JP6350070B2 - Liquid consumption device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid consuming apparatus having a tank capable of replenishing liquid through an inlet.

  Conventionally, a tank that can be replenished with liquid through an inlet is known. Further, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ink tank in which a viewing surface that can visually recognize ink in an ink chamber and a scale indicating the amount of ink in the ink chamber are formed below the injection port. In the ink tank having the above configuration, the user may inject ink into the ink chamber through the injection port until the liquid level of the ink visually recognized through the viewing surface reaches the position of the maximum scale.

JP 2014-37058 A

  However, when ink spilled from the injection port during ink injection adheres to the viewing surface or scale, there is a problem that the visibility of the viewing surface or scale decreases. In particular, since the ink tank described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a damming portion that dams up ink spilled from the inlet, the ink overflowing from the damming portion is provided with a viewing surface or scale. There is a possibility of extensive contamination of the area.

  This invention is made | formed in view of said situation, The objective is to provide the liquid consumption apparatus which suppressed the fall of the visibility inside the tank which can inject a liquid from an injection port.

  A liquid consuming apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a liquid storage chamber in which liquid is stored, a tank having a standing wall that defines one end of the liquid storage chamber in a first direction that intersects the vertical direction, and the outside of the tank And provided at a position deviating from the facing region facing the outer surface of the standing wall, and includes a liquid storage portion that stores liquid and a liquid consumption portion that consumes the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber. The standing wall is inclined to the liquid storage chamber side at the upper end of the base wall formed at a position where a viewing surface where the liquid in the liquid storage chamber is visible from the outside faces the liquid storage chamber. And an inclined wall having an inlet for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber. A liquid flow path is formed on the outer surface of the standing wall through a position different from the viewing surface of the base wall and from the position between the inlet and the base wall to the liquid storage portion. .

  According to the above configuration, the liquid spilled from the inlet when the liquid is injected into the tank can be discharged to the liquid container through the liquid channel. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in visibility inside the tank due to contamination of the outer surface of the base wall by the liquid.

  A liquid consuming apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes a liquid storage chamber in which liquid is stored, a tank having a standing wall that defines one end of the liquid storage chamber in a first direction intersecting the vertical direction, It is provided at a position outside the facing region that faces the outer surface of the standing wall, and includes a liquid storage unit that stores the liquid and a liquid consumption unit that consumes the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber. The standing wall has an inlet for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber, a visual surface for allowing the liquid in the liquid storage chamber to be visually recognized from the outside below the inlet, and an outer surface of the standing wall In this case, a liquid flow path that extends from a position between the inlet and the viewing surface to the liquid storage portion through a position different from the viewing surface is formed.

  According to the present invention, since the liquid spilled from the inlet when the liquid is injected into the tank can be discharged to the liquid storage portion through the liquid channel, the outer surface of the base wall is contaminated by the liquid. A decrease in visibility inside the tank can be suppressed.

1A and 1B are external perspective views of the multifunction machine 10, in which FIG. 1A shows a state where the cover 70 is closed, and FIG. 1B shows a state where the cover 70 is opened. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the carriage 23 and the ink tank 100. FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the ink tank 100. FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the ink tank 100. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. FIG. 8 is a right side view of the ink tank 100. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along IX (A) -IX (A) in FIG. 8, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along IX (B) -IX (B) in FIG. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cover 70 and the ink tank 100 at the covering position. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cover 70 and the ink tank 100 at the exposed position. FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of the ink tank 100A according to the first modification. FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of an ink tank 100B according to the second modification.

  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. Further, in the following description, the advance from the starting point of the arrow to the ending point is expressed as the direction, and the traffic on the line connecting the starting point and the ending point of the arrow is expressed as the direction. That is, the direction is a component of the direction. The upward and downward directions are each a component of the vertical direction 7 and are opposite to each other. The left direction and the right direction are each a component of the left-right direction 9 and are opposite to each other. The forward direction and the backward direction are each one component of the front-rear direction 8 and are opposite to each other. In this embodiment, 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.

  Further, the state in which the multifunction machine 10 is installed so as to be usable (the state shown in FIG. 1 and may be referred to as “use state”) or the posture (the posture in FIG. 1 and “use posture”). The vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to the front side (front surface) as the front side (front side) of the multifunction device 10 where the opening 13 is provided, and the multifunction device 10 is defined as the front side (front side). A left-right direction 9 is defined as viewed from the front. The front-rear direction 8 is an example of a first direction, and the left-right direction 9 is an example of a second direction.

[Overall configuration of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The multifunction machine 10 includes a printer unit 11 that records an image on a sheet 12 (see FIG. 2) by an inkjet recording method at a lower portion of a casing. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feeding unit 15, a feeding tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a transport roller unit 54, a recording unit 24, a discharge roller unit 55, and a platen 42. And an ink tank 100 (an example of a tank). The multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The multifunction machine 10 is an example of a liquid ejection device or a liquid consumption device.

[Feed tray 20, discharge tray 21]
As shown in FIG. 1, the feeding tray 20 is inserted into and removed from the multifunction device 10 in the front-rear direction 8 through the opening 13 formed in the front surface of the multifunction device 10 and in the central portion in the left-right direction 9. The feeding tray 20 can support a plurality of stacked sheets 12. The discharge tray 21 is disposed above the feeding tray 20 and is inserted and removed together with the feeding tray 20. The discharge tray 21 supports the paper 12 discharged from between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42 by the discharge roller unit 55.

[Feeding unit 15]
The feeding unit 15 feeds the paper 12 supported by the feeding tray 20 to the conveyance path 65. As shown in FIG. 2, the feeding unit 15 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, and a shaft 27. The feeding roller 25 is rotatably supported on the leading end side of the feeding arm 26. The feeding roller 25 rotates in a direction in which the paper 12 is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16 by a reverse rotation of a conveyance motor (not shown). Hereinafter, the rotation of the feeding roller 25, the conveyance roller 60, and the discharge roller 62 in the direction in which the paper 12 is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16 is referred to as “normal rotation”. The feeding arm 26 is rotatably supported on a shaft 27 supported by the frame of the printer unit 11. The feeding arm 26 is urged to rotate toward the feeding tray 20 by its own weight or an elastic force by a spring or the like.

[Conveyance path 65]
As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance path 65 indicates a space formed by an outer guide member 18 and an inner guide member 19 that are partially opposed to each other at a predetermined interval inside the printer unit 11. The conveyance path 65 is a path extending from the rear end portion of the feeding tray 20 to the rear side of the printer unit 11. The conveyance path 65 is a path that makes a U-turn while extending upward from below on the rear side of the printer unit 11, and reaches the discharge tray 21 through a space between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the conveyance path 65 between the conveyance roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 is provided at a substantially central portion of the multifunction machine 10 in the left-right direction 9, and in the front-rear direction 8. It extends. Note that the conveyance direction 16 of the paper 12 in the conveyance path 65 is indicated by a one-dot chain line arrow in FIG.

[Conveying roller unit 54]
As shown in FIG. 2, the transport roller unit 54 is disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction 16 from the recording unit 24. The conveyance roller unit 54 includes a conveyance roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 that face each other. The conveyance roller 60 is driven by a conveyance motor. The pinch roller 61 is rotated along with the rotation of the conveyance roller 60. The sheet 12 is nipped by a conveyance roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 that are normally rotated by the normal rotation of the conveyance motor, and is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16.

[Discharge roller section 55]
As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge roller portion 55 is disposed downstream of the recording portion 24 in the transport direction 16. The discharge roller unit 55 includes a discharge roller 62 and a spur 63 that face each other. The discharge roller 62 is driven by a transport motor. The spur 63 is rotated along with the rotation of the discharge roller 62. The sheet 12 is nipped by a discharge roller 62 and a spur 63 that are normally rotated by the normal rotation of the conveyance motor, and is conveyed in the conveyance direction 16.

[Recording unit 24]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 24 is disposed between the conveyance roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 in the conveyance direction 16. The recording unit 24 is disposed so as to face the platen 42 in the up and down direction 7 with the conveyance path 65 interposed therebetween. That is, the recording unit 24 is disposed above the transport path 65 in the vertical direction 7 and at a position facing the transport path 65. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 23 and a recording head 39 (an example of a head or a liquid consumption unit).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage 23 is supported by guide rails 43 and 44 that extend in the left-right direction 9 at positions spaced in the front-rear direction 8. The guide rails 43 and 44 are supported by the frame of the printer unit 11. The carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism provided on the guide rail 44. This belt mechanism is driven by a carriage motor (not shown). That is, the carriage 23 connected to the belt mechanism reciprocates in the left-right direction 9 by driving the carriage motor. The movement range of the carriage 23 extends from the conveyance path 65 to the right and left in the left-right direction 9 as indicated by the one-dot chain line in FIG.

  Also, from the carriage 23, an ink tube 32 that connects the ink tank 100 and the recording head 39, a control board on which a control unit (not shown) is mounted, and a flexible flat cable 33 that electrically connects the recording head 39 are provided. It has been extended. The ink tube 32 supplies the ink stored in the ink tank 100 to the recording head 39. More specifically, four ink tubes 32B, 32M, 32C, and 32Y through which ink of each color (black, magenta, cyan, and yellow) circulates (these may be collectively referred to as “ink tube 32”). .) Are extended from the ink tank 100 and connected to the carriage 23 in a bundled state. The flexible flat cable 33 transmits a control signal output from the control unit to the recording head 39.

  The recording head 39 is mounted on the carriage 23 as shown in FIG. A plurality of nozzles 40 are formed on the lower surface of the recording head 39. The tips of the plurality of nozzles 40 are exposed from the lower surface of the recording head 39 and the carriage 23 on which the recording head 39 is mounted. Hereinafter, the surface where the tip of the nozzle 40 is exposed may be referred to as a “nozzle surface”. The recording head 39 ejects ink from the nozzle 40 as fine ink droplets. In the process of moving the carriage 23, the recording head 39 ejects ink droplets toward the paper 12 supported by the platen 42. As a result, an image is recorded on the paper 12.

[Platen 42]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the platen 42 is disposed between the transport roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 in the transport direction 16. The platen 42 is disposed so as to face the recording unit 24 in the vertical direction 7 and supports the paper 12 conveyed by the conveyance roller unit 54 from below.

[Ink tank 100]
As shown in FIG. 1, the ink tank 100 is accommodated in the multifunction machine 10. The ink tank 100 is fixed to the multifunction device 10 so that it cannot be easily removed from the multifunction device 10. More specifically, the ink tank 100 is accommodated in the multifunction peripheral 10 through an opening 22 formed on the front surface of the casing of the multifunction peripheral 10 and at the right end in the left-right direction 9. The opening 22 is adjacent to the opening 13 in the left-right direction 9. However, the front surface of the ink tank 100 (a part of a base wall 101A and an inclined wall 101B described later) is in front of the opening 22 in the front-rear direction 8 (more specifically, in front of the front wall of the casing that defines the opening 22). To position. The casing of the multifunction machine 10 has a support surface 28 (see FIG. 10) located inside the opening 22 and below the ink tank 100. The ink tank 100 is supported on the support surface 28.

  The multifunction machine 10 is provided with a box-shaped cover 70 that can cover the front surface of the ink tank 100 positioned in front of the opening 22. The cover 70 covers the opening 22 and the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 (see FIG. 1A), and the exposure position (exposes the opening 22 and the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 to the outside of the multifunction machine 10). It is supported by the casing of the multi-function device 10 so as to be rotatable between FIG. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the cover 70 is supported by the casing of the multifunction machine 10 so as to be rotatable around a rotation shaft 71 extending in the left-right direction 9 on the lower end side in the vertical direction 7. The rotation shaft 71 in the present embodiment is located in front of the front wall 101 in the front-rear direction 8 (that is, on the opposite side of the ink chamber 111 with respect to the front wall 101) and below the ink tank 100 in the vertical direction 7. .

  However, the cover 70 provided in the multifunction machine 10 is not limited to a form that rotates between the covering position and the exposure position. For example, it may move in parallel between the covering position and the exposure position separated in the front-rear direction 8, or may be provided so as to be detachable from the casing of the multifunction machine 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ink tank 100 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The ink tank 100 includes a front wall 101 (an example of a standing wall), a right wall 102 (an example of a side wall), a left wall 103, an upper wall 104, and a lower wall 105. On the other hand, the rear surface of the ink tank 100 is open. The film 106 is welded to the rear end surfaces of the right wall 102, the left wall 103, the upper wall 104, and the lower wall 105, whereby the rear surface of the ink tank 100 is sealed. That is, the film 106 forms the rear wall of the ink tank 100. The ink tank 100 having the above configuration is integrally formed by, for example, injection molding of a resin material. For example, the internal shape of the ink tank 100 to be described later is defined by a mold (not shown) that is pulled backward from the opened rear surface of the ink tank 100.

  The upper wall 104 defines the upper end of the ink chamber 111 in the vertical direction 7. The lower wall 105 defines the lower end of the ink chamber 111 in the vertical direction 7. The front wall 101, the right wall 102, and the left wall 103 are erected between the upper wall 104 and the lower wall 105 so as to intersect the upper wall 104 and the lower wall 105. Each of the walls 101 to 105 has at least translucency so that the ink in the ink chamber 111 is visible from the outside of the ink tank 100. The front wall 101 includes a base wall 101A extending in a generally vertical direction 7 from the lower wall 105, and an inclined wall 101B that is continuous with the base wall 101A at the upper end of the base wall 101A and is inclined with respect to the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. It consists of The inclined wall 101B is inclined rearward (that is, the ink chamber 111 side) with respect to the base wall 101A.

[Ink chamber 111]
Inside the ink tank 100, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of partition walls 107, 108, and 109 are provided to partition the internal space. Each of the partition walls 107, 108, and 109 extends in the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8, and is connected to the front wall 101, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, and the film 106. Further, the partition walls 107 to 109 are spaced apart in the left-right direction 9. As a result, the internal space of the ink tank 100 is partitioned into four ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y adjacent in the left-right direction 9. The ink chamber 111 is an example of a liquid storage chamber that stores ink discharged from the nozzles 40.

  The ink chamber 111 </ b> B is a space defined by the front wall 101, the right wall 102, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, the film 106, and the partition wall 107. The ink chamber 111M is a space defined by the front wall 101, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, the film 106, and the partition walls 107 and 108. The ink chamber 111 </ b> C is a space defined by the front wall 101, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, the film 106, and the partition walls 108 and 109. The ink chamber 111 </ b> Y is a space defined by the front wall 101, the left wall 103, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, the film 106, and the partition wall 109.

  Hereinafter, the ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y may be collectively referred to as “ink chamber 111”. Further, four constituent elements corresponding to each ink chamber 111 are given different reference numbers only in the last alphabet (B, M, C, Y). Sometimes abbreviated.

  Each ink chamber 111 stores different colors of ink. Specifically, black ink is stored in the ink chamber 111B, cyan ink is stored in the ink chamber 111C, magenta ink is stored in the ink chamber 111M, and yellow ink is stored in the ink chamber 111Y. Each color ink is an example of a liquid. However, the number of ink chambers 111 and the ink color are not limited to the above example. The ink chamber 111 is arranged along the left-right direction 9. Of the four ink chambers 111B, 111M, 111C, and 111Y, the ink chamber 111B is disposed on the rightmost side, and the ink chamber 111Y is disposed on the leftmost side. Further, the ink chamber 111B has a larger volume than the other ink chambers 111M, 111C, and 111Y.

[Inlet 112]
The inclined wall 101B of the ink tank 100 is provided with inlets 112B, 112M, 112C, and 112Y for injecting ink into the ink chambers 111. The inlet 112 penetrates the inclined wall 101B in the thickness direction, and connects the corresponding ink chamber 111 to the outside of the ink tank 100. The inclined wall 101 </ b> B has an inner surface facing the ink chamber 111 and an outer surface facing the outside of the ink tank 100. The inclined wall 101B is inclined so that the outer surface is located above the inner surface. Accordingly, the inlet 112 directly connects the ink chamber 111 and the outside of the ink tank 100. That is, there is no flow path between the injection port 112 and the ink chamber 111 that has a smaller sectional area than the injection port and is bent. Further, the inlet 112 may be provided in the upper wall 104 instead of the inclined wall 101B. That is, in the ink tank 100 in which the upper wall 104 and the front wall 101 are connected, the inlet 112 may be provided in the upper wall 104.

  The inclined wall 101B and the inlet 112 provided in the inclined wall 101B are exposed to the outside of the multifunction machine 10 by positioning the cover 70 at the exposed position, as shown in FIG. The injection port 112 is provided in the inclined wall 101 </ b> B in front of the opening 22. In the present embodiment, the posture (injection posture) of the ink tank 100 when ink is injected into the ink chamber 111 through the injection port 112 coincides with the posture of the ink tank 100 when the multifunction machine 10 is in the use posture. That is, ink is injected into the ink chamber 111 through the injection port 112 when the multifunction machine 10 is in the use posture. Although the injection port 112 in this embodiment is circular, the shape of the injection port 112 is not limited to this, and may be elliptical, polygonal, or the like.

  The ink tank 100 includes caps 113B, 113M, 113C, and 113Y that can be attached to and detached from the inlet 112. As shown in FIG. 1A, the cap 113 attached to the injection port 112 is in close contact with the periphery of the injection port 112 to close the injection port 112. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1B, the cap 113 removed from the injection port 112 opens the injection port 112. The cap 113 is attached to and detached from the inlet 112 with the cover 70 positioned at the exposed position. In addition, by removing the cap 113 from the injection port 112, ink can be injected into the ink chamber 111.

[Ink outflow path 114]
As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, ink outflow paths 114 </ b> B, 114 </ b> M, 114 </ b> C, 114 </ b> Y (an example of a liquid outflow path) are connected to each ink chamber 111. The ink outflow passage 114 is a passage through which ink stored in the corresponding ink chamber 111 flows out of the ink tank 100. In the present embodiment, the ink outflow path 114 is a flow path from the corresponding ink chamber 111 to the right side surface of the ink tank 100 (that is, the outer surface of the right wall 102).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink outflow path 114Y communicates with the ink chamber 111Y through an opening 115Y provided near the lower end of the partition wall 109 that defines the right surface of the ink chamber 111Y. The opening 115Y is formed in the partition wall 109 at a position surrounded by the lower step wall 146Y and the connection wall 147Y (more specifically, below the upper step wall 145Y and between the connection walls 147Y and 147C in the front-rear direction 8). ing. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the ink outflow path 114 </ b> Y reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the opening 116 </ b> Y provided in the right wall 102. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9A, the ink outflow path 114Y extends rightward from the opening 115Y along the left-right direction 9 on the front side of the ink chambers 111B, 111M, and 111C. It penetrates the wall 102 and reaches the opening 116Y (that is, the right side surface of the ink tank 100).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink outflow path 114C communicates with the ink chamber 111C through an opening 115C provided near the lower end of the partition wall 108 that defines the right surface of the ink chamber 111C. The opening 115C is formed in the partition wall 108 at a position surrounded by the lower step wall 146C and the connection wall 147C (more specifically, below the upper step wall 145C and between the connection walls 147C and 147M in the front-rear direction 8). ing. Further, the ink outflow path 114C reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the opening 116C provided in the right wall 102, as shown in FIG. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9A, the ink outflow passage 114C extends rightward from the opening 115C along the left-right direction 9 on the front side of the ink chambers 111B and 111M, and the right wall 102 To reach the opening 116C.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink outflow path 114 </ b> M communicates with the ink chamber 111 </ b> M through an opening 115 </ b> M provided near the lower end of the partition wall 107 that defines the right surface of the ink chamber 111 </ b> M. The opening 115M is formed in the partition wall 107 at a position surrounded by the lower step wall 146M and the connection wall 147M (more specifically, below the upper step wall 145M and between the connection walls 147M and 147B in the front-rear direction 8). ing. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the ink outflow path 114 </ b> M reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the opening 116 </ b> M provided in the right wall 102. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9A, the ink outflow passage 114M extends rightward from the opening 115M along the left-right direction 9 on the front side of the ink chamber 111B and penetrates the right wall 102. Then, the opening 116M is reached.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink outflow path 114 </ b> B communicates with the ink chamber 111 </ b> B through an opening 115 </ b> B provided near the boundary between the right wall 102 and the lower wall 105 that defines the right and bottom surfaces of the ink chamber 111 </ b> B. The opening 115B is formed in the connection wall 147B at a position surrounded by the lower step wall 146B and the connection wall 147B (ie, below the upper step wall 145B and behind the connection wall 147B). Above the opening 115B, a partition wall 110 is provided that intersects the direction of ink flow into the opening 115B (ie, downward in the vertical direction 7). Further, the ink outflow path 114B reaches the right side surface of the ink tank 100 through the opening 116B provided in the right wall 102, as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the ink outflow passage 114B extends forward from the opening 115M along the front-rear direction 8, and passes through the right wall 102 in front of the ink outflow passages 114M, 114C, 114Y to the opening 116B. It reaches. Further, the ink outflow path 114B extending in the front-rear direction 8 intersects with the ink outflow paths 114M, 114C, 114Y extending in the left-right direction 9. More specifically, the ink outflow path 114B extends forward under the ink outflow paths 114M, 114C, 114Y extending in the left-right direction 9.

  In addition, as FIG. 7 shows, the connection wall 147 located in the left side is arrange | positioned ahead. That is, the connection wall 147Y is positioned in front of the connection walls 147B, 147M, and 147C. The connection wall 147C is located in front of the connection walls 147B and 147M. The connection wall 147M is located in front of the connection wall 147B. The ink outflow path 115Y is a space surrounded by the upper stage walls 145B, 145M, and 145C and the connection walls 147B, 147M, and 147C (that is, below the upper stage walls 145B, 145M, and 145C, from the connection walls 147B, 147M, and 147C). It is provided at the front and behind the connection wall 147Y. The ink outflow path 115C is in a space surrounded by the upper stage walls 145B and 145M and the connection walls 147B and 147M (that is, lower than the upper stage walls 145B and 145M, forward of the connection walls 147B and 147M, and forward of the connection wall 147C). Is provided. The ink outflow path 115M is provided in a space surrounded by the upper stage wall 145B and the connection wall 147B (that is, lower than the upper stage wall 145B, forward of the connection wall 147B, and forward of the connection wall 147M).

[Ink outlet path 117]
As shown in FIG. 8, ink outlet paths 117 </ b> B, 117 </ b> M, 117 </ b> C, and 117 </ b> Y are provided on the right side surface of the ink tank 100. One end of each of the ink outlet paths 117B, 117M, 117C, and 117Y is connected to the corresponding ink outlet paths 114B, 114M, 114C, and 114Y at the positions of the openings 116B, 116M, 116C, and 116Y, and the other end is connected to the connecting portions 118B, 118M, and 118Y. It is connected to 118C and 118Y. Four ink tubes 32 </ b> B, 32 </ b> M, 32 </ b> C, and 32 </ b> Y (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the inks of the respective colors are connected to the connecting portion 118 protruding from the upper wall 104 of the ink tank 100. That is, the ink outlet path 117 is a path that guides the ink that has flowed out of the ink chamber 111 through the corresponding ink outlet path 114 to the recording head 39 through the ink tube 32 that is connected to the corresponding connecting portion 118. The volumes of the ink outlet paths 117 and the ink tubes 32 are substantially the same.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the right wall 102 of the ink tank 100 is provided with a plurality of projecting walls 121 </ b> A to 121 </ b> I (these may be collectively referred to as “projecting walls 121”). . The protruding wall 121 protrudes rightward from the outer surface (right side surface) of the right wall 102 and extends along the outer surface of the right wall 102. A film 122 is welded to the right end of each protruding wall 121. A single (common) film 122 is welded to the projecting walls 121A to 121I in the present embodiment. The ink lead-out path 117 indicates a space defined by the adjacent protruding walls 121 </ b> A to 121 </ b> H and the film 122.

  The projecting walls 121A and 121B that define the ink outlet path 117B extend rearward from a position sandwiching the opening 116B, and further extend upward to reach the upper end of the ink tank 100. The protruding walls 121C and 121D that define the ink outlet path 117Y, the protruding walls 121E and 121F that define the ink outlet path 117C, and the protruding walls 121G and 121H that define the ink outlet path 117M have corresponding openings 116Y, 116C, and 116M. It extends downward from the sandwiching position, and further extends upward on the rear side of the openings 116Y, 116C, 116M to reach the upper end of the ink tank 100. That is, the ink outlet paths 117Y, 117C, and 117M are connected to the corresponding ink outlet paths 114Y, 114C, and 114M below the openings 116Y, 116C, and 116M (referred to as “below the center in the vertical direction 7”). . Further, each ink outlet path 117 is connected to the corresponding connecting portion 118 through a space (not shown) extending in the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9 inside the ink tank 100.

[Atmospheric communication passage 126]
As shown in FIG. 5, atmospheric communication paths 126B, 126M, 126C, and 126Y are connected to each ink chamber 111. The atmosphere communication path 126 allows the corresponding ink chamber 111 to communicate with the atmosphere. More specifically, the atmosphere communication passage 126 communicates with the corresponding ink chamber 111 through the notch 127 and communicates with the outside of the ink tank 100 through the opening 132. The atmosphere communication passage 126 is a passage from the notch 127 to the opening 132 through an internal space (not shown) of the ink tank 100. The air communication path 126 allows air to flow in and out between the ink chamber 111 and the outside of the ink tank 100.

[Transparent window 72]
As shown in FIG. 1A, the cover 70 is provided with a transmission window 72 (an example of a transmission part). The transmission window 72 is a transmission section that makes the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 visible from the outside of the multifunction machine 10 in a state where the cover 70 is located at the covering position. Hereinafter, a region between the front wall 101 and the transmission window 72 facing each other in the front-rear direction 8 may be referred to as a “facing region”. On the other hand, an area of the cover 70 different from the transmission window 72 is a non-transmission portion that makes the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 invisible from the outside of the multifunction device 10 in a state where the cover 70 is located at the covering position. . Note that the cover 70 may have no transmission window. The “face-to-face region” of the cover 70 having no transmission window is, for example, a space including at least a space ahead of the surface of the front wall 101. More specifically, the facing area can also be defined as an area between the front wall 101 and the cover 70 facing in the front-rear direction 8.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the transmission window 72 includes an opening 73 that penetrates the cover 70 in the thickness direction and a film 74 that closes the opening 73. The film 74 is made of a light transmissive material. The film 74 in this embodiment is attached to the periphery of the opening 73 on the outer surface of the cover 70 (that is, the surface opposite to the inner surface of the cover 70 facing the front wall 101). As a result, the front wall 101 and the film 74 are separated from each other in the front-rear direction 8. However, the specific configuration of the transmission window 72 is not limited to this.

[Ink container 75]
Further, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, an ink storage portion 75 (an example of a liquid storage portion) is provided on the inner surface of the cover 70 (that is, the upper surface of the cover 70 at the exposed position). The ink containing portion 75 is provided in the non-transmissive portion of the cover 70. In other words, the ink containing portion 75 is provided at a position that deviates below the facing area in a state where the cover 70 is located at the covering position. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the ink containing portion 75 is provided on the rear side (that is, the side close to the ink chamber 111) from the rotation shaft 71 of the cover 70 in the exposed position. Further, the ink containing portion 75 is disposed below the injection port 112 in the vertical direction 7 and between the front wall 101 and the cover 70 in the front-rear direction 8 with the cover 70 positioned at the exposed position.

  The ink containing portion 75 when the cover 70 is located at the exposed position is disposed closer to the ink chamber 111 than the rotation axis defined in the direction in which the rotation shaft 71 extends. Ink can be prevented from flowing forward, that is, to the user side. Further, since the ink containing portion 75 when the cover 70 is located at the exposed position is located on the ink chamber 111 side with respect to the rotation shaft 71, it is difficult to visually recognize from the user. Therefore, even if the ink containing portion 75 contains ink, the contaminated ink containing portion 75 need not be shown to the user. Thereby, it is suppressed that the beauty | look of the multifunction device 10 is impaired.

  The ink containing portion 75 is partitioned by a pair of ribs 75A and 75B that project from the inner surface of the cover 70 and extend in the left-right direction 9. In addition, the ink containing portion 75 is filled with an ink absorbing member 76 (liquid absorbing member). In a state where the cover 70 is located at the exposed position, the upper surface of the ink absorbing member 76 is exposed. The ink absorbing member 76 is formed of a porous material such as foamed polyurethane, for example. The ink absorbing member 76 may be continuously disposed across the position corresponding to each ink flow path 150 in the left-right direction 9 or may be independently disposed below each ink flow path. .

[Ink channel 150]
On the outer surface of the front wall 101, an ink channel 150 (an example of a liquid channel) is provided as shown in FIGS. The ink flow path 150 is a flow path for guiding ink spilled from the inlet 112 to the ink containing portion 75. More specifically, the ink flow path 150 passes through a position different from the outer surface of the base wall 101A corresponding to the position where the inner surface faces the ink chamber 111 (hereinafter referred to as “viewing surface”), and passes through the inlet 112. And the base wall 101 </ b> A to the ink storage portion 75. The ink flow path 150 according to the present embodiment includes a first flow path 151 extending along the left-right direction 9 on the outer surface of the inclined wall 101B, and a second flow path 156 extending along the vertical direction 7 on the outer surface of the base wall 101A. 157 and 158. In this specification, “extending along the direction” is not limited to being completely coincident with the direction, and a certain amount of deviation is allowed.

  The first flow channel 151 is a concave groove extending along the left-right direction 9 on the outer surface of the inclined wall 101B between the respective inlets 112B, 112M, 112C, 112Y and the base wall 101A. Further, the lower end of the first flow path 151 is defined by a rib 152 that protrudes from the outer surface of the inclined wall 101 </ b> B and extends along the left-right direction 9. The rib 152 is provided with notches 153, 154, and 155 at positions corresponding to the partition walls 107, 108, and 109 in the left-right direction 9. The ink in the first flow path 151 flows out to the second flow paths 156, 157, 158 through the notches 153, 154, 155. The upper surface of the first channel 151 is open so that ink spilled from each inlet 112 can flow.

  The second flow paths 156, 157 and 158 are concave grooves extending in the vertical direction 7 on the outer surface of the base wall 101 A at positions corresponding to the partition walls 107, 108 and 109 in the left-right direction 9. That is, the partition walls 107, 108, 109 in contact with the inner surface of the base wall 101A and the second flow paths 156, 157, 158 in contact with the outer surface of the base wall 101A face each other with the base wall 101A interposed therebetween. That is, the second flow paths 156, 157, and 158 are provided at positions that are outside the viewing surface for visually recognizing the ink in the ink chamber 111 from the outside of the ink tank 100. In addition, by forming the second flow paths 156, 157, and 158 at positions that are in contact with the outer surface of the base wall 101A corresponding to the positions of the partition walls 107 to 109, a portion that does not contribute to the visual recognition of the ink is utilized to save sparseness. Can be planned.

  The upper ends of the second flow paths 156, 157 and 158 are connected to the first flow path 151 at the positions of the notches 153, 154 and 155. The notches 153, 154, and 155 are formed at positions shifted in the left-right direction 9 from the viewing surface of the ink chamber 111. Further, the lower ends of the second flow paths 156, 157, 158 are connected to the ink containing portion 75 of the cover 70 at the exposed position. As shown in FIG. 11, the ink tank 100 and the ink container 75 are separated from each other in the vertical direction 7. However, the fact that the second flow paths 156, 157, 158 and the ink containing portion 75 are connected is not limited to the direct contact between them, and the second flow paths 156, 157, 158 are discharged from the lower ends. Any positional relationship may be employed as long as the obtained ink is accommodated in the ink accommodating portion 75. That is, in the present embodiment, the ink that has reached the lower ends of the second flow paths 156, 157, 158 falls into the ink storage portion 75 that is spaced apart from the lower side of the ink tank 100 and is stored in the ink storage portion 75. Absorbed by the ink absorbing member 76.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
In the MFP 10 configured as described above, the ink spilled from the inlet 112 first flows into the first flow path 151. The ink that has flowed into the first flow path 151 flows into the second flow paths 156, 157, and 158 through the notches 153, 154, and 155 formed at positions shifted from the ink chamber 111 in the left-right direction 9, and the ink It flows downward through a position shifted in the left-right direction 9 from the viewing surface of the chamber 111.

  On the other hand, since the ink in the first flow path 151 is blocked by the ribs 152, the viewing surface of the base wall 101A is contaminated by the outflow of ink from the first flow path 151 at positions other than the notches 153, 154, and 155. Is suppressed. That is, the first flow path 151 and the second flow paths 156, 157, and 158 guide the ink spilled from the inlet 112 so as to bypass the viewing surface of the base wall 101A, and are finally provided below the viewing surface. By causing the ink absorbing member 76 to absorb, a decrease in visibility inside the ink tank 100 can be suppressed.

  Note that a plurality of ribs 159A, 159B, and 159C may be provided inside the first flow path 151, as shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. Each of the ribs 159A to 159C extends in the left-right direction 9 along the first flow path 151, and in the vertical direction 7 along the outer surface of the inclined wall 101B (in other words, the bottom surface of the first flow path 151). It is arranged adjacent to. A tubular channel extending in the left-right direction 9 is formed between the ribs 159A to 159C adjacent to each other in the up-down direction 7. The ink that has flowed into the tubular flow path between the ribs 159A to 159C is held by the surface tension of the ink itself, and is guided in the left-right direction 9 by capillary action. As a result, the ink that has spilled from the injection port 112 and has flowed into the first flow path 151 is prevented from flowing out of the first flow path 151 at positions other than the notches 153, 154, and 155.

  Further, the ink that has flowed into the second flow paths 156, 157, 158 is discharged from the lower ends of the second flow paths 156, 157, 158 and reaches the ink containing portion 75. Since the second flow paths 156, 157, 158 extend in the up-down direction 7, the ink can be smoothly discharged to the ink containing portion 75. Further, since the second flow paths 156, 157, and 158 are provided at positions deviating from the viewing surface, contamination of the viewing surface with the ink is suppressed.

  In addition, the ink discharged from the second flow paths 156, 157, 158 is absorbed by the ink absorbing member 76 of the ink containing portion 75. As a result, the ink can be prevented from leaking out of the multifunction device 10. Furthermore, since the ink storage portion 75 is provided at a position that is out of the facing area, the ink storage portion 75 is difficult to see from the outside of the multifunction machine 10 in a state where the cover 70 is positioned at the covering position.

  In the present embodiment, the ink containing portion 75 of the cover 70 disposed at the covering position is not connected to the second flow paths 156, 157, and 158. However, the ink is discharged into the ink containing portion 75 through the liquid flow path 150 mainly when the cover 70 is rotated to the exposed position and the ink is injected from the injection port 112. Therefore, it is only necessary that the ink containing portion 75 and the second flow paths 156, 157, 158 be connected at least when the cover 70 is disposed at the exposed position.

  Note that the position of the ink storage portion 75 is not limited to the inner surface of the cover 70 as long as it is a position that can store the ink discharged from the liquid flow path 150. For example, the ink storage portion 75 may be provided on the support surface 28 of the casing of the multifunction machine 10 or may be provided on the outer surface of the right wall 102 of the ink tank 100 as shown in FIG.

[Modification 1]
With reference to FIG. 12, an ink tank 100A according to Modification 1 will be described. In addition, the same reference number is attached | subjected to the same structure as said embodiment, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted, and it demonstrates centering around difference. The ink tank 100A according to Modification 1 is different from the above embodiment in the position and shape of the ink flow path 160 and the ink storage portion 161.

  The ink flow path 160 according to Modification 1 is a groove extending along the left-right direction 9 on the outer surface of the inclined wall 101B between each of the injection ports 112B, 112M, 112C, 112Y and the base wall 101A. In addition, the ink containing portion 161 according to the first modification is provided on the outer surface of the right wall 102. More specifically, the ink containing portion 161 is defined by the protruding wall 121A and the protruding wall 162 protruding rightward from the outer edge of the right wall 102. The protruding wall 162 can also be expressed as a portion in which the front wall 101 and the upper wall 104 are extended rightward from the outer surface of the right wall 102.

  The ink flow path 160 extends to the outer surface of the protruding wall 162. The protruding wall 162 is formed with a through hole 163 that allows the ink flow path 160 and the ink storage portion 161 to communicate with each other. Further, notches 153, 154, and 155 are omitted from the rib 152. Further, an ink absorbing member (not shown) may be filled in the ink containing portion 161. Furthermore, the ink container 161 may be sealed by enlarging the film 122 of FIG. 5 and welding the film 122 to the tips of the protruding walls 121A and 162.

  Also with the above configuration, the ink spilled from the injection port 112 can be discharged through the ink flow path 160 to the ink containing portion 161 that is difficult to see from the outside of the multifunction machine 10. In addition, since ink does not pass through the outer surface of the base wall 101A, it is possible to further suppress a decrease in visibility inside the ink tank 100A. In order to smoothly discharge the ink in the ink flow path 160 to the ink storage portion 161, the ink flow path 160 may be inclined downward toward the ink storage portion 161 (that is, rightward).

[Modification 2]
With reference to FIG. 13, an ink tank 100B according to Modification 2 will be described. In addition, the same reference number is attached | subjected to the same structure as said embodiment and the modification 1, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted, and it demonstrates centering on difference. The ink tank 100B according to Modification 2 is different from the above embodiment in the position and shape of the ink flow path 170. The ink flow path 170 according to Modification 2 includes a first flow path 171 that extends along the left-right direction 9 on the outer surface of the inclined wall 101B, and a second flow path 172 that extends along the vertical direction 7 on the outer surface of the right wall 102. Consists of.

  The first flow channel 171 is a concave groove extending along the left-right direction 9 on the outer surface of the inclined wall 101B between each of the inlets 112B, 112M, 112C, 112Y and the base wall 101A. The second flow path 172 is a groove formed between a pair of projecting walls 173 and 174 (an example of a pair of ribs) protruding rightward from the outer surface of the right wall 102 and extending in the vertical direction 7. The second flow path 172 is connected at its upper end to the right end of the first flow path 171 and at its lower end is connected to an ink storage portion (not shown). Furthermore, the second flow path 172 may be sealed by enlarging the film 122 of FIG. 5 and welding it to the tips of the protruding walls 173 and 174.

  Also with the above configuration, the ink spilled from the injection port 112 is discharged through the ink flow path 170 to an ink storage unit (not shown) disposed below the ink flow path 170 and at a position that is difficult to see from the outside of the multifunction machine 10. can do. In addition, since ink does not pass through the outer surface of the base wall 101A, it is possible to further suppress a decrease in visibility inside the ink tank 100B. In addition, the ink storage part in the modification 2 may be arrange | positioned at the inner surface of the cover 70, and may be arrange | positioned at the support surface 28, for example.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment and Modifications 1 and 2, the ink has been described as an example of the liquid, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, instead of ink, pretreatment liquid discharged onto the recording paper prior to ink at the time of printing, water sprayed in the vicinity of the nozzle 40 of the recording head 39 in order to prevent the nozzle 40 of the recording head 39 from drying, etc. May be a liquid. Note that the present invention has a particularly advantageous effect when applied to a liquid consuming apparatus including a tank that stores colored liquid.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... MFP 24 ... Recording part 70 ... Cover 71 ... Rotating shaft 72 ... Transmission window 75, 161 ... Ink storage part 76 ... Ink absorption member 100 ... Ink tank 101 ... front wall 101A ... base wall 101B ... inclined wall 102 ... right wall 107, 108, 109 ... partition 111 ... ink chamber 112 ... inlet 150, 170 ... Ink channel 151, 171 ... First channel 156, 157, 158, 172 ... Second channel 159A, 159B, 159C ... Rib

Claims (13)

A liquid storage chamber in which liquid is stored, and a tank having a standing wall that defines one end of the liquid storage chamber in a first direction intersecting the vertical direction;
A liquid storage part that is provided outside the tank and at a position outside the facing region facing the outer surface of the standing wall;
A liquid consuming unit that consumes the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber,
The above standing wall is
A base wall formed at a position where a viewing surface where the liquid in the liquid storage chamber is visible from the outside faces the liquid storage chamber;
And an inclined wall that is inclined toward the liquid storage chamber at the upper end of the base wall, and is formed with an injection port for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber.
The liquid consumption is formed on the outer surface of the standing wall through a position different from the viewing surface of the base wall and from a position between the inlet and the base wall to the liquid container. apparatus. The liquid storage chamber is partitioned into a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber adjacent to each other in a vertical direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, by a partition wall in contact with the inner surface of the base wall.
The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid channel is formed on an outer surface of the base wall corresponding to a position in contact with the partition wall. A coating position for covering the standing wall from the outside of the liquid consuming device on the opposite side of the liquid storage chamber with respect to the base wall and around a rotation axis extending in the second direction below the tank; and the liquid It has a cover that can be rotated to the exposed position where the standing wall is exposed to the outside of the consumption device,
The liquid consuming device according to claim 2, wherein the liquid channel is connected to the liquid container provided on the upper surface of the cover at the exposed position and closer to the liquid storage chamber than the rotation axis. . The cover has a transmissive portion that allows at least a part of the viewing surface of the base wall to be visible from the outside of the liquid consuming device at the covering position,
The liquid consuming device according to claim 3, wherein the facing region is a region between the viewing surface of the base wall in the first direction and the transmission portion. A supporting surface for supporting the tank below the tank;
The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid container is provided on the support surface. The tank has a side wall in contact with an end of the standing wall in a vertical direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and intersecting the standing wall,
The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid container is provided on an outer surface of the side wall.   7. The liquid channel according to claim 1, wherein the liquid channel includes a groove extending along an outer surface of the inclined wall below the inlet along a second direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the first direction. Liquid consuming device.   The liquid consuming device according to claim 7, wherein the groove is provided with a plurality of ribs each extending along the groove and adjacent in the vertical direction along the outer surface of the standing wall. The liquid storage chamber is partitioned into a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber adjacent to each other in a vertical direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction by a partition wall contacting the inner surface of the standing wall.
The liquid channel is
A first flow path extending along the second direction on the outer surface of the inclined wall below the inlet;
The liquid according to claim 1, further comprising: a second flow path that is connected to the first flow path and extends along an up-down direction on an outer surface of the base wall corresponding to a position in contact with the partition wall. Consuming device.   The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid container is filled with a liquid absorbing member that absorbs liquid.   The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid flow path is a concave groove provided on an outer surface of the standing wall.   The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid channel is a groove formed between a pair of ribs provided upright on an outer surface of the standing wall. A liquid storage chamber in which liquid is stored, and a tank having a standing wall that defines one end of the liquid storage chamber in a first direction intersecting the vertical direction;
A liquid storage part that is provided outside the tank and at a position outside the facing region facing the outer surface of the standing wall;
A liquid consuming unit that consumes the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber,
On the above standing wall,
An inlet for injecting liquid into the liquid storage chamber;
Below the inlet, a viewing surface that allows the liquid in the liquid storage chamber to be visually recognized from the outside,
A liquid consuming device in which an outer surface of the standing wall is formed with a liquid flow path from a position between the injection port and the viewing surface to the liquid storage portion through a position different from the viewing surface.

Images