Liquid supply unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10434786-B2
Application number	US-201616066293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A liquid supply unit that includes a liquid ejection apparatus and configured to be mounted onto a holder unit that has a liquid introducing needle that extends in a first direction includes an outer shell, a liquid supply port, and an engagement structure including a first engagement portion, in which the first engagement portion is disposed on a mounting direction side of the outer shell at a position that overlaps with the outer shell when the liquid supply unit is viewed from the demounting direction side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid supply unit that includes a liquid ejection apparatus and configured to be mounted onto a holder unit that has a liquid introducing needle that extends in a first direction, the liquid supply unit comprising:
an outer shell;
a liquid supply port disposed in the outer shell, the liquid supply port configured to connect to the liquid introducing needle; and
an engagement structure including a first engagement portion, the first engagement portion configured to restrict movement in a demounting direction through engaging with the holder unit, the demounting direction opposite to a mounting direction parallel to the first direction, the mounting direction being a direction of mounting the liquid supply unit onto the holder unit,
wherein the first engagement portion is disposed on a mounting direction side of the outer shell at a position that overlaps with the outer shell when the liquid supply unit is viewed from the demounting direction side.

2. The liquid supply unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein
the liquid supply port is disposed on one side in a second direction orthogonal to the mounting direction, and
the first engagement portion is disposed on an other side in the second direction in a mounting state in which the liquid supply unit is mounted onto the holder unit.

3. The liquid supply unit in accordance with claim 2 , further comprising:
a second engagement portion that is disposed on the one side and that is configured to restrict movement of the liquid supply unit in the demounting direction through engaging with the holder unit.

4. The liquid supply unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the engagement structure further includes an operation portion used for operating engagement between the first engagement portion and the holder unit.

5. The liquid supply unit in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the operation portion protrudes outward from a portion of the outer shell different to a tip end portion that faces a direction including the mounting direction component.

6. The liquid supply unit in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the operation portion protrudes outward in a direction including the demounting direction component from a portion of the outer shell that faces a direction including the demounting direction component.

7. The liquid supply unit in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the engagement structure further includes:
a connecting portion that connects the first engagement portion and the operation portion to each other and that forms a fulcrum about which the first engagement portion and the operation portion rotatably move.

8. The liquid supply unit in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a unit-side terminal that is disposed on one side of the outer shell in a second direction orthogonal to the mounting direction and is configured to electronically connect to a holder-side terminal of the holder unit; and
a third engagement portion that is arranged between the liquid supply port and the first engagement portion in the second direction and that is configured to restrict movement of the liquid supply unit from the one side to an other side in the second direction through engaging with the holder unit,
wherein, in the mounting state of mounting the liquid supply unit onto the holder unit, the unit-side terminal is subject to a force from the one side to the other side from the holder-side terminal.

9. The liquid supply unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the outer shell comprises:
a first wall portion on which the liquid supply port is disposed;
a second wall portion located on the demounting direction side opposing the first wall portion;
a third wall portion that intersects with the first wall portion and the second wall portion and is located on one side in the second direction orthogonal to the mounting direction; and
a fourth wall portion that intersects with the first wall portion and the second wall portion and is located on the other side in the second direction opposing the third wall portion.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• FUKASAWA Noriyuki
• Ishizawa Taku
• Shimizu Yoshiaki
• Shinada Satoshi

Classifications

• B41J2/17513

  Inner structure · CPC title

• B41J2/1753

  Details of contacts on the cartridge, e.g. protection of contacts · CPC title

• B41J2/17509

  Whilst mounted in the printer · CPC title

• B41J2/17523 Primary

  Ink connection · CPC title

• B41J2/17596

  Ink pumps, ink valves · CPC title