Liquid container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11932020-B2
Application number	US-202017113932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2020
Priority date	Dec 10, 2019
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A liquid container includes: a case having a liquid introduction port through which liquid is introduced and a storage portion that stores the liquid; and an absorber stored in the case and configured to absorb the liquid. The absorber includes multiple absorbent resins that swell by absorbing the liquid and a substrate that supports the absorbent resins and allows the liquid to permeate therethrough. With the absorbent resins swelling by absorbing the ink, at least some of the absorbent resins are spaced apart from the adjacent absorbent resins.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid container comprising:
a case having a liquid introduction port through which liquid is introduced and a storage portion that stores the liquid; and
an absorber stored in the case and configured to absorb the liquid, wherein
the absorber includes
a plurality of absorbent resins that swell by absorbing the liquid and
a substrate that supports the absorbent resins and allows the liquid to permeate therethrough, and
when the absorbent resins swell by absorbing the liquid, at least some of the absorbent resins are spaced apart from the adjacent absorbent resins, wherein
the absorber includes
a first substrate having a plurality of the absorbent resins supported therein and
a second substrate having a plurality of the absorbent resins supported therein,
the first substrate and the second substrate are stacked on top of each other in a stacking direction in the case, and
in plan view in the stacking direction, the absorbent resins supported in the first substrate and the absorbent resins supported in the second substrate are positioned such that at least some of the absorbent resins supported in the first substrate do not overlap at least some of the absorbent resins supported in the second substrate.

2. The liquid container according to claim 1 , wherein, when the absorbent resins swell by absorbing the liquid, a proportion of the absorbent resins spaced apart from the adjacent absorbent resins with respect to the absorbent resins supported on the substrate is 10% or more and 100% or less.

3. The liquid container according to claim 1 , further comprising a permeable member that allows the liquid to permeate therethrough, wherein
the absorber and the permeable member are stacked on top of each other in a stacking direction in the case,
the permeable member has a plurality of holes that penetrate the permeable member in the stacking direction, and
in plan view in the stacking direction, the absorbent resins in the absorber and the holes in the permeable member are positioned such that at least some of the absorbent resins in the absorber overlap at least some of the holes in the permeable member.

4. The liquid container according to claim 1 , wherein
the absorber includes
a first region in which the absorbent resins are sparsely arranged and
a second region that is located outside the first region and in which the absorbent resins are densely arranged, and
when the absorbent resins swell by absorbing the liquid, at least some of the absorbent resins in the first region are spaced apart from the adjacent absorbent resins, and the absorbent resins in the second region are in contact with the adjacent absorbent resins.

5. A liquid container comprising:
a case having a liquid introduction port through which liquid is introduced and a storage portion that stores the liquid; and
an absorber stored in the case and configured to absorb the liquid, wherein
the absorber includes
a first resin group in which a plurality of absorbent resins that swell by absorbing the liquid are arranged in a line in a first direction,
a second resin group in which a plurality of absorbent resins that swell by absorbing the liquid are arranged in a line in the first direction with a space between the second resin group and the first resin group, and
a substrate that supports the first resin group and the second resin group and allows the liquid to permeate therethrough, and
with the absorbent resins swelling by absorbing the liquid, at least some of the absorbent resins of the first resin group are spaced apart from the absorbent resins of the second resin group, wherein
the absorber includes
a first substrate that supports the first resin group and the second resin group and
a second substrate that supports the first resin group and the second resin group,
the first substrate and the second substrate are stacked on top of each other in a stacking direction, in the case, and
in plan view in the stacking direction, the first resin group and the second resin group supported in the first substrate intersect the first resin group and the second resin group supported in the second substrate.

6. The liquid container according to claim 5 , wherein
the absorber includes
a first substrate that supports the first resin group and the second resin group and
a second substrate that supports the first resin group and the second resin group,
the first substrate and the second substrate are stacked on top of each other in a stacking direction in the case, and
in plan view in the stacking direction, the first resin group and the second resin group supported in the first substrate and the first resin group and the second resin group supported in the second substrate are positioned such that at least portions of the first and second resin groups supported in the first substrate do not overlap at least portions of the first and second resin groups supported in the second substrate.

7. A liquid container comprising:
a case having a liquid introduction port through which liquid is introduced and a storage portion that stores the liquid; and
an absorber stored in the case and configured to absorb the liquid, wherein
the absorber includes
a first ring-shaped resin group in which a plurality of absorbent resins that swell by absorbing the liquid are arranged in a ring shape,
a second ring-shaped resin group in which a plurality of absorbent resins that swell by absorbing the liquid are arranged in a ring shape with a space between the second ring-shaped resin group and the first ring-shaped resin group, and
a substrate that supports the first ring-shaped resin group and the second ring-shaped resin group and that allows the liquid to permeate therethrough, and
when the absorbent resins swelling by absorbing the liquid, at least some of the absorbent resins of the first ring-shaped resin group are spaced apart from the absorbent resins of the second ring-shaped resin group, wherein
the absorber includes
a first substrate that supports the first ring-shaped resin group and the second ring-shaped resin group and
a second substrate that supports the first ring-shaped resin group and the second ring-shaped resin group,
the first substrate and the second substrate are stacked on top of each other in a stacking direction in the case, and
in plan view in the stacking direction, the first ring-shaped resin group and the second ring-shaped resin group supported in the first substrate and the first ring-shaped resin group and the second ring-shaped resin group supported in the second substrate are positioned such that at least portions of the first and second ring-shaped resin groups supported in the first substrate do not overlap at least portions of the first and second ring-shaped resin groups supported in the second substrate.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kumagai Keiichi
• Nakada Shogo

Classifications

• B41J2/16508

  connected with the printer frame · CPC title

• B41J2/16523

  Waste ink transport from caps or spittoons, e.g. by suction (Collecting or collectors of waste ink B41J2/1721) · CPC title

• B41J2/1721 Primary

  Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor · CPC title

• B01J20/28042 Primary

  Shaped bodies; Monolithic structures · CPC title

• B41J2/165

  Prevention {or detection} of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles · CPC title