Liquid replenishment container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11459150-B2
Application number	US-202117173082-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2021
Priority date	Feb 20, 2020
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

The present invention provides a liquid replenishment container that replenishes a liquid tank including a liquid supply portion protruding in a first direction with a liquid. The container includes: a container main body capable of storing a liquid; a liquid replenishment nozzle including a first side wall and mountable on the liquid supply portion, the first side wall defining an internal space communicating with the container main body; and a valve body provided in the internal space and causing the liquid supply portion to communicate with the internal space when the liquid replenishment nozzle is mounted. The internal space has a first liquid replenishment flow path formed between the valve body and the first side wall and being constant in cross-section in the first direction, and a second liquid replenishment flow path formed inside the first liquid replenishment flow path and being continuous in the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid replenishment container for replenishing a liquid tank including a liquid supply portion protruding in a first direction with a liquid, the liquid replenishment container comprising:
a container main body capable of storing a liquid;
a liquid replenishment nozzle that includes a first side wall and is mountable on the liquid supply portion, the first side wall defining an internal space communicating with the container main body; and
a valve body that is provided in the internal space and causes the liquid supply portion to communicate with the internal space when the liquid replenishment nozzle is mounted,
wherein the internal space has a first liquid replenishment flow path that is formed between the valve body and the first side wall and is constant in cross-section in the first direction, and a second liquid replenishment flow path that is formed inside the first liquid replenishment flow path and is continuous in the first direction,
wherein the valve body includes a second side wall forming an inner space that opens on a surface facing the container main body, and at least one through-hole that communicates with the internal space and penetrates the second side wall, and
wherein at least a part of the second liquid replenishment flow path is formed by the inner space and the through-hole.

2. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 1 , wherein a center of the through-hole in the first direction is located closer to a tip end side of the liquid replenishment nozzle than a center of the second side wall in the first direction.

3. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 1 , wherein an opening ratio of the through-hole is 10% or more to 50% or less.

4. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 1 , wherein the valve body includes a plurality of through-holes, and the plurality of through-holes are evenly arranged in a circumferential direction of the second side wall.

5. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 1 , wherein the through-hole is elongated in the first direction.

6. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 1 , wherein
the valve body includes at least one groove that is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the valve body, extends in the first direction, and forms a part of the second liquid replenishment flow path, and
the through-hole is provided in the groove.

7. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 1 , wherein
the inner space of the valve body is divided into a first region and a second region which are independent of each other, and
the at least one through-hole includes a first through-hole communicating with the first region and a second through-hole communicating with the second region.

8. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 7 , wherein the liquid is supplied from the first through-hole and air is discharged from the second through-hole.

9. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 8 , wherein the first through-hole has a larger flow path cross-sectional area than the second through-hole.

10. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 1 , wherein the valve body includes at least one groove that is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the valve body, extends in the first direction, and forms at least part of the second liquid replenishment flow path.

11. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 10 , wherein the groove extends over an entire length of the outer peripheral surface in the first direction.

12. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 10 , wherein
the valve body includes a plurality of the grooves, and
a ratio of a total width of the plurality of grooves to a circumferential length of the outer peripheral surface is 50% or more to 80% or less.

13. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 10 , wherein the valve body includes a recess that opens on a surface facing the container main body and does not communicate with the first liquid replenishment flow path.

14. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 10 , wherein
the valve body includes a second side wall provided with the outer peripheral surface, and
a ratio of a depth of the groove to a thickness of the second side wall is 50% or more to 70% or less.

15. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 1 , wherein
the valve body includes a circumferential recess that is provided over an entire circumference of an outer peripheral surface of the valve body, is drawn inward from both side ends in the first direction, and forms at least part of the second liquid replenishment flow path.

16. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 15 , wherein
the valve body includes a circular plate facing the container main body, a tip end portion located on a tip end side of the liquid replenishment nozzle and of which a central portion protrudes toward the tip end side, and a shaft connecting the plate and the tip end portion, and
the circumferential recess is a space formed inside the plate and the tip end portion and outside the shaft.

17. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 16 , wherein the shaft is solid.

18. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a spring member that urges the valve body in the first direction,
wherein the spring member is supported by an outer peripheral portion provided on a surface of the valve body facing the container main body and a flange portion provided on the liquid replenishment nozzle and facing the outer peripheral portion.

19. The liquid replenishment container according to claim 18 , further comprising:
a sealing material that projects from the liquid replenishment nozzle into the internal space,
wherein the sealing material is in close contact with the liquid supply portion when the liquid replenishment container is mounted on the liquid tank, and is in close contact with the valve body urged by the spring member when the liquid replenishment container is not mounted.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Masukawa Tatsuya
• Otsuka Manabu

Classifications

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title

• B41J2/17509 Primary

  Whilst mounted in the printer · CPC title

• B65D2251/20

  Sealing means · CPC title

• B41J2/17513

  Inner structure · CPC title

• B41J2/17523

  Ink connection · CPC title