Liquid container

• US 20050068382A1
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Seino, Takeo, Shinada, Satoshi, Ishizawa, Taku, Kimura, Hitotoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,293,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/85
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure

Abstract

A liquid container includes a container body (2) formed with a liquid supply port (3), and a container-side fixing structure (7) which releasably regulates movement of the liquid container in an outward pulling direction in cooperation with apparatus-side fixing structure provided for the container mounting part in a state where the liquid container is mounted onto the container mounting part. The container-side fixing structure (7) has a guide groove (16) into which a fixing pin of the apparatus-side fixing structure can be inserted, and which guides the fixing pin in mounting and removal operations of the liquid container to and from the container mounting part. The guide groove (16) includes a fixing part (18) which engages the fixing pin to regulate the movement of the liquid container (1) in the pulling direction in the state where the liquid container is mounted to the container mounting part. A slanted entrance surface (22) is located at an entrance part of the guide groove, which slanted entrance surface slants so that a groove depth decreases in the movement direction of the fixing pin that relatively moves in association with an inserting operation of the liquid container into the container mounting part.

Claims

1. A liquid container that can store therein liquid to be supplied to a liquid consuming apparatus, and which can be removably mounted onto a container mounting part of the liquid consuming apparatus, the liquid container comprising:

a container body formed with a liquid supply port through which the liquid to be supplied to the liquid consuming apparatus flows outward; and

a container-side fixing structure which releasably regulates movement of the liquid container in an outward pulling direction in cooperation with apparatus-side fixing structure provided for the container mounting part in a state where the liquid container is mounted onto the container mounting part, the container-side fixing structure comprising;

a guide groove into which a fixing pin of the apparatus-side fixing structure can be inserted, and which guides the fixing pin in mounting and removal operations of the liquid container to and from the container mounting part;

the guide groove including a fixing part which engages the fixing pin to regulate the movement of the liquid container in the pulling direction in the state where the liquid container is mounted to the container mounting part; and

a slanted entrance surface located at an entrance part of the guide groove, which slanted entrance surface slants so that a groove depth decreases in the movement direction of the fixing pin that relatively moves in association with an inserting operation of the liquid container into the container mounting part.

2. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein a width of the slanted entrance surface is greater than a groove width of a main part of the guide groove including the fixing part.

3. The liquid container according to claim 2, wherein

the fixing pin is provided on a top surface of a pin attaching part having a larger diameter than a diameter of this fixing pin;

the width of the slanted entrance surface is set greater than the diameter of the pin attaching part;

the groove width of the main part of the guide groove is less than the diameter of the pin attaching part; and

in a state where the fixing pin is located at the fixing part of the guide groove, a peripheral edge part of the top surface of the pin attaching part fits to a groove edge part of the fixing part.

4. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the guide groove includes an entrance-side guide part which leads the fixing pin when the liquid container is inserted into the container mounting part;

an intermediate guide part which leads the fixing pin to the fixing part when the liquid container that has been inserted into the container mounting part is shifted backward in the pulling direction; and

an exit-side guide part which guides, to an exit part of the guide groove, the fixing pin that has been released from the fixing part by pushing the liquid container in the inserting direction when the liquid container is removed from the container mounting part.

5. The liquid container according to claim 1, further comprising a deep groove forming slant surface provided between the entrance slant surface and the fixing part, which deep groove forming surface slants so that the guide groove becomes deeper in the movement direction of the fixing pin which relatively moves in association with the inserting operation of the liquid container into the container mounting part.

6. The liquid container according to claim 5, wherein

a depth of the shallowest part of the guide groove formed by the slanted entrance surface is less than a length of the fixing pin, and

a depth of the deepest part of the guide groove formed by the deep groove forming slant surface is greater than the length of the fixing pin.

7. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the guide groove is formed on a bottom surface of a recess part formed on a surface of the container body.

8. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein

the guide groove has a temporarily stopping side wall part which stops temporarily movement of the fixing pin that moves in the direction of the fixing part when the liquid container has been inserted into the container mounting part to a sufficient depth, such movement being stopped in front of the fixing part;

and

the fixing part of the guide groove has a lastly stopping side wall part which stops at a predetermined position the fixing pin that is released from the temporarily stopping side wall part and moves to the fixing part when the liquid container that has been inserted into the container mounting part to a sufficient depth is pushed back in the pulling direction.

9. The liquid container according to claim 4, wherein the exit part of the guide groove is connected to the entrance part, and a groove depth of the exit part is shallower than a groove depth of the entrance part in its connection part, whereby a step part is formed at the connection part for guiding the fixing pin when the liquid container is inserted into the container mounting part.

10. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the portion from the entrance part of the guide groove to the fixing part extends at an angle of about 30°

to 50°

relative to the inserting/pulling direction of the liquid container.

11. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the guide groove has a rectangular section.

12. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the liquid consuming apparatus is an ink jet type recording apparatus, and the liquid container is an ink cartridge that is removably mountable to the ink jet type recording apparatus.

13. A liquid container that can store therein liquid to be supplied to a liquid consuming apparatus, and which can be removably mounted onto a container mounting part of the liquid consuming apparatus, the liquid container comprising:

a container body formed with a liquid supply port through which the liquid to be supplied to the liquid consuming apparatus flows outward;

an electrode provided for the container body; and

a container-side fixing structure which releasably regulates movement of the liquid container in an outward pulling direction in cooperation with apparatus-side fixing structure provided for the container mounting part in a state where the liquid container is mounted onto the container mounting part, the container-side fixing structure comprising;

a guide groove into which a fixing pin of the apparatus-side fixing structure can be inserted, and which guides the fixing pin in mounting and removal operations of the liquid container to the container mounting part; and

wherein the electrode is located near the container-side fixing structure.

14. The liquid container according to claim 13, further comprising:

a memory element that stores data regarding the liquid stored in the container, the memory element having the electrode.

15. The liquid container according to claim 13, further comprising:

a circuit board disposed on the container body, the circuit board having a surface on which the electrode is formed.

16. The liquid container according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein

the guide groove includes a fixing part which engages the fixing pin to regulate the movement of the liquid container in the pulling direction in the state where the liquid container is mounted to the container mounting part;

the guide groove has a rectangular section;

the electrode lies in a plane that is perpendicular to a plane containing a bottom surface of the guide groove; and

the fixing part of the guide groove has a side wall part which catches the fixing pin urged in a direction toward the electrode in the state where the liquid container is mounted to the container mounting part.

17. The liquid container according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein

the container body has, generally, a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped;

the liquid supply port is arranged on a front surface of the container body;

the container-side fixing structure is arranged on one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the container body; and

the electrode is arranged on one side surface of the container body.

18. The liquid container according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the container-side fixing structure and the electrode are arranged at a position near the liquid supply port of the container body.

19. The liquid container according to any one of claims 13 to 15, further comprising a container-side positioning part which positions the liquid container at a predetermined mounting position in cooperation with an apparatus-side positioning part that cooperates with the container mounting part, the container-side positioning part being provided on a front surface of the container body;

and the electrode is arranged near the container-side fixing structure and the container-side positioning part.

20. The liquid container according to claim 19, wherein the container-side positioning part has a positioning hole into which a positioning projection constituting the apparatus-side positioning part is inserted;

and the positioning hole and the container-side fixing structure are arranged so that the positioning projection inserted into the positioning hole and the container-side fixing structure overlap each other in a thickness direction of the container body.

21. The liquid container according to claim 19, wherein the apparatus-side positioning part includes an apparatus-side positioning surface which positions the liquid container in its inserting direction;

and the container-side positioning part includes a container-side positioning surface for contact with the apparatus-side positioning surface.

22. The liquid container according to any one of claims 13 to 15, further comprising

an erroneous mount preventing structure for preventing the liquid container from being mounted in error to the container mounting part, the erroneous mount preventing structure being part of the container body;

and the erroneous mount preventing structure is arranged on an opposite side of the container body to the container-side fixing structure in relation to the liquid supply port.

23. The liquid container according to anyone of claims 13 to 15, wherein the liquid consuming apparatus is an ink jet type recording apparatus, and the liquid container is an ink cartridge that is removably mountable to the ink jet type recording apparatus.

24. A liquid container which can store therein liquid to be supplied to a liquid consuming apparatus, and which can be removably mounted onto a container mounting part of the liquid consuming apparatus, the liquid container comprising:

a container body formed with a liquid supply port through which the liquid to be supplied to the liquid consuming apparatus flows outward, the liquid supply port being disposed on a front wall of the container body in an insertion direction when the liquid container is mounted onto the container mounting part;

an electrode provided for the container body, the electrode being connected to an apparatus-side contact provided in the container mounting part when the liquid container is mounted onto the container mounting part;

a container-side abutment part abutting against an apparatus-side abutment part provided in the container mounting part when the liquid container is mounted onto the container mounting part, and receiving a pressing force from the apparatus-side abutment part in a direction opposite from the insertion direction of the liquid container; and

a container fixing mechanism which holds the container body at a predetermined position in the container mounting part against a force acting on the container body from the container mounting part in the direction opposite from the insertion direction of the liquid container when the liquid container is mounted onto the container mounting part;

wherein the liquid supply port, the electrode, the container-side abutment part and the container fixing mechanism are arranged so that the pressing force applied to the container-side abutment part from the apparatus-side abutment part presses the electrode toward the apparatus-side contact when the liquid container is mounted onto the container mounting part.

25. The liquid container according to claim 24, further comprising:

a memory element that stores data regarding the liquid stored in the container body and that has the electrode.

26. The liquid container according to claim 24, further comprising:

a circuit board disposed on the container body, the circuit board having a surface on which the electrode is formed.

27. The liquid container according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the memory element is located near the liquid supply port.

28. The liquid container according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the liquid supply port is disposed at a central portion of the front wall of the container body, and the container-side abutment part is disposed on the front wall of the container body and at such a location that the liquid supply port is disposed between the apparatus-side abutment part and the electrode.

29. The liquid container according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the electrode is disposed on a side wall of the container body.

30. The liquid container according to any one of claims 24 to 26, further comprising:

a container-side positioning part which positions the container body with respect to the container mounting part in cooperation with an apparatus-side positioning part provided in the container mounting part when the liquid container is mounted onto the container mounting part,

wherein the container-side positioning part is disposed between the liquid supply port and the electrode in a lateral direction of the container body.

31. The liquid container according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the container fixing mechanism includes a container-side fixing structure which releasably regulates movement of the liquid container in an outward pulling direction in cooperation with an apparatus-side fixing structure provided in the container mounting part in a state where the liquid container is mounted onto the container mounting part,

the container-side fixing structure is disposed between the liquid supply port and the electrode in a lateral direction of the container body.

32. The liquid container according to claim 31, wherein the container-side fixing structure includes a guide groove into which a fixing pin of the apparatus-side fixing structure can be inserted, and which guides the fixing pin in mounting and removal operations of the liquid container to the container mounting part.

33. The liquid container according to claim 32, wherein

the guide groove includes a fixing part which engages the fixing pin to regulate the movement of the liquid container in the pulling direction in the state where the liquid container is mounted to the container mounting part;

the guide groove has a rectangular section;

the electrode lies in a plane that is perpendicular to a plane containing a bottom surface of the guide groove; and

the fixing part of the guide groove has a side wall part which catches the fixing pin urged in a direction toward the electrode in the state where the liquid container is mounted to the container mounting part.

34. The liquid container according to claim 30,

wherein the container-side positioning part includes a positioning hole into which a positioning projection constituting the apparatus-side positioning part is inserted.

35. The liquid container according to claim 30, wherein the apparatus-side positioning part includes an apparatus-side positioning surface which positions the liquid container in its inserting direction;

and the container-side positioning part includes a container-side positioning surface for contact with the apparatus-side positioning surface.

36. The liquid container according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the container-side abutment part is disposed around an inlet port though which pressurized fluid can be introduced into the container body.

37. The liquid container according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the container-side abutment part is pressed elastically by the apparatus-side abutment part.

38. The liquid container according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the liquid consuming apparatus is an ink jet type recording apparatus, and the liquid container is an ink cartridge that is removably mountable to the ink jet type recording apparatus.

39. An ink cartridge comprising:

a container body having a first wall, a second wall, a third wall, and a corner where the first wall, the second wall and the third wall meet together, the first wall at least in part lying on a first plane, the second wall at least in part lying on a second plane perpendicular to the first plane, and the third wall at least in part lying on a third plane perpendicular to both of the first and second planes;

an ink supply port disposed on the first wall, the ink supply port having an axis perpendicular to the first plane;

a guide groove disposed on the third wall proximate the corner, the guide groove having an entrance-side guide path leading from an entrance part to a fixing part, and an exit-side guide path distinct from the entrance-side guide path and leading from the fixing part to an exit part, the entrance part being open at the first wall; and

an electrode disposed on the second wall proximate the corner, the electrode lying on a plane parallel to the second plane.

40. The ink cartridge according to claim 39, wherein the guide groove is disposed between the ink supply port and the electrode as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first plane.

41. The ink cartridge according to claim 39, wherein the guide groove has a slanted entrance surface located at the entrance part, the slanted entrance surface slants relative to the third plane so that a first joint between the entrance-side guide path and the slanted surface is located between the third plane and a second joint between the front surface and the slanted surface as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the second plane.

42. The ink cartridge according to claim 41, wherein the slanted entrance surface extends across the exit part as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the third plane.

43. The ink cartridge according to claim 42, wherein the exit part is located between the third plane and the first joint as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the second plane.

44. The ink cartridge according to claim 43, wherein the entrance-side guide path includes a first flat surface parallel to the third plane, a second sloped surface inclined relative to the third plane, and a third flat surface parallel to the third plane.

45. The ink cartridge according to claim 44, wherein the first flat surface leads from the sloped entrance surface to the second sloped surface, which leads to the third flat surface, which leads to the fixing part, and the first flat surface is located between the third flat surface and the third plane as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the second plane.

46. The ink cartridge according to claim 39, wherein the fixing part includes a first side wall part which protrudes into the guide groove in a direction away from the first plane as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the third plane, and which protrudes from a bottom of the guide groove substantially perpendicularly as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first plane.

47. The ink cartridge according to claim 46, wherein the fixing part further includes a second side wall part which leads to the first side wall part, which faces the guide groove in a direction away from the first plane as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the third plane, and which protrudes from the bottom of the guide groove substantially perpendicularly as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the first plane.

48. The ink cartridge according to claim 39, wherein the fixing part is defined by a substantially L-shaped side wall surface in part parallel to the second plane.

49. The ink cartridge according to claim 39, further comprising:

a flat surface part disposed on the first wall so that the ink supply port is disposed between the electrode and the flat surface part as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first plane, the flat surface lying on a plane perpendicular to the second and third planes.

50. The ink cartridge according to claim 49, wherein the flat surface part is flush with the first plane.

51. The ink cartridge according to claim 49, further comprising:

a pressurized air inlet port disposed on the front wall, wherein the flat surface part circumscribes the pressurized air inlet port as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the first plane.

52. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 39 to 51, further comprising:

a first positioning hole disposed on the first wall, the first positioning hole having an axis perpendicular to the first wall, the first positioning hole being disposed between the ink supply port and the electrode as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the first plane.

53. The ink cartridge according to claim 52, further comprising:

a second positioning hole disposed on the first wall, the first positioning hole having an axis perpendicular to the first wall, the ink supply port being disposed between the first and second positioning holes as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the first plane.

54. The ink cartridge according to claim 53, further comprising:

a pressurized air inlet port disposed on the first wall, the pressure air inlet port having an axis perpendicular to the first wall, the pressure air inlet port being disposed between the ink supply port and the second positioning hole.

55. The ink cartridge according to claim 54, further comprising:

a circuit board formed with the electrode and attached to the second wall, the electrode being disposed on the second wall through the circuit board.

56. The ink cartridge according to claim 55, further comprising:

a memory device disposed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the electrode.