Tank, tank unit and liquid ejection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9718277-B2
Application number	US-201615072826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2016
Priority date	Mar 19, 2015
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

To solve the problem of a liquid supply unit of the related art in that liquid supply may become difficult.
The invention provides a tank capable of supplying a liquid to a liquid ejection head, the tank including: a liquid containing portion capable of containing the liquid; and an atmospheric air introducing portion constituting an atmospheric air flow channel capable of introducing atmospheric air into the liquid containing portion, wherein the atmospheric air introducing portion includes a buffer chamber capable of containing the atmospheric air, a liquid retaining member is housed in the buffer chamber, and in a state in which the liquid retaining member is housed in the buffer chamber, a gap that allows the atmospheric air to move between a first communication port and a second communication port of the atmospheric air flow channel is provided within the buffer chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tank capable of supplying a liquid to a liquid ejection head, the tank comprising:
a liquid containing portion configured to contain the liquid; and
an atmospheric air introducing portion configured to introduce atmospheric air into the liquid containing portion, the atmospheric air introducing portion comprising:
a buffer chamber configured to contain the atmospheric air;
a first opening located at a position on a liquid containing portion side of the buffer chamber; and
a second opening located at a position on a side of the buffer chamber opposite to the liquid containing portion;
a liquid retaining member housed in the buffer chamber; and

wherein a gap is located in the buffer chamber, the gap being configured to allow the atmospheric air to move between the first opening and the second opening.

2. The tank according to claim 1 , wherein the gap is provided between the liquid retaining member and an inner wall of the buffer chamber.

3. The tank according to claim 1 , wherein:
an extension of the liquid retaining member in a first direction is smaller than an extension of the buffer chamber in the first direction, and
an extension of the liquid retaining member in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction is smaller than an extension of the buffer chamber in the second direction.

4. The tank according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a protrusion protruding from an inner wall of the buffer chamber toward the liquid retaining member.

5. The tank according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first protrusion protruding in a first direction from a first inner wall of the buffer chamber toward the liquid retaining member; and
a second protrusion protruding in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction, from a second inner wall of the buffer chamber toward the liquid retaining member.

6. The tank according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a protrusion protruding from the liquid retaining member toward an inner wall of the buffer chamber.

7. The tank according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first protrusion protruding in a first direction from the liquid retaining member toward a first inner wall of the buffer chamber; and
a second protrusion protruding in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction, from the liquid retaining member toward a second inner wall of the buffer chamber.

8. The tank according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a support member located in the gap between an inner wall of the buffer chamber and the liquid retaining member.

9. The tank according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first support member located in a first portion of the gap that extends in a first direction between a first inner wall of the buffer chamber and the liquid retaining member; and
a second support member located in a second portion of the gap that extends in a second direction between a second inner wall of the buffer chamber and the liquid retaining member, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.

10. The tank according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid retaining member includes a plurality of plate-like members and a binding member that bundles the plurality of plate-like members.

11. The tank according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a liquid injection portion capable of injecting the liquid into the liquid containing portion; and
a cap member that is detachably attached to the liquid injection portion.

12. The tank according to claim 1 , wherein the first opening opens to a first atmospheric air communication path that communicates between the buffer chamber and the liquid containing portion.

13. The tank according to claim 12 , wherein:
the second opening opens to a second atmospheric air communication path that communicates between the buffer chamber and an outside of the tank.

14. The tank according to claim 13 , wherein:
the buffer chamber is a first buffer chamber,
the second atmospheric air communication path includes a second buffer chamber that is smaller than the first buffer chamber,
the second buffer chamber is located further upstream than the first buffer chamber when a flow of the atmospheric air is defined in a direction from an outside of the tank to the liquid containing chamber,
the liquid retaining member is a first liquid retaining member,
a second liquid retaining member that is smaller than the first liquid retaining member is housed in the second buffer chamber, and
a second gap is located in the second buffer chamber, the second gap configured to allow the atmospheric air to move between the second opening and the outside of the tank.

15. A tank unit comprising:
the tank according to claim 1 ; and
a case that houses the tank.

16. A liquid ejection system comprising:
the tank unit according to claim 15 ;
a tube connected to the tank unit; and
a liquid ejection apparatus connected to the tank unit via the tube,
wherein the case is a first case, and the liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection head and a second case that houses the liquid ejection head.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kudo Shoma
• Kimura Naomi

Classifications

• B41J2/19 Primary

  for removing air bubbles · CPC title

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title

• B41J2/17509 Primary

  Whilst mounted in the printer · CPC title

• B41J2/17523

  Ink connection · CPC title

• B41J2202/07

  dealing with air bubbles · CPC title