Liquid container, liquid supply device and liquid jet system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9868290-B2
Application number	US-201615165409-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

With a conventional liquid container, it is difficult to reduce the possibility of soiling with liquid caused by liquid leakage. Provided is a liquid container including a liquid containing portion containing liquid, a liquid inlet portion receiving injection of the liquid into the liquid containing portion, an open air port that communicates with the liquid containing portion and is introducing the atmospheric air into the liquid containing portion, and a liquid absorbent material that is arranged at least in a portion of the periphery of the open air port and that is absorbing the liquid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid container comprising:
a liquid containing portion configured to contain a liquid;
a liquid inlet portion configured to receive injection of the liquid into the liquid containing portion;
an open air port that communicates with the liquid containing portion and introducing atmospheric air into the liquid containing portion; and
a liquid absorbent material that is arranged at least in a portion of a periphery of the open air port, wherein the liquid absorbent material defines a through-hole, wherein the open air port is positioned inside of the through-hole of the liquid absorbent material.

2. The liquid container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid absorbent material covers the open air port, and wherein the liquid absorbent material defines an opening portion that extends completely through the liquid absorbent material and that is open to atmospheric air such that the liquid absorbent material only surrounds a portion of the periphery of the open air port.

3. The liquid container according to claim 2 ,
wherein assuming that an orientation when the liquid container is being used is a use orientation of the liquid container, the opening portion is positioned vertically below the open air port in the use orientation.

4. The liquid container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid absorbent material includes a first portion positioned in a periphery of the open air port and a second portion facing the open air port, wherein the first portion defines the through-hole, wherein the first portion and the second portion are joined together such that the second portion covers the through-hole.

5. The liquid container according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first portion is separated from the second portion.

6. The liquid container according to claim 1 , comprising:
a positioning member for determining a position of the liquid absorbent material.

7. The liquid container according to claim 6 , comprising:
an absorbent material housing part housing the liquid absorbent material, wherein the positioning member is positioned on the opposite side of the liquid containing portion from the liquid absorbent material.

8. The liquid container of claim 1 , wherein the liquid absorbent material has a substantially annular shape.

9. The liquid container of claim 1 , wherein the liquid absorbent material is positioned outside of the liquid containing portion.

10. The liquid container of claim 1 , wherein the liquid inlet portion is provided at a position different from the open air port.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Matsuda Takanori
• Kudo Shoma
• Suzuki Hidenao
• Kimura Naomi
• Kanaya Munehide

Classifications

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title

• B41J2/17553

  Outer structure · CPC title

• B41J2/17513

  Inner structure · CPC title

• B41J2/17509 Primary

  Whilst mounted in the printer · CPC title

• B41J2/17506

  Refilling of the cartridge · CPC title