Ink bottle and bottle set

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11932022-B2
Application number	US-202318104849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2023
Priority date	Jan 26, 2017
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

Convenience of an ink bottle and a bottle set is improved. An ink bottle includes: a container portion that contains ink; a guiding portion that is formed in one end portion of the container portion, and includes an outflow port from which the ink in the container portion flow out; and a cover that covers at least an end portion of the container portion on the opposite side of the guiding portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ink bottle configured to supply ink to a printer through a connecting tube disposed in the printer, the ink bottle comprising:
a container body portion configured to contain ink;
an ink outlet forming portion having an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out; and
a valve disposed in the ink outlet forming portion, the valve having an elastic valve body with a slit formed therethrough, the slit configured to be open by the connecting tube pushing the valve body through the ink outlet and to be closed by taking off the ink bottle from the connecting tube,
wherein the container body portion has an external appearance of a rectangular parallelepiped, and has two first side walls opposed to each other and two second side walls opposed to each other, the first side walls intersecting with the second side walls, a first distance between the first side walls being shorter than a second distance between the second side walls, and
wherein the ink outlet forming portion is disposed within the first distance.

2. The ink bottle according to claim 1 , wherein the container body portion has slanted wall portions which are slanted from respective the second side walls toward ink outlet forming portion.

3. The ink bottle according to claim 2 , wherein an outside surface of the slanted wall portion and end portions of the first and second side walls define a recess.

4. The ink bottle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the container body portion houses a stirring member, and
wherein the ink outlet forming portion includes a holder, the holder holds the valve, the holder is engaged with an inner surface of the ink outlet forming portion, and the holder has a tubular portion having a groove that extends toward a side opposite to the ink outlet.

5. An ink bottle configured to supply ink to a printer through a connecting tube disposed in the printer, the ink bottle comprising:
a container body portion configured to contain ink;
an ink outlet forming portion having an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out; and
a valve disposed in the ink outlet forming portion, the valve configured to be opened by the connecting tube pushing the valve through the ink outlet and to be closed by taking off the ink bottle from the connecting tube,
wherein the container body portion has an external appearance of a rectangular parallelepiped, and
wherein the container body portion has a wall formed with the ink outlet forming portion, the wall being slanted toward the ink outlet forming portion.

6. The ink bottle according to claim 5 , wherein the valve has an elastic valve body with a slit formed therethrough, the slit configured to be open by the connecting tube pushing the valve body through the ink outlet and to be closed by taking off the ink bottle from the connecting tube.

7. The ink bottle according to claim 5 , wherein the container body portion further has a side wall, end portion of the side wall and an outside surface of the slanted wall defining a recess.

8. The ink bottle according to claim 5 , further comprising a lid member, the lid member sealing the ink outlet in a state that the lid member is attached to the ink outlet forming portion.

9. The ink bottle according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the ink outlet forming portion and the lid member is made of polypropylene.

10. A printer ink supply system comprising a printer and an ink bottle for supplying ink to the printer,
the printer including:
a slot portion, the slot portion having a circular portion; and
a connecting tube configured to be connected to the ink bottle, the connecting tube being disposed in the circular portion,

the ink bottle including:
a container body portion configured to contain ink;
a cylindrical portion having an ink outlet;
a valve disposed in the cylindrical portion, the valve having an elastic valve body with a slit formed therethrough, the slit configured to be open by the connecting tube pushing the valve body through the ink outlet and to be closed by taking off the ink bottle from the connecting tube; and
a cover configured to cover the end part of the container body portion that is opposite to the ink outlet, the cover having a side wall that is flush with an uncovered portion of a side wall of the container body portion.

11. The printer ink supply system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the slot portion of the printer further has a pair of rectangular portions, the rectangular portions being disposed radially outside of the circular portion and configured to be point symmetrical with respect to the circular portion, and
wherein the ink bottle further includes a pair of protruding portions disposed radially outside of the cylindrical portion, each of the pair of protruding portions being arranged and configured to be point symmetrical with respect to the central axis of the ink outlet, the pair of protruding portions being inserted in the pair of the rectangular portions, respectively, in a state that the cylindrical portion is connected to the connecting tube.

12. The printer ink supply system according to claim 10 , wherein the container body portion includes an opening portion and a film that is joined to a periphery of the opening portion before use of the ink bottle.

13. The printer ink supply system according to claim 12 , wherein the film includes aluminum.

14. The printer ink supply system according to claim 10 , wherein the container body portion is formed by a material selected from a group of polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, iron and aluminum.

15. The printer ink supply system according to claim 12 , wherein the ink bottle further includes a seal member interposed between the cylindrical portion and the periphery of the opening portion.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Ishizawa Taku
• Mizutani Tadahiro
• Tanaka Ryoichi
• Akahane Manabu
• Toba Koichi
• Nagashima Takumi
• Shimizu Yoshiaki
• Watanabe Tadashi
• FUKASAWA Noriyuki

Classifications

• B41J2/17506 Primary

  Refilling of the cartridge · CPC title

• B41J2/17509

  Whilst mounted in the printer · CPC title

• B41J2/1752

  Mounting within the printer · CPC title

• B41J2/17523

  Ink connection · CPC title

• B41J2/1755

  mechanically · CPC title