Inkjet printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345155-B2
Application number	US-201916257343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2019
Priority date	Feb 7, 2018
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

An inkjet printer includes a printer body, a waste ink container, and a cover member. The waste ink container includes a first engagement portion. The cover member constitutes a part of a housing of the inkjet printer and includes a second engagement portion. The second engagement portion is engageable with the first engagement portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inkjet printer comprising:
a printer body;
a waste ink container including a first engagement portion; and
a cover member configured to constitute a part of a housing of the inkjet printer, the cover member including a second engagement portion configured to interlock with the first engagement portion;
wherein the waste ink container and the cover member is integrally attached to or detached from the printer body in a state where the first engagement portion is engaged with the second engagement portion.

2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein when the waste ink container and the cover member are attached to the printer body, an outer surface of the cover member is flush with an outer surface of the printer body.

3. The inkjet printer according to claim 2 , wherein material of the cover member is the same as material of an outer casing of the printer body.

4. The inkjet printer according to claim 3 , wherein surface treatment of the cover member is the same as surface treatment of the outer casing of the printer body.

5. The inkjet printer according to claim 2 , wherein a color of the cover member is the same as a color of the outer casing of the printer body.

6. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising an ink container, the ink container comprising:
a main body portion configured to contain ink to be supplied to the printer body; and a refill portion disposed above the main body portion and including a refill port communicating an inner space of the main body portion.

7. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the cover member constitutes a part of at least one of outer surfaces of the printer body.

8. The inkjet printer according to claim 7 , wherein the cover member constitutes a part of a rear outer surface of the printer body.

9. The inkjet printer according to claim 7 , wherein the cover member constitutes a part of a side outer surface of the printer body.

10. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the cover member covers a corner of the housing of the inkjet printer.

11. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the waste ink container is positioned on a corner of the inkjet printer.

12. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein an exterior of the housing defines an opening configured to receive the waste ink container, and wherein the cover member includes an outer surface that matches the shape and size of the opening.

13. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the first engagement portion includes two first engagement portions aligned with one another in a horizontal direction, and wherein the second engagement portion includes two second engagement portions aligned with one another in the horizontal direction.

14. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the first engagement portion includes two first engagement portions aligned with one another in a vertical direction, and wherein the second engagement portion includes two second engagement portions aligned with one another in the vertical direction.

15. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first engagement portion includes two parallel columns extending away from an outer surface of the waste ink container, and a bridging part that connects the two columns such that the bridging part is spaced away from the outer surface of the waste ink container;
the second engagement portion has a substantially L-shape including a first section extending away from an inner surface of the cover member and a second section extending from the first portion such that the second section is spaced apart from the inner surface of the cover member; and
the second section of the second engagement portion is selectively slidably received by a space between the bridging part of the first engagement portion and the outer surface of the waste ink container to engage the second engagement portion with the first engagement portion.

16. The inkjet printer according to claim 15 , wherein the two parallel columns of the first engagement portion are aligned with one another in a horizontal direction, and wherein the second section of the second engagement portion extends in a vertical direction from the first portion.

17. The inkjet printer according to claim 15 , wherein the two parallel columns of the first engagement portion are aligned with one another in a vertical direction, and wherein the second section of the second engagement portion extends in a horizontal direction from the first portion.

18. An inkjet printer comprising:
a printer body including an outer casing;
a waste ink container including a first engagement portion; and
a cover member including a second engagement portion configured to interlock with the first engagement portion, wherein
the waste ink container and the cover member are integrally attachable to and integrally detachable from the outer casing when the first engagement portion is engaged with the second engagement portion, and
an outer surface of the cover member is flush with an outer surface of the outer casing when the waste ink container with the cover member is attached to the outer casing.

19. The inkjet printer according to claim 18 , wherein:
the first engagement portion includes two parallel columns extending away from an outer surface of the waste ink container, and a bridging part that connects the two columns such that the bridging part is spaced away from the outer surface of the waste ink container;
the second engagement portion has a substantially L-shape including a first section extending away from an inner surface of the cover member and a second section extending from the first portion such that the second section is spaced apart from the inner surface of the cover member; and
the second section of the second engagement portion is selectively slidably received by a space between the bridging part of the first engagement portion and the outer surface of the waste ink container to engage the second engagement portion with the first engagement portion.

20. The inkjet printer according to claim 18 , wherein the first engagement portion includes two first engagement portions aligned with one another in a first direction, and wherein the second engagement portion includes two second engagement portions aligned with one another in the horizontal direction.

21. The inkjet printer according to claim 18 , wherein an exterior of the outer casing defines an opening configured to receive the waste ink container, and wherein the cover member includes an outer surface that matches the shape and size of the opening such that the cover member forms a part of the exterior surface when the waste ink container and the cover member are attached to the outer casing.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Wada Tomohiro

Classifications

• B41J2/1721 Primary

  Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor · CPC title

• B41J29/02

  Framework · CPC title

• B41J2/17553

  Outer structure · CPC title

• B41J2/1752

  Mounting within the printer · CPC title

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title