Patent Grant
8544995
This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2010-293353, 2010-293360, 2010-293364, and 2010-293367, respectively filed Dec. 28, 2010, the content of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to an ink cartridge including an ink bag that stores ink and a case that houses the ink bag.
Generally, an inkjet printer (hereinafter referred to as a printer) is configured such that an ink cartridge for supplying ink to a print head can be attached to and detached from the printer. An ink cartridge that includes an ink bag, a spout, and a case is known as a general ink cartridge. In this type of ink cartridge, the ink bag may have flexibility and may store ink therein. The spout may be provided to be connected to the ink bag, and may be used to draw out the ink. The case may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape and may house the ink bag.
The ink bag of the above-described known ink cartridge may have flexibility. Therefore, when the remaining amount of ink becomes small during printing, inner surfaces of the ink bag may come into contact with each other and the ink may be divided. Specifically, part of the ink may not reach the spout and may remain in an ink storage pack.
Various embodiments of the broad principles derived herein provide an ink cartridge that is capable of collecting remaining ink toward a spout even when a remaining ink amount is small.
Embodiments provide an ink cartridge that includes an ink bag that at least includes two layers of flexible sheets disposed to face each other, that is formed in a bag shape, and that is configured to store ink inside, and a spout that is provided on the ink bag and that includes a hollow portion that leads from a first opening to a second opening, the first opening being communicatively connected with the ink bag, and the second opening being provided in a leading end portion of the spout and being open to an outside of the ink bag. The ink cartridge also includes a case that houses the ink bag and whose longitudinal direction is an axial direction of the spout that is provided on the ink bag that is housed. An end portion of the case on a side of the second opening includes at least a first corner portion and a second corner portion. The first corner portion is a corner portion that, in the axial direction of the spout, is located on a side of the first opening with respect to the leading end portion of the spout. The second corner portion is a corner portion that, in the axial direction of the spout, is located on a side opposite to the first opening with respect to the leading end portion of the spout. A width in a first direction is smaller than a width in a second direction in the case. The first direction is a direction that is orthogonal to an extending direction of a line connecting the first corner portion and the second corner portion and to the axial direction. The second direction is a direction that is orthogonal to the first direction and to the axial direction. An axial line of the spout is, in the second direction, located closer to one end portion of the case on a side having the first corner portion. The leading end portion of the spout is located inside of the case with respect to the line connecting the first corner portion and the second corner portion.
Embodiments will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be explained with reference to the appended drawings.
In the present embodiment, an ink cartridge 1 that is used for an inkjet printer 100 will be explained. The inkjet printer 100 may perform printing on a fabric such as a t-shirt. First, the inkjet printer 100 will be explained with reference to
The inkjet printer 100 includes a housing 101 that has a rectangular box shape. A pair of guide rails 102 that extend in a front-rear direction are provided in a substantially central lower portion in the right-left direction inside the housing 101. A platen support 103 is supported by the guide rails 102 such that the platen support 103 can be moved in the front-rear direction along the guide rails 102. A platen 104 is fixed to a substantially center position in the right-left direction of an upper surface of the platen support 103. The platen 104 is replaceable. The platen 104 is a plate having a generally pentagonal shape in a plan view. A fabric, such as a t-shirt, may be placed on the upper surface of the platen 104. Although not shown in detail in the drawings, the platen support 103, to which the platen 104 is fixed, may be moved by a platen drive mechanism in the front-rear direction along the guide rails 102. The platen drive mechanism includes a platen drive motor and a belt transmission mechanism.
A pair of guide rails 112 that extend in the right-left direction are provided above the platen 104 in a substantially center position in the front-rear direction of the housing 101. A carriage 113 is supported by the guide rails 112 such that the carriage 113 can be moved in the right-left direction along the guide rails 112. The print head 114 is fixed to a lower portion of the carriage 113. Although not shown in detail in the drawings, the carriage 113 provided with the print head 114 may be moved by a carriage drive mechanism in the right-left direction along the guide rails 112. The carriage drive mechanism includes a carriage drive motor and a belt transmission mechanism. Ink may be supplied to the print head 114 via a tube 142 (refer to
Eight of the ink cartridges 1 can be set in the cartridge mounting portion provided inside the housing 101. Eight cartridge insertion ports 120 are provided in a lower right portion of a front surface of the housing 101. Each of the cartridge insertion ports 120 is an opening to insert and remove the ink cartridge 1 into and from an ink storage portion. The inkjet printer 100 of the present embodiment may use the four ink cartridges 1 for white ink, and the ink cartridges 1 that respectively store inks of four colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. A method for supplying ink from the ink cartridge 1 to the inkjet printer 100 will be described below.
The structure of the ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment will be explained with reference to
As shown in
As shown in
The bottom wall 31, the upper wall 32, the rear wall 33 and the front wall 34 extend substantially perpendicular to the right wall 30 in the same direction and to the same length. The bottom wall 31 connects to a lower end portion of the right wall 30, namely, the shorter one of the pair of long sides. The upper wall 32 connects to an upper end portion of the right wall 30, namely, a longer one of the pair of long sides. The rear wall 33 includes the rear surface portion 331 and an inclined surface portion 332. The rear surface portion 331 connects to a rear end portion of the right wall 30, namely, the shorter one of the pair of short sides. The inclined surface portion 332 connects to the oblique side of the right wall 30. The inclined surface portion 332 connects the bottom wall 31 and the rear surface portion 331. The inclined surface portion 332 is provided with a penetration portion 338 in the vicinity of an end portion where the inclined surface portion 332 connects to the bottom wall 31. The penetration portion 338 is an opening that penetrates the inclined surface portion 332. The front wall 34 connects to a front end portion of the right wall 30, namely, a longer one of the short sides. The front wall 34 connects the bottom wall 31 and the upper wall 32.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
It is sufficient if the ink bag 71 includes two layers of flexible sheets that are disposed to face each other and the ink bag 71 is a bag-shaped container in which a space is formed that can store ink between the sheets. Therefore, for example, the ink bag 71 may be formed such that one rectangular sheet is folded in half to form two layers, and the two layers are joined along three sides other than a folded portion. Two sheets that face each other may be joined along three sides of the two sheets and the remaining one side of each of the two sheets may be joined to another sheet, thus forming the ink bag 71 having a bottom portion. The ink bag 71 may be formed such that four sides of two sheets that face each other are respectively joined to other sheets serving as gussets. A method for joining the sheets is not limited to welding and another method such as adhesive bonding, for example, may be used.
As shown in
In the present embodiment, the spout 72 is fixed to the ink bag 71 such that one end portion of the body portion 721 that includes the connection portions 722 is inserted between the two sheets that form the ink bag 71, and the one end portion is welded integrally with the surrounding portion 716. The other end portion of the body portion 721 that is not welded with the surrounding portion 716 protrudes from the third end portion 713 of the ink bag 71 to the outside of the ink bag 71.
As shown in
An arrangement relationship between the case 2 and the ink pack 7 will be explained in detail with reference to
The sheets that form the ink bag 71 have flexibility. Therefore, when the amount of the remaining ink stored in the ink storage portion 717 is large, the two layers of sheets may curve in directions in which the two layers of sheets are separated from each other. When the remaining amount of the ink is small, the distance between the two layers of sheets may reduce and the two layers of sheets may deflect in directions in which the two layers of sheets come into contact with each other. In summary, because the sheets are not fixed flat surfaces, the sheets are not exactly in parallel with the above-described virtual plane. Therefore, the phrase “substantially in parallel” used in the relationship with the above-described virtual plane includes not only an accurate parallel relationship between flat surfaces, but also an almost parallel state in which deflection of the sheets is allowed.
Further, for example, when the body portion 3 of the case 2, namely, the right wall 30 and the peripheral walls 31 to 34 are integrally formed of resin, generally, a draft angle is provided in order to facilitate release from a cavity of a die. In this case, the right wall 30 and each of the peripheral walls 31 to 34 form an obtuse angle that is wider than a right angle by 2 to 4 degrees. Therefore, as described above, when the outer surface of the sheet of the ink bag 71 is adhered to the inner surface of the right wall 30, the above-described virtual plane and the sheet are not exactly in parallel with each other. However, in a similar manner to the above-described deflection allowance, even when there is an angle difference corresponding to the draft angle, it can be assumed that the above-described virtual plane and the sheet are “substantially in parallel” with each other.
As shown in
As shown in
The ink pack 7 is disposed such that the leading end portion 724 of the spout 72 is located toward the inside of the case 2 with respect to the line L. In the axial line X direction, the leading end portion 724 is located with a clearance from the inner surface (the right surface in
In the present embodiment, a direction (hereinafter referred to as a first direction) that is orthogonal to the extending direction of the line L and the axial line X direction is the right-left direction of the case 2. A direction (hereinafter referred to as a second direction) that is orthogonal to the first direction and the axial line X direction is the up-down direction of the case 2. As shown in
The ink pack 7 is housed in the case 2 such that, in the second direction, the axial line X is located closer to one end portion of the case 2 on the side including the first corner portion 334. In the present embodiment, the second direction is the up-down direction of the case 2, as described above. Accordingly, in the up-down direction, the one end portion of the case 2 on the side including the first corner portion 334 is an end portion on the bottom wall 31 side. Therefore, as shown in
As shown in
A method for supplying ink from the ink cartridge 1 to the print head 114 of the inkjet printer 100 will be explained with reference to
As shown in
When the ink cartridge 1 is initially used, the ink storage portion 717 of the ink bag 71 may be completely filled with ink. Accordingly, the inner surfaces of the two layers of sheets that form the ink bag 71 may be separated from each other, with the ink interposed between the inner surfaces. While printing is performed, the ink may be discharged from the print head 114 little by little in order to form an image on the fabric. When the ink is discharged, a substantially same amount of ink as a discharge amount may be sucked from the ink cartridge 1, and the sucked ink may be supplied to the print head 114. The ink stored in the ink storage portion 717 may gradually reduce as the ink is consumed by printing, and the ink bag 71 may contract. As a result, the inner surfaces of the two layers of flexible sheets may come closer to each other.
When the amount of the remaining ink reduces to a certain extent, the inner surfaces of the sheets may come into contact with each other in various locations in the ink bag 71. As a result, the ink may be divided by portions where the inner surfaces of the sheets come into contact with each other, due to surface tension of the ink, gravitational force, and the like, for example. In this case, a plurality of ink deposits may exist that are isolated in the ink storage portion 717. Further, in a state in which the bottom wall 31 is placed on the substantially horizontal placement surface 130, the two layers of sheets of the ink bag 71 are disposed such that the surfaces of the sheets extend substantially in the up-down direction. Therefore, due to the gravitational force, part of the ink may flow downward along the inner surface of the sheet and may be accumulated along the first end portion 711 (refer to
Even when it is difficult to suck the ink in this manner, the ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment can be removed from the inkjet printer 100, and owing to the above-described structure, the ink remaining in the ink storage portion 717 can be effectively collected toward the spout 72, more specifically, toward the first opening 701. This operational effect will be explained with reference to
In the present embodiment, the inclined surface portion 332 connects to the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, and has the outer surface 333 on the line L (refer to
In the ink cartridge 1, the longitudinal direction (the axial line X of the spout 72) of the case 2 and the ink bag 71 may incline with respect to the horizontal direction. At this time, the second opening 702 of the spout 72 may be directed obliquely downward. The first end portion 711 of the ink bag 71 may incline with respect to the horizontal direction. In a similar manner to when the bottom wall 31 is placed on the substantially horizontal placement surface 130, the two layers of sheets that form the ink storage portion 717 may be disposed such that the surfaces of the two layers of sheets extend substantially in the up-down direction. Part of the ink may move in the ink storage portion 717 due to force that is applied when the posture of the ink cartridge 1 is changed. In a state in which the axial line X of the spout 72 is substantially horizontal (refer to
After the posture of the ink cartridge 1 has been changed in this manner, the user may continue to hold the ink cartridge 1 in an inclined state for a while. In this case, as shown in
The first corner portion 344 forms an obtuse angle. In the case 2, the axial line X of the spout 72 is located closer to the end portion on the bottom wall 31 side having the first corner portion 334. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 1 is inclined such that the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are positioned on the lower side and the inclined surface portion 332 is positioned substantially horizontally, the spout 72 may be disposed in a position that is closer to the support surface 9. As a result, the ink may easily collect in the vicinity of the first opening 701 of the spout 72. Further, the axial line X is located closer to one end portion (the first end portion 711) of the ink bag 71 in the direction that is orthogonal to the axial line X. Taking the axial line X as a boundary, the width of the ink bag 71 on the first end portion 711 side is smaller than the width of the ink bag 71 on the opposite side. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 1 is inclined such that the inclined surface portion 332 is substantially horizontal, the ink may easily collect in the vicinity of the first opening 701 of the spout 72.
Further, when the ink cartridge 1 continues to be inclined, as shown in
In the state in which the ink is collected in the vicinity of the first opening 701 in this manner, the user may set the ink cartridge 1 in the inkjet printer 100 again, with the wall surface 31 being on the lower side, as shown
Further, owing to the above-described structure, the ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment can inhibit the ink that leaks from the spout 72 from leaking from the case 2. This operational effect will be explained with reference to
In this type of case, as long as the ink cartridge 1 is disposed such that the bottom wall 31 is directed downward, the ink may drop downward along the leading end portion 724 of the rubber plug 723 and may drop down along the lower end of the body portion 721 due to the surface tension of the ink. In the case 2 of the present embodiment, the receiving surface portion 310, which connects to the first corner portion 334, is provided below the spout 72. Therefore, the receiving surface portion 310 can receive the ink that has dropped down. Further, the portion that extends from the first corner portion 334 to the penetration portion 338 of the inclined surface portion 332 is inclined upward. Therefore, it is possible to reduce a possibility that the ink received by the receiving surface portion 310 moves toward the penetration portion 338 and leaks from the penetration portion 338. Thus, it is possible to reduce a possibility that the inkjet printer 100 and fingers etc. of the user who handles the ink cartridge 1 become stained with the ink.
As explained above, in the ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment, the longitudinal direction is the axial line X direction of the spout 72 of the ink bag 71. The first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are provided in the case 2 in which the width W3 in the right-left direction is smaller than the width W4 in the up-down direction. In the axial direction of the spout 72, the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are respectively located on the first opening 701 side and the opposite side of the first opening 701 side, with respect to the leading end portion 724 of the second opening 702. In the case 2, the axial line X of the spout 72 is located closer to the end portion on the bottom wall 31 side having the first corner portion 334.
Therefore, when the amount of the remaining ink becomes small, the user can stably place the ink cartridge 1 in an inclined state with respect to the horizontal direction, using the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 as described above. When the user holds the ink cartridge 1 in the air, there is a possibility that the ink cartridge 1 will slip from the user's hand for some reason and be dropped. At this time, if the ink cartridge 1 is in a posture in which the spout 72 is located on the upper side, the flow of the ink toward the spout 72 may be inhibited. However, as described above, the ink cartridge 1 is adapted for the inclined surface portion 332 to be placed on the substantially horizontal support surface 9. Therefore, when the inclined surface portion 332 is placed on the support surface 9, the downward flow of the ink due to the gravitational force may be stabilized. As a result, the possibility may be reduced that a force in the completely opposite direction is applied to the ink. It is therefore possible to effectively collect the ink remaining in the ink bag 71 toward the spout 72.
In addition, the ink cartridge 1 can be easily held in an inclined state by placing the ink cartridge 1 such that the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 come into contact with a surface, such as a desk top surface. Therefore, as compared to a case in which the user grasps the ink cartridge 1 in an inclined state in the air, it is possible to reduce the user's force that is required and to improve user-friendliness. In addition, in the present embodiment, the inclined surface portion 332 is provided between the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the inclined state of the ink cartridge 1 more easily.
In many cases, pigment ink that contains pigment is used as ink for the inkjet printer 100. Therefore, in many cases, the ink bag 71 in the ink cartridge 1 is filled with pigment ink. In a case where the ink cartridge 1 is shaken and the ink in the ink bag 71 is agitated, the ink may be scattered over a wide range in the ink storage portion 717. Even in this type of case, it is possible to collect the remaining ink toward the spout 72 by inclining the ink cartridge 1. It is therefore possible to reduce waste of the ink. In a white ink that contains titanium oxide, the titanium oxide is likely to be precipitated. However, with the ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment, when the ink cartridge 1 is inclined using the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, the axial direction of the spout 72 becomes oblique with respect to the horizontal direction. Therefore, as compared to a case in which the axial line X is oriented vertically, titanium oxide is less likely to be precipitated in the first opening 701 of the spout 72. It is therefore possible to inhibit a state in which the ink cannot be used for printing as a result that titanium oxide is precipitated in the first opening 701 and an ink composition is divided into two parts, for example.
Emulsion ink that contains emulsion is also used in many cases as ink for the inkjet printer 100. The emulsion ink has high viscosity as compared to an ink that does not contain emulsion. Therefore, even when the ink cartridge 1 is inclined, it is more difficult for the ink to move and it takes time to collect the ink downward. According to the ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to easily hold the ink cartridge 1 in an inclined state by placing the ink cartridge 1 such that the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 come into contact with a support surface, such as a desktop surface. This is particularly advantageous as compared to a case in which the user holds an ink cartridge for a long time in the air. In addition, when the emulsion ink also contains titanium oxide, it is possible to effectively collect the emulsion ink while inhibiting precipitation of titanium oxide in the first opening 701 of the spout 72, as described above.
The case 2 is provided with the inclined surface portion 332 that connects the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335. It is therefore possible to alleviate an impact that is received by the spout 72 when the ink cartridge 1 is dropped. Specifically, the first corner portion 334, where the inclined surface portion 332 of the case 2 connects to the bottom wall 31, forms an obtuse angle. The spout 72 is disposed in the vicinity of the first corner portion 334. When an impact is applied to this type of obtuse angle corner portion, stress is less likely to concentrate on the corner portion, as compared to a right angle corner portion. Therefore, as compared to the right angle corner portion, it is possible to reduce a possibility that a strong impact is applied to the corner portion and that the spout 72 located in the vicinity is damaged or the disposed position of the spout 72 is displaced significantly. Further, for example, at the time of shipment, it is assumed that the ink cartridge 1 is packed in a rectangular parallelepiped box having substantially the same size as the ink cartridge 1. In this type of case, a triangular prism-shaped space is formed between the inclined surface portion 332 and the box. As a result, even if the box is dropped, for example, and the ink cartridge 1 receives an impact, this space may serve as a cushion. It is therefore possible to alleviate the impact received by the spout 72.
As shown in
Not only when the hollow needle 141 for supplying ink to the inkjet printer 100 is pulled out from the spout 72, the contamination prevention effect can also be expected in another case. For example, also when a hollow needle that is used to initially fill, add, or refill ink to the ink bag 71 is pulled out, ink may drop. Therefore, also in this type of case, a similar effect can be expected. In the state shown in
As shown in
An ink cartridge 11 of a first modified example shown in
Similarly to the ink cartridge 1, when the amount of remaining ink becomes small, the ink cartridge 11 that is not provided with the inclined surface portion 332 can be placed such that the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 come into contact with a support surface. Therefore, the ink cartridge 11 can be held in an inclined state. As a result, it is possible to effectively collect the ink remaining in the ink bag 71 toward the first opening 701 of the spout 72. In a case where a surface portion is provided on the line L that connects the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, the surface portion may interfere with the support surface, depending on a shape of the support surface. Since the surface portion is not provided on the line L, it is possible to reliably cause the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 to come into contact with the support surface. Therefore, the inclined state of the ink cartridge 11 can be stably maintained. Even when the ink cartridge 11 is placed on a material, such as a carpet, into which the ink cartridge 11 may sink, the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 may become caught up in the material. In this case, the inclined state of the ink cartridge 11 may be stabilized.
The ink cartridge 11 is provided with a pair of fixing portions 381 to fix the spout 72 to the case 2. The pair of fixing portions 381 are protruding pieces that protrude from the right wall 30 toward the inside of the case 2. The pair of fixing portions 381 are inserted between the two flanges 727 and 728 that are provided on the outer periphery of the body portion 721 of the spout 72, and the pair of fixing portions 381 are disposed so as to sandwich the body portion 721 from above and below. The fixing portion 381 on the lower side is fixed to the bottom wall 31. Therefore, the spout 72 can be positioned and fixed by the pair of fixing portions 381. Thus, the spout 72 can be reliably disposed in an accurate position with respect to the case 2. For example, when the ink cartridge 11 is pulled out from the inkjet printer 100, there is a case in which the ink cartridge 11 is disposed such that the bottom wall 31 is directed downward. In this type of case, the ink that drops from the spout 72 can be received by the receiving surface portion 310 that extends substantially horizontally. Thus, it is possible to reduce a possibility that the ink leaks to the outside of the case 2.
An ink cartridge 12 of a second modified example shown in
In a case where the remaining amount of ink becomes small, the ink cartridge 12 can be placed such that the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 come into contact with a support surface. Therefore, the ink cartridge 12 can be held in an inclined state. As a result, it is possible to effectively collect the ink remaining in the ink bag 71 toward the first opening 701 of the spout 72.
In this example, in order to seal a rear surface lower portion of the case 2 in a state in which the surface portion 336 is in contact with the outer periphery of the body portion 721 of the spout 72, the case 2 may be divided into the body portion 3 and the lid portion along the center line in the right-left direction, instead of using the method of division shown in
An ink cartridge 13 of a third modified example shown in
An ink cartridge 14 of a fourth modified example shown in
When the amount of remaining ink becomes small, the ink cartridge 14 can be placed such that the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 come into contact with a support surface. Therefore, the ink cartridge 14 can be held in an inclined state. As a result, it is possible to effectively collect the ink remaining in the ink bag 71 toward the first opening 701 of the spout 72. The first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 of the ink cartridge 14 are acute angle corner portions. Therefore, similarly to when the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 have a right angle, even when the ink cartridge 14 is placed on a material, such as a carpet, into which the ink cartridge 14 may sink, the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 may be caught up in the material. In this case, the inclined state of the ink cartridge 14 may be stabilized.
On the inner side of the line L that connects the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, a surface portion 337 that is substantially in parallel with the line L is provided. Therefore, even when the ink cartridge 14 is placed such that the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 come into contact with a support surface, such as a desk top surface, the penetration portion 338 may not come into contact with the support surface. Therefore, even when ink adheres to the vicinity of the second opening 702, it is possible to reduce a possibility that the ink will adhere to the support surface. The leading end portion 724 of the spout 72 is located inwardly from an outer surface of the surface portion 337. It is therefore possible to protect the spout 72 by the surface portion 337. In the axial line X direction, the leading end portion 724 is located with a clearance from an inner surface (a right surface in
Similarly to the ink cartridge 14 of the fourth modified example shown in
When the amount of remaining ink becomes small, the ink cartridge 15 can be placed such that the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 come into contact with a support surface. Therefore, the ink cartridge 15 can be held in an inclined state. The outer surface of the surface portion 383 is located on the inner side of the line L that connects the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335. Therefore, the ink cartridge 15 can achieve a similar effect to that of the ink cartridge 14 of the fourth modified example. In addition, the leading end portion 724 of the spout 72 can be fitted into a section whose opening diameter is wide, the section being provided in the end portion of the penetration portion 338 on the inner side of the case 2. As a result, the spout 72 can be reliably disposed and fixed in an accurate position with respect to the case 2.
Wall surfaces other than the portion that corresponds to the inclined surface portion 332 of the ink cartridge 1 of the embodiment can be omitted, as long as the case 2 includes the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335, and as long as the relationship between the case 2 and the ink pack 7 can be defined as described above. For example, in the ink cartridge, the ink pack 7 may be interposed between the wall surface 30 and the lid portion 4 that face each other, and the outer surfaces of the two layers of sheets forming the ink bag 71 may be partially adhered to the inner surfaces of the right wall 30 and the lid portion 4, respectively, in a range in which the ink bag 71 can expand and contract. In this case, it is preferable to provide the fixing portion 381 (refer to
The inclined surface portion 332 shown in
When the effect of collecting the ink of the ink cartridge 1 toward the spout 72 is explained above (refer to
In the embodiment and the modified examples described above, an example is explained in which the case 2 is provided with the rear surface portion 331, namely, the second corner portion 335 is located at a middle portion in the up-down direction of the rear surface of the case 2. In this case, the first corner portion 334 and the second corner portion 335 are provided, and at the same time, it is possible to inhibit the case 2 from becoming longer than necessary in the longitudinal direction. In other words, it is possible to reduce a wasteful space that is not used inside the case 2. However, a rear end portion of the case 2 may have such a shape that the rear end portion is cut out obliquely upward to the rear, from the bottom wall 31 to the upper wall 32, instead of only cutting out a lower portion of the rear end portion, and a rear end portion of the upper wall 32 may be used as the second corner portion 335.
The apparatus and methods described above with reference to the various embodiments are merely examples. It goes without saying that they are not confined to the depicted embodiments. While various features have been described in conjunction with the examples outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations, and/or improvements of those features and/or examples may be possible. Accordingly, the examples, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative. Various changes may be made without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the underlying principles.
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| 2010-293364 | Dec 2010 | JP | national |
| 2010-293367 | Dec 2010 | JP | national |
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