an elastic body such as rubber. As shown in FIG. 3A, the cap 25 is fitted into the ink supply port 28 of the tank body 24 to seal the ink supply port 28 in a liquid-tight manner. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the cap 25 can be detached from the ink supply port 28 by being pulled upward. That is, the cap 25 can be attached to and detached from the ink supply port 28.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cap 25 is connected to the first housing 13 via an elastic string 29 made of an elastic body such as rubber. The cap 25 may be connected to the first housing 13 via a member other than the elastic cord 29. Further, the cap 25 may not be connected to the first housing 13 and may be detachable from the first housing 13.

Although the detailed description of the three-color tank 19 is omitted, the three-color tank 19 has the same configuration as the black tank 18 except that it has three storage chambers, three caps 25, and three elastic strings 29.

The multi-function device 10 includes a tank cover 26 (an example of a lid, see FIGS. 2, 4, and 5), a regulating member 40 (see FIG. 5), and a switching mechanism 50 (see FIG. 5). The tank cover 26, the regulating member 40, and the switching mechanism 50 are provided corresponding to the black tank 18 and the three-color tank 19, respectively. In other words, the multifunction machine 10 includes two tank covers 26, two regulating members 40, and two switching mechanisms 50. 2 and 4, illustration of the regulating member 40 and the switching mechanism 50 is omitted.

The respective configurations of the tank cover 26, the regulating member 40 and the switching mechanism 50 corresponding to the black tank 18 and the respective configurations of the tank cover 26, the regulating member 40 and the switching mechanism 50 corresponding to the three-color tank 19 are as follows. It is the same composition. Therefore, in the following, the configurations of the tank cover 26, the regulating member 40, and the switching mechanism 50 corresponding to the black tank 18 will be described, and the tank cover 26, the regulating member 40, and the switching mechanism 50 corresponding to the three-color tank 19 will be described. The description of the configuration is omitted.

[Tank cover 26]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the tank cover 26 is provided in the first housing 13.

The rear end of the tank cover 26 is connected to the first housing 13 by a hinge or the like. As a result, the tank cover 26 is centered on the rotation shaft 26A (see FIG. 5), the covering position shown in FIGS. 2 and 5A, and the exposed position shown in FIGS. 4 and 6A. Can be rotated. That is, in this embodiment, the tank cover 26 moves from the covering position to the exposed position by rotating so that the front end moves upward, and from the exposed position by rotating so that the front end moves downward. It moves to the covering position.

The tank cover 26 has a box shape with one side opened. When the tank cover 26 is in the covering position, the opened side of the tank cover 26 faces downward. When the tank cover 26 is in the covering position, the thickness of the internal space of the tank cover 26 (length in the vertical direction 7) is longer than the length in the vertical direction 7 of the cap 25 attached to the ink supply port 28. As a result, when the tank cover 26 is in the covering position, the tank cover 26 accommodates the ink supply port 28 in the covering position in the internal space, and the upper surface 24A (see FIG. 3) of the tank body 24 of the black tank 18 is moved upward. Cover from.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the tank cover 26 is in the exposed position, the opened side of the tank cover 26 faces forward. When the tank cover 26 is in the exposed position, the upper surface 24A (see FIG. 3) of the tank body 24 of the black tank 18 is exposed to the outside. Therefore, when the tank cover 26 is in the exposed position, the cap 25 can be detached from the ink supply port 28 and the cap 25 can be fitted into the ink supply port 28. That is, the cap 25 can be attached to and detached from the ink supply port 28 when the tank cover 26 is in the exposed position.

[Regulating member 40]
The restricting member 40 is a member for restricting the movement of the second housing 14 to the closed position. As shown in FIG. 5, the restricting member 40 is disposed behind the black tank 18 in the first housing 13.

The regulating member 40 is supported by the first housing 13 so as to be rotatable about the rear end portion as the shaft 41. The restricting member 40 is rotatable to a first position shown in FIG. 5A and a second position shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5 (A), the restricting member 40 at the first position extends along the front-rear direction 8. When the restriction member 40 is in the first position, as shown in FIG. 6B, the restriction member 40 comes into contact with the protrusion 30 of the second case 14, thereby moving the second case 14 to the closed position. Restrict movement.

As shown in FIG. 5 (B), the front end portion of the restriction member 40 in the second position is located below the rear end portion. When the regulating member 40 is in the second position, as shown in FIG. 5B, the second housing 14 can move to the closed position. That is, the restricting member 40 at the second position allows the second housing 14 to move to the closed position.

[Switching mechanism 50]
The switching mechanism 50 sets the regulating member 40 to the first position when the tank cover 26 is located at a position other than the covering position, and sets the regulating member 40 to the second position when the tank cover 26 is located at the covering position. is there.

As shown in FIG. 5, the switching mechanism 50 includes a torsion spring 51 (an example of a first biasing member), a lock member 52, a coil spring 53 (an example of a second biasing member), and a moving member 54 (a first biasing member). An example of one contact portion).

The torsion spring 51 urges the restricting member 40 toward the first position. In other words, the regulating member 40 is urged by the torsion spring 51 in the clockwise direction in FIG. The coil portion of the torsion spring 51 is disposed on the shaft 41 of the regulating member 40. One of the arm portions of the torsion spring 51 is in contact with the regulating member 40. The other of the arm portions of the torsion spring 51 is in contact with a contacted portion 31 provided in the first housing 13. The urging member that urges the regulating member 40 toward the first position is not limited to the torsion spring 51, and may be, for example, a plate spring or a coil spring.

A stopper 32 is provided on the first housing 13. The stopper 32 is brought into contact with the restriction member 40 at the first position from below. As a result, the restricting member 40 is restricted from rotating clockwise from the first position in FIG.

The lock member 52 is disposed below the tank cover 26. The lock member 52 is disposed at a position where it does not interfere with the black tank 18. The lock member 52 is supported by the first housing 13 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction 8.

The lock member 52 includes an inclined surface 52A. In the present embodiment, the inclined surface 52 </ b> A is formed at the front end portion of the lock member 52. In the present embodiment, the inclined surface 52A is a surface facing upward, and is inclined downward toward the rear. Note that the position and the inclination direction where the inclined surface 52A is formed are not limited to the position and the inclination direction of the present embodiment on the condition that the operation described later can be performed by the lock member 52.

The lock member 52 is movable between a lock position shown in FIG. 6 and an unlock position shown in FIG. The lock position is a position behind the unlock position.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the lock member 52 is in the lock position, the rear end portion of the lock member 52 is positioned below the front end portion of the restriction member 40 in the first position. Thereby, the rotation of the restriction member 40 at the first position toward the second position is restricted.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the lock member 52 is in the unlock position, the lock member 52 is positioned in front of the restriction member 40 in the first position. Thereby, the rotation of the restriction member 40 at the first position toward the second position is allowed.

The coil spring 53 urges the lock member 52 backward. In other words, the coil spring 53 biases the lock member 52 toward the lock position. One end of the coil spring 53 is connected to a lock member 52 (specifically, a convex portion 52B formed on the lock member 52). The other end of the coil spring 53 is connected to a connected portion 33 provided in the first housing 13. The urging member that urges the lock member 52 toward the lock position is not limited to the coil spring 53, and may be, for example, a plate spring or a torsion spring.

The moving member 54 is disposed at a position where it does not interfere with the black tank 18. The lower end of the moving member 54 can contact the inclined surface 52A of the lock member 52 from above. The moving member 54 is supported by the first housing 13 so as to be movable in the vertical direction 7. The moving member 54 is movable to an upper position shown in FIG. 6 and a lower position shown in FIG. The upper position is a position above the lower position. The moving member 54 is biased to the upper position by a biasing member (not shown) such as a coil spring. The moving member 54 comes into contact with the tank cover 26 from above and is pushed downward by the tank cover 26, thereby moving downward against the urging force of the urging member. When the tank cover 26 is located at the covering position, the moving member 54 is located at the lower position.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the moving member 54 is in the upper position, the lock member 52 is biased rearward by the coil spring 53 and is positioned in the lock position. In the present embodiment, the upper moving member 54 is in contact with the inclined surface 52A of the locking member 52 from above, but the upper moving member 54 may not be in contact with the inclined surface 52A of the locking member 52. . The upper end of the upper moving member 54 is located above the upper surface 13 </ b> A of the first housing 13.

The moving member 54 contacts the inclined surface 52A of the lock member 52 from above and pushes the lock member 52 downward in the process of moving downward from the upper position by contacting the tank cover 26. Thereby, a forward force acts on the lock member 52. As a result, the lock member 52 moves forward from the lock position toward the unlock position against the urging force of the coil spring 53. When the tank cover 26 reaches the covering position and the moving member 54 reaches the lower position, the lock member 52 reaches the unlock position (see FIG. 5). The moving member 54 at the lower position is in contact with the inclined surface 52A of the lock member 52 from above.

As described above, the moving member 54 positions the lock member 52 in the unlock position against the urging force of the coil spring 53 in a state where the tank cover 26 is located in the covering position.

[Operation of Restricting Member 40 and Switching Mechanism 50 Accompanying Turning of Tank Cover 26]
Hereinafter, the operation of the regulating member 40 and the switching mechanism 50 accompanying the rotation of the tank cover 26 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

In the state shown in FIG. 6A, the position and state of each part are as follows. The second housing 14 is located at the open position. The tank cover 26 is located at the exposure position. The cap 25 is attached to the ink supply port 28. The restricting member 40 is located at the first position. The lock member 52 is located at the lock position. The moving member 54 is located at the upper position. *

When the tank cover 26 rotates from the exposed position to the covering position in the direction of the arrow 34A from the state shown in FIG. 6A, the tank cover 26 contacts the moving member 54 from above and moves the moving member 54 downward. Press towards. Accordingly, the moving member 54 moves from the upper position to the lower position against the urging force of the urging member, and pushes the inclined surface 52A of the lock member 52 downward. When the inclined surface 52 </ b> A is pressed against the moving member 54 from above, a forward force acts on the lock member 52. As a result, the lock member 52 moves forward from the lock position toward the unlock position against the urging force of the coil spring 53. When the moving member 54 reaches the lower position, the lock member 52 reaches the unlock position (see FIG. 5A).

From the state shown in FIG. 5A, when the second housing 14 rotates in the direction of the arrow 35A from the open position to the closed position, the protrusion 30 of the second housing 14 contacts the regulating member 40 from above. Touch. Thereby, the regulating member 40 rotates in the direction of the arrow 36 </ b> A from the first position toward the second position against the urging force of the torsion spring 51. As a result, the second housing 14 can be rotated to the closed position without being restricted by the restriction member 40 (see FIG. 5B).

On the other hand, when the cap 25 is not completely attached to the ink supply port 28 in the state shown in FIG. 6A, the operations of the regulating member 40 and the switching mechanism 50 are different from the above. Here, when the cap 25 is not completely attached to the ink supply port 28, for example, when the cap 25 is detached from the ink supply port 28, the cap 25 is not completely fitted to the ink supply port 28. (See FIG. 6B).

In the state shown in FIG. 6A, when the cap 25 is not completely attached to the ink supply port 28, the tank cover 26 rotates in the direction of the arrow 34A from the exposed position toward the covering position. The tank cover 26 contacts the cap 25 and the elastic string 29 (see FIG. 4). Thereby, the moving member 54 is not pushed downward by the tank cover 26. Alternatively, the downward movement amount of the moving member 54 due to being pushed by the tank cover 26 is smaller than the movement amount necessary for the lock member 52 to reach the unlock position. Therefore, the lock member 52 does not reach the unlock position and is maintained at the lock position.

As described above, when the second housing 14 is rotated from the open position to the closed position while the lock member 52 is maintained at the lock position, the protrusion 30 of the second housing 14 is restricted from above. 40 abuts. However, the rotation of the restriction member 40 from the first position to the second position is restricted by the lock member 52. As a result, the second housing 14 is not rotated to the closed position (see FIG. 6B).

When the second housing 14 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 35B from the state shown in FIG. 5B, the second housing 14 is rotated from the closed position to the open position (FIG. 5A )reference). Thereby, the restricting member 40 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 36 </ b> B from the second position toward the first position by the urging force of the torsion spring 51.

When the tank cover 26 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 34B from the state shown in FIG. 5A, the tank cover 26 is rotated from the covering position to the exposed position (see FIG. 6A). Accordingly, the moving member 54 moves from the lower position to the upper position by the urging force of the urging member (see FIG. 6A). Thereby, the lock member 52 moves rearward from the unlock position to the lock position by the biasing force of the coil spring 53 (see FIG. 6A). As a result, the rotation of the restriction member 40 at the first position toward the second position is restricted by the lock member 52.

[Effect of the above embodiment] According to the above embodiment, when the tank cover 26 is located at a position other than the covering position, the movement of the second housing 14 to the closed position is restricted by the restricting member 40. Thereby, it can prevent that the 2nd housing | casing 14 covers the open part of the 1st housing | casing 13 in the state in which the tank cover 26 is not closed completely.

On the other hand, when the tank cover 26 is located at the covering position, the movement of the second housing 14 to the closed position is not restricted by the restriction member 40. Thereby, in a state where the tank cover 26 is completely closed, the second housing 14 can cover the open portion of the first housing 13.

Further, according to the above embodiment, when the tank cover 26 is located at a position other than the covering position, the regulating member 40 is biased to the first position by the torsion spring 51, and the lock member 52 is locked by the coil spring 53. Is being energized. Thereby, the movement of the restricting member 40 toward the second position is restricted by the lock member 52. Then, even when the protrusion 30 of the second housing 14 abuts on the regulating member 40 in the process of moving the second housing 14 from the open position to the closed position, the movement of the regulating member 40 to the second position is the locking member. 52. As a result, since the movement of the second housing 14 to the closed position is restricted, the second housing 14 covers the open portion of the first housing 13 in a state where the tank cover 26 is not completely closed. Can be prevented.

On the other hand, when the tank cover 26 is located at the covering position, the moving member 54 positions the lock member 52 at the unlock position against the urging force of the coil spring 53. When the second housing 14 moves from the open position toward the closed position in this state, the protrusion 30 of the second housing 14 abuts against the restricting member 40, so that the restricting member 40 receives the biasing force of the torsion spring 51. Move against the second position. That is, the movement of the second housing 14 to the closed position is not restricted. As a result, in a state where the tank cover 26 is completely closed, the second housing 14 can cover the open portion of the first housing 13.

[Another embodiment]
The configuration of the restricting member 40 is that it can move to a first position that restricts the movement of the second housing 14 to the closed position and a second position that allows the movement of the second housing 14 to the closed position. The condition is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment.

The switching mechanism 50 is configured such that when the tank cover 26 is located at a position other than the covering position, the regulating member 40 is set to the first position, and when the tank cover 26 is located at the covering position, the state of the regulating member 40 is changed to the first position. It is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment on condition that the position is two.

An example of the configuration of the regulating member 40 and the switching mechanism 50 will be described in the following second and third embodiments.

[Second Embodiment]
Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

As shown in FIG. 7, the regulating member 40 is disposed behind the black tank 18 in the first housing 13. A through hole 42 penetrating the regulating member 40 in the vertical direction is formed at the center of the regulating member 40 in the front-rear direction 8. An engaging portion 43 is formed at the front end portion of the regulating member 40. The engaging portion 43 can be engaged with the engaged portion 57C of the lock member 57 (see FIG. 8).

The regulating member 40 is supported by the first housing 13 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction 8. The restricting member 40 is movable to a first position shown in FIG. 8 and a second position shown in FIG. The first position is a position ahead of the second position.

When the restriction member 40 is in the first position, as shown in FIG. 8B, the restriction member 40 comes into contact with the protrusion 30 of the second case 14, thereby moving the second case 14 to the closed position. Restrict movement.

When the regulating member 40 is in the second position, as shown in FIG. 7B, the protrusion 30 of the second housing 14 penetrates in the process in which the second housing 14 rotates from the open position to the closed position. It is inserted into the hole 42. That is, the restricting member 40 does not contact the protrusion 30. Thereby, the 2nd housing | casing 14 can move to a closed position. That is, the restricting member 40 at the second position allows the second housing 14 to move to the closed position.

7, the switching mechanism 50 includes a coil spring 55 (an example of an urging member), a connecting portion 56, and a lock member 57.

The coil spring 55 urges the regulating member 40 backward. In other words, the coil spring 55 biases the regulating member 40 to the second position. One end of the coil spring 55 is connected to the restricting member 40 (specifically, a convex portion 40A formed on the restricting member 40). The other end of the coil spring 55 is connected to a connected portion 37 provided in the first housing 13. The urging member that urges the regulating member 40 toward the second position is not limited to the coil spring 55, and may be, for example, a plate spring or a torsion spring.

The connecting portion 56 connects the tank cover 26 and the regulating member 40. The connecting portion 56 includes a rack gear 81, a pinion gear 82, a sun gear 83, a planetary gear 84, and an arm 85.

The rack gear 81 is formed on the upper surface of the regulating member 40 and extends along the front-rear direction 8. The pinion gear 82 is rotatably supported by the first housing 13. The pinion gear 82 meshes with the rack gear 81. The sun gear 83 is supported by the tank cover 26 so as to be rotatable coaxially with the rotation axis of the tank cover 26. The planetary gear 84 meshes with the sun gear 83 and contacts and separates from the pinion gear 82. One end of the arm 85 is rotatably supported by the sun gear 83, and the other end supports the planetary gear 84 so as to be able to rotate and revolve around the sun gear 83. Thereby, the planetary gear 84 revolves around the sun gear 83 while rotating as the sun gear 83 rotates.

The lock member 57 is disposed below the tank cover 26. The lock member 57 is disposed at a position where it does not interfere with the black tank 18.

The lock member 57 includes a main body 57A, a rotation shaft 57B, an engaged portion 57C, and a contacted portion 57D.

The main body 57A extends substantially in the front-rear direction 8. The rotation shaft 57B is formed at the center in the front-rear direction 8 of the main body 57A. The rotation shaft 57B is supported by the first housing 13. Thus, the lock member 57 is supported by the first housing 13 so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 57B. The engaged portion 57C is formed at the rear end of the main body 57A. The engaged portion 57 </ b> C can be engaged with the engaging portion 43 of the regulating member 40. The contacted portion 57D protrudes upward from the front end portion of the main body 57A. The contacted portion 57D can contact the tank cover 26 (specifically, a convex portion 26B formed on the tank cover 26). The convex portion 26B is an example of a contact portion.

The lock member 57 is rotatable to a lock position shown in FIG. 8 and an unlock position shown in FIG. The lock member 57 is urged from the unlock position to the lock position by an urging member such as a coil spring or its own weight, in other words, in the direction of the arrow 34B shown in FIG. As a result, the lock member 57 is located at the lock position in a state where no force is applied from the outside except the biasing member such as the coil spring.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the lock member 57 is in the locked position, the engaged portion 57C is engaged with the engaging portion 43 of the regulating member 40 in the first position. As a result, the backward movement (movement toward the second position) of the restriction member 40 at the first position is restricted.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the lock member 57 is in the unlock position, the engaged portion 57C is located above the engagement portion 43 of the restricting member 40 in the first position. That is, the engaged portion 57C is not engaged with the engaging portion 43 of the regulating member 40 at the first position. Thereby, rotation to the 2nd position of the control member 40 of the 1st position is not controlled.

Hereinafter, the operation of the regulating member 40 and the switching mechanism 50 accompanying the rotation of the tank cover 26 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

In the state shown in FIG. 8 (A), the position and state of each part are as follows. The second housing 14 is located at the open position. The tank cover 26 is located at the exposure position. The cap 25 is attached to the ink supply port 28. The restricting member 40 is located at the first position. The lock member 52 is located at the lock position.

When the tank cover 26 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 34A from the exposed position to the covering position from the state shown in FIG. 8A, the convex portion 26B of the tank cover 26 is the contacted portion of the lock member 57 from above. The lock member 57 is pushed against the contact 57D. Accordingly, the lock member 57 rotates in the direction of the arrow 38A from the lock position toward the unlock position. However, in a state where the tank cover 26 has not reached the covering position, the lower end of the engaged portion 57C of the lock member 57 is set lower than the upper end of the engaging portion 43 of the regulating member 40. Therefore, the engagement between the lock member 57 and the restriction member 40 is maintained.

When the tank cover 26 reaches the covering position, the lower end of the engaged portion 57C of the lock member 57 is positioned above the upper end of the engaging portion 43 of the regulating member 40. That is, the lock member 57 reaches the unlock position. As a result, the engagement between the lock member 57 and the regulating member 40 is released. As a result, the restricting member 40 moves backward from the first position to the second position by the biasing force of the coil spring 55 (see FIG. 7A).

Note that when the tank cover 26 rotates in the direction of the arrow 34A, the sun gear 83 rotates in the direction of the arrow 34A. As a result, the arm 85 rotates in the direction of the arrow 34A. Therefore, the planetary gear 84 is separated from the pinion gear 82. As a result, the regulating member 40 is not moved by the rotational driving force of the sun gear 83.

7A, when the second casing 14 rotates in the direction of the arrow 35A from the open position to the closed position, the protrusion 30 of the second casing 14 penetrates the regulating member 40 from above. It is inserted into the hole 42. That is, the rotation of the second housing 14 is not restricted by the restriction member 40. As a result, the second housing 14 can be rotated to the closed position (see FIG. 7B).

On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG. 8A, when the cap 25 is not completely attached to the ink supply port 28, the operations of the regulating member 40 and the switching mechanism 50 are different from the above.

In the state shown in FIG. 8A, when the cap 25 is not completely attached to the ink supply port 28, the tank cover 26 rotates in the direction of the arrow 34A from the exposed position toward the covering position. The tank cover 26 contacts the cap 25 and the elastic string 29. Thereby, the tank cover 26 does not reach the covering position. Therefore, the engagement between the lock member 57 and the restricting member 40 is maintained, and the restricting member 40 remains in the first position.

As described above, when the second housing 14 rotates from the open position to the closed position while the restricting member 40 remains in the first position, the protrusion 30 of the second housing 14 is restricted from above. 40 abuts. As a result, the second housing 14 is not rotated to the closed position (see FIG. 8B).

When the second housing 14 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 35B from the state shown in FIG. 7B, the second housing 14 is rotated from the closed position to the open position (FIG. 7A). )reference).

When the tank cover 26 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 34B from the covering position to the exposed position from the state shown in FIG. 7A, the sun gear 83 moves in the direction of the arrow 34B (the timepiece in FIG. 7A). Around). As a result, the arm 85 rotates in the direction of the arrow 34B. Therefore, the planetary gear 84 meshes with the pinion gear 82. Further, since the planetary gear 84 meshes with the sun gear 83, the planetary gear 84 rotates in the direction opposite to the arrow 34B (counterclockwise in FIG. 7A). Since the pinion gear 82 meshes with the planetary gear 84, the pinion gear 82 rotates in the direction of the arrow 34B (clockwise in FIG. 7A). When the rotational driving force of the pinion gear 82 is transmitted to the rack gear 81, the restricting member 40 moves forward from the second position toward the first position against the urging force of the coil spring 55.

7A, when the tank cover 26 is turned in the direction of the arrow 34B, the convex portion 26B of the tank cover 26 is separated from the lock member 57. When the tank cover 26 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 34B from the state shown in FIG. 7A, the lock member 57 is moved from the unlock position to the lock position by a biasing force such as a biasing member or its own weight. And turn in the direction of arrow 34B. However, the lower end of the engaged portion 57C of the lock member 57 is positioned below the upper end of the engaging portion 43 of the restricting member 40 due to the rotation after the restricting member 40 reaches the first position. is there. For example, the size and shape of the convex portion 26 </ b> B of the tank cover 26 and the engaged portion 57 </ b> C of the lock member 57 are set, or the biasing force of the biasing member that biases the lock member 57 so that the above condition is satisfied Is set.

When the above condition is satisfied, the lock member 57 reaches the lock position after the restricting member 40 reaches the first position. As a result, the restricting member 40 is locked in the first position by the lock member 57 (see FIG. 8A).

According to the second embodiment, when the tank cover 26 moves from the covering position toward the exposed position, the regulating member 40 is interlocked with the movement and the first position against the biasing force of the coil spring 55 by the connecting portion 56. Move to. That is, when the tank cover 26 is located at a position other than the covering position, the regulating member 40 is located at the first position. Thereafter, the lock member 57 moves to the lock position. As a result, the restriction member 40 is locked at the first position by the lock member 57. Thereby, the movement to the closed position of the 2nd housing | casing 14 is controlled. As a result, it is possible to prevent the second housing 14 from covering the open portion of the first housing 13 in a state where the tank cover 26 is not completely closed.

On the other hand, when the tank cover 26 moves to the covering position, the convex portion 26B of the tank cover 26 comes into contact with the lock member 57 and moves the lock member 57 to the unlock position. Thereby, since the restriction | limiting of the movement of the control member 40 by the lock member 57 is cancelled | released, the control member 40 moves to a 2nd position from a 1st position with the urging | biasing force of the coil spring 55. FIG. That is, when the tank cover 26 is located at the covering position, the regulating member 40 is located at the second position. Thereby, the movement to the closed position of the 2nd housing | casing 14 is not controlled. As a result, in a state where the tank cover 26 is completely closed, the second housing 14 can cover the open portion of the first housing 13.

[Modification of Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment, the lock member 57 is moved between the lock position and the unlock position by rotating. However, the moving means of the lock member 57 is not limited to rotation. For example, the lock member 57 may move between the lock position and the unlock position by sliding along the front-rear direction 8.

In the second embodiment, the regulating member 40 has moved to the first position and the second position by sliding along the front-rear direction 8. However, the movement direction of the regulating member 40 is not limited to the front-rear direction 8. For example, the restricting member 40 may move to the first position and the second position by sliding in the left-right direction 9, or may move to the first position and the second position by rotating. .

In the second embodiment, the contact portion is the convex portion 26B formed on the tank cover 26, but is not limited thereto. The abutting portion is provided on one of the tank cover 26 and the lock member 57 and may be any one that can contact and separate from the other of the tank cover 26 or the lock member 57. For example, the contact portion may be a portion that is a part of the lock member 57 and that can contact and separate from the tank cover 26.

In the second embodiment, the coupling portion 56 includes a rack gear 81, a pinion gear 82, a sun gear 83, a planetary gear 84, and an arm 85, as shown in FIGS. However, the configuration of the connecting portion 56 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

For example, the rack gear 81 and the pinion gear 82 may each be a bevel gear. In this case, the restricting member 40 moves to the first position and the second position by rotating.

Further, for example, the connecting portion 56 may connect the tank cover 26 and the regulating member 40 by means other than a gear such as a belt.

[Third Embodiment]
Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

As shown in FIG. 9, the regulating member 40 is disposed in the first housing 13. A through hole 42 penetrating the regulating member 40 in the vertical direction is formed at the center of the regulating member 40 in the front-rear direction 8.

The regulating member 40 is supported by the first housing 13 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction 8. The restricting member 40 is movable to a first position shown in FIG. 10 and a second position shown in FIG. The first position is a position ahead of the second position.

When the restricting member 40 is in the first position, as shown in FIG. 10B, the restricting member 40 comes into contact with the protrusion 30 of the second case 14, thereby moving the second case 14 to the closed position. Restrict movement.

The regulating member 40 in the second position is located behind and below the rotating shaft 26A of the tank cover 26. When the regulating member 40 is in the second position, as shown in FIG. 9B, the protrusion 30 of the second housing 14 penetrates in the process of the second housing 14 rotating from the open position to the closed position. It is inserted into the hole 42. That is, the restricting member 40 does not contact the protrusion 30. Thereby, the 2nd housing | casing 14 can move to a closed position. That is, the restricting member 40 at the second position allows the second housing 14 to move to the closed position.

As shown in FIG. 9, the switching mechanism 50 includes a connecting portion 58. The connecting portion 58 connects the tank cover 26 and the regulating member 40.

The connecting portion 58 includes a rod 59 and a guide groove 60. The rod 59 is formed integrally with the tank cover 26. The rod 59 extends from the base end toward the guide groove 60 with the rotation shaft 26A of the tank cover 26 as the base end. A protrusion 61 protruding along the left-right direction 9 is formed at the tip of the rod 59. The guide groove 60 is formed at the front end portion of the regulating member 40. The guide groove 60 is formed along the vertical direction 7. A protrusion 61 is inserted into the guide groove 60.

Hereinafter, the operation of the regulating member 40 and the switching mechanism 50 accompanying the rotation of the tank cover 26 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

In the state shown in FIG. 10 (A), the position and state of each part are as follows. The second housing 14 is located at the open position. The tank cover 26 is located at the exposure position. The cap 25 is attached to the ink supply port 28. The restricting member 40 is located at the first position.

10A, when the tank cover 26 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 34A from the exposed position to the covering position, the rod 59 is also rotated in the direction of the arrow 34A. That is, the protrusion 61 of the rod 59 moves rearward and upward. Due to the rearward movement of the protrusion 61, the surface 60A that defines the rear end of the guide groove 60 is pushed by the protrusion 61 from the front. Thereby, the regulating member 40 moves rearward from the first position toward the second position. Further, the protrusion 61 moves upward along the guide groove 60.

In a state where the tank cover 26 has not reached the covering position, the restricting member 40 is positioned in front of the second position. In a state where the tank cover 26 has reached the covering position, the regulating member 40 is located at the second position (see FIG. 9A).

When the second housing 14 is rotated from the open position to the closed position in the direction of the arrow 35A from the state shown in FIG. 9A, the protrusion 30 of the second housing 14 penetrates the regulating member 40 from above. It is inserted into the hole 42. That is, the rotation of the second housing 14 is not restricted by the restriction member 40. As a result, the second housing 14 can be rotated to the closed position (see FIG. 9B).

On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG. 10A, when the cap 25 is not completely attached to the ink supply port 28, the operations of the regulating member 40 and the switching mechanism 50 are different from the above.

In the state shown in FIG. 10A, when the cap 25 is not completely attached to the ink supply port 28, the tank cover 26 rotates in the direction of the arrow 34A from the exposed position toward the covering position. The tank cover 26 contacts the cap 25 and the elastic string 29. Thereby, the tank cover 26 does not reach the covering position. Therefore, the restricting member 40 does not reach the second position.

As described above, when the second casing 14 rotates from the open position to the closed position in a state where the regulating member 40 has not reached the first position, the protrusion 30 of the second casing 14 is viewed from above. It abuts on the regulating member 40. As a result, the second housing 14 is not rotated to the closed position (see FIG. 10B).

When the second casing 14 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 35B from the state shown in FIG. 9B, the second casing 14 is rotated from the closed position to the open position (FIG. 9A). )reference).

9A, when the tank cover 26 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 34B from the covering position to the exposed position, the rod 59 is also rotated in the direction of the arrow 34B. That is, the protrusion 61 of the rod 59 moves forward and downward. Due to the forward movement of the protrusion 61, the surface 60 </ b> B that defines the front end of the guide groove 60 is pushed by the protrusion 61 from the rear. Thereby, the regulating member 40 moves forward from the second position toward the first position. Further, the protrusion 61 moves downward along the guide groove 60.

In the state where the tank cover 26 has reached the exposed position, the regulating member 40 is located at the first position (see FIG. 10A).

According to the third embodiment, in the state where the tank cover 26 is located at the covering position, the regulating member 40 is located at the second position. Thereby, the movement to the closed position of the 2nd housing | casing 14 is not controlled. As a result, in a state where the tank cover 26 is completely closed, the second housing 14 can cover the open portion of the first housing 13.

Further, according to the third embodiment, the restricting member 40 in the second position is disposed behind and below the rotating shaft 26 </ b> A of the tank cover 26. That is, the connecting portion 58 extends rearward and downward from the tank cover 26 at the covering position. Therefore, when the tank cover 26 rotates from the covering position to the exposed position, that is, when the tank cover 26 rotates so that the front end of the tank cover 26 moves upward, the connecting portion 58 moves downward and forward. In conjunction with the movement, the regulating member 40 moves forward so as to be pulled by the connecting portion 58. That is, the restricting member 40 moves from the second position to the first position. Thereby, the movement to the closed position of the 2nd housing | casing 14 is controlled. As a result, it is possible to prevent the second housing 14 from covering the open portion of the first housing 13 in a state where the tank cover 26 is not completely closed.

[Modification of Third Embodiment]
The configurations of the regulating member 40 and the connecting portion 58 are not limited to the configurations shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. For example, the guide groove 60 may be located immediately below the rotation shaft 26A of the tank cover 26, and the rod 59 may extend downward from the rotation shaft 26A. Further, for example, the rod 59 may extend from a portion of the tank cover 26 other than the rotation shaft 26A.

[Modification common to each embodiment]
In each of the embodiments described above, the movement of the second housing 14 to the closed position is restricted by the restriction member 40 coming into contact with the protrusion 30 formed on the second housing 14. However, the configuration in which the regulating member 40 regulates the movement of the second housing 14 to the closed position is not limited to the configuration of each of the above embodiments. For example, a protrusion projecting upward may be formed on the restriction member 40, and the movement of the second housing 14 to the closed position may be restricted by contacting the second housing 14. In this case, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the protrusion formed on the regulating member 40 is an example of the second contact portion.

In each of the above embodiments, the second housing 14 is pivotally connected to the first housing 13 at the rear end. That is, the center of rotation of the second housing 14 was the rear end. However, the center of rotation of the second housing 14 may be, for example, the right end or the left end of the second housing 14 other than the rear end.

The second housing 14 may be moved to the closed position and the open position by, for example, sliding in the up and down direction 7 and attaching to and detaching from the first housing 13 other than the rotation.

In each of the above embodiments, the tank cover 26 is rotatably connected to the first housing 13 at the rear end. That is, the center of rotation of the tank cover 26 is the rear end. However, the rotation center of the tank cover 26 may be, for example, the right end portion or the left end portion of the tank cover 26 other than the rear end portion.

The tank cover 26 may be moved to the covering position and the exposure position by, for example, sliding in the up and down direction 7 or attaching to and detaching from the first housing 13 other than rotation.

In each of the above embodiments, the tank cover 26 is supported by the first housing 13. However, the tank cover 26 may be supported by the tank body 24 of the black tank 18 or the three-color tank 19 other than the first housing 13, for example.

The moving direction of the regulating member 40 and the locking members 52 and 57 is not limited to the moving direction in the above embodiments. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the lock member 52 may move between the lock position and the unlock position by sliding in the left-right direction 9. Further, for example, in the third embodiment, the regulating member 40 may move between the first position and the second position by rotating.

In each of the above embodiments, the black tank 18 is located to the left of the opening 27 at the front end of the internal space of the first housing 13, and the three-color tank 19 is the front end of the internal space of the first housing 13. It was located to the right of the opening 27 in the part. However, the positions of the black tank 18 and the three-color tank 19 are not limited to this. For example, both the black tank 18 and the three-color tank 19 may be located to the right of the opening 27 in the internal space of the first housing 13. Further, the black tank 18 and the three-color tank 19 may be located at the rear end of the internal space of the first housing 13.

In the above embodiment, the printer unit 11 includes the black tank 18 and the three-color tank 19. That is, the printer unit 11 includes two tanks. However, the number of tanks provided in the printer unit 11 may be other than two. For example, the printer unit 11 may include only the black tank 18, that is, only one tank. For example, the printer unit 11 may include a tank that stores blank ink, a tank that stores yellow ink, a tank that stores magenta ink, and a tank that stores cyan ink. That is, the printer unit 11 may include four tanks.

In the above embodiment, the second housing 14 is configured to be able to cover the open portion of the first housing 13 from above, and the tank cover 26 can cover the black tank 18 and the three-color tank 19 from above. It was configured to be possible. However, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, among the parts provided in the first housing 13, the open portion is covered by the second housing 14 from the front when the second housing 14 is in the closed position, while the second housing 14 is in the open position. You may point to what is exposed at the time. And the 2nd housing | casing 14 is provided in the front of the 1st housing | casing 13, and it may be comprised so that the open part of the 1st housing | casing 13 can be covered from the front. The tank cover 26 may be configured to cover the ink supply port 28 provided on the front surface of the black tank 18 and the three-color tank 19 from the front.

In each of the embodiments described above, the black tank 18 and the three-color tank 19 are not configured to be detachable by the user during normal use, but are tanks that are replenished with ink from the outside when the ink in the tank decreases. However, the black tank 18 and the three-color tank 19 may be configured to be detachable by the user during normal use. For example, the black tank 18 and the three-color tank 19 may be ink cartridges. The ink cartridge is detachable by a user during normal use, and is replaced with a new ink cartridge when the ink inside is consumed.

10 ... Machine (liquid consumption device)
13 ... 1st housing | casing 14 ... 2nd housing | casing 18 ... Black tank (tank)
19 ... 3-color tank (tank)
20 ... Recording unit 25 ... Cap 26 ... Tank cover (lid)
28: Ink supply port (injection port)
40 ... restricting member 50 ... switching mechanism

Claims (6)

1. A first housing having an opening;
   A tank provided in the first housing, having a storage chamber in which liquid is stored and an inlet for injecting liquid into the storage chamber;
   A consumption unit for consuming the liquid stored in the tank;
   A cap removable from the inlet,
   A covering position that covers the tank and the cap, and a lid that can be moved to an exposed position that exposes the tank and the cap;
   A second position that is movable to a closed position that covers the open portion of the first case and an open position that opens the open portion of the first case;
   A first member that restricts movement of the second housing to the closed position, and a restricting member that is movable to a second position that permits movement of the second housing to the closed position;
   A switching mechanism that sets the restricting member as the first position when the lid is located at a position other than the covering position, and sets the restricting member as the second position when the lid is located at the covering position; A liquid consuming apparatus provided.
2. The switching mechanism is
   A first urging member that urges the restriction member to the first position;
   To the lock position that restricts the movement of the restriction member toward the second position of the first position, and to the unlock position that allows the movement of the restriction member toward the second position of the restriction member. A movable locking member;
   A second urging member for urging the lock member to the lock position;
   In the process of moving the cover from the exposed position to the covering position, the cover abuts against the lock member and moves the lock member from the lock position toward the unlock position against the urging force of the second urging member. A first abutting portion that moves and places the lock member in the unlock position in a state where the lid is located in the covering position;
   One of the second housing and the regulating member abuts against the other of the second housing or the regulating member in the process of moving the second housing from the open position to the closed position, and The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second contact portion that moves the member to the second position against a biasing force of the first biasing member.
3. The switching mechanism is
   A biasing member that biases the restricting member to the second position;
   The lid and the regulating member are connected, and the regulating member is opposed to the biasing force of the biasing member in conjunction with the movement of the lid from the covering position toward the exposed position. A connecting part to be moved to a position;
   A locking position for restricting movement of the restricting member toward the second position of the first position; and an unlocking position for allowing movement of the restricting member toward the second position of the first position. A movable locking member,
   The lock member is located at the lock position in a state where no force is applied from the outside,
   One of the lid or the lock member includes a contact portion that can contact and separate from the other of the lid or the lock member,
   In the state where the lid is located at the covering position, the abutting portion abuts against the other of the lid or the lock member to move the lock member to the unlock position, and the lid is moved from the covering position. In the process of moving to the exposure position, it is separated from the other of the lid or the lock member,
   2. The liquid according to claim 1, wherein the lock member is positioned at the lock position after the restricting member is moved to the first position by the connecting portion in the process of moving the lid from the covering position to the exposed position. Consuming device.
4. 4. The liquid consuming device according to claim 1, wherein the lid moves to the covering position and the exposed position by rotating.
5. The lid moves from the covering position to the exposed position by rotating so that the front end moves upward,
   The restriction member in the second position is disposed behind and below the pivot shaft of the lid in the first housing,
   The first position is a position ahead of the second position,
   The switching mechanism includes a connecting portion that connects the lid and the regulating member,
   The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the lid is located at the covering position, the restriction member is located at the second position.
6. The liquid consuming device according to claim 1, wherein the second casing moves to the closed position and the open position by rotating.
   
   

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