JP7775581B2 - Recording device and liquid container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recording device and a liquid container.

Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printer, an example of a recording device that records by ejecting ink, an example of a liquid, onto printing paper. This printer is equipped with a recording head that ejects ink, and a liquid container that has a liquid storage section that stores the ink to be supplied to the recording head. This printer also has a light-emitting section that illuminates the inside of the liquid storage section.

JP 2016-182834 A

However, in the printer and liquid container described in Patent Document 1, the light-emitting unit is located on the outside of the liquid storage unit, which may make it difficult to illuminate the inside of the liquid storage unit.

The recording device comprises a liquid storage unit capable of storing liquid, a recording head that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage unit onto a medium, and a light-emitting unit that is provided outside the liquid storage unit and emits light. The liquid storage unit has a viewing surface that allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit to be viewed from outside the liquid storage unit, and a light-guiding unit that is provided within the liquid storage unit and guides the light from the light-emitting unit into the liquid storage unit.

The liquid container is attachable to a mounting section of a recording device that includes a recording head that ejects liquid, a light-emitting section that emits light, and a mounting section. The liquid container has a liquid storage section that can store the liquid, and when the liquid container is attached to the mounting section, the area of the liquid storage section that faces the light-emitting section is transparent or translucent. The liquid storage section has a viewing surface that allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section to be viewed from outside the liquid storage section, and a light-guiding section that is provided within the liquid storage section and guides the light from the light-emitting section into the liquid storage section.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the recording device with the scanner unit open. FIG. 10 is another perspective view of the recording device with the scanner unit open. FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the liquid storage device shown in FIG. 4 taken along line d6-d6 when the opening/closing cover and the cap lever are in a closed state. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the liquid storage device shown in FIG. 4 taken along line d6-d6 when the opening/closing cover and the cap lever are in an open state. FIG. 10 is a side view of the inside of the liquid storage section as seen from the direction facing the viewing surface. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing the d9-d9 cross section of the liquid storage portion shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing the d10-d10 cross section of the liquid storage portion shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the liquid storage part when the light emitting part emits light. 10 is a side view of the inside of the liquid storage section when the light emitting section is emitting light, viewed from the direction facing the viewing surface. FIG. FIG. 10 is a side view of the inside of a liquid storage section having a light guide section according to another embodiment, viewed from the direction facing the viewing surface. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a liquid storage section having a light guide section according to another embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side view of a light guide unit according to another embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side view of a light guide unit according to another embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side view of a light guide unit according to another embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side view of a light guide unit according to another embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the recording apparatus. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a liquid storage section having a light guide section according to a second embodiment. 21 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing the d21-d21 cross section of the liquid storage portion shown in FIG. 20. FIG. 11 is a side view of the inside of a liquid storage section having a light guide section according to a second embodiment, viewed from a direction facing the viewing surface.

The present invention will be described below based on an embodiment. In each drawing, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

In each figure, X, Y, and Z represent three mutually orthogonal spatial axes. In this specification, the directions along these axes are referred to as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. When specifying a direction, positive and negative signs are used together to indicate the direction, with "+" representing the positive direction and "-" representing the negative direction, with the direction indicated by the arrow in each figure being the + direction and the direction opposite the arrow being the - direction. The Z-axis indicates the direction of gravity, with the +Z direction representing the vertically downward direction and the -Z direction representing the vertically upward direction. The plane containing the X-axis and Y-axis will be referred to as the X-Y plane, the plane containing the X-axis and Z-axis as the X-Z plane, and the plane containing the Y-axis and Z-axis as the Y-Z plane. The X-Y plane will also be referred to as a horizontal plane. Furthermore, the three spatial axes X, Y, and Z, which are not limited to positive and negative directions, will be referred to as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis.

1. Embodiment 1
The schematic configuration of a recording apparatus 101 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The recording apparatus 101 according to this embodiment has a rectangular parallelepiped main body 102, a scanner unit 10 attached to the top of the main body 102, and a liquid containing device 103, and is installed on a horizontal plane. The width direction of the medium, which intersects with the transport direction in which the medium is transported, is the +X direction or -X direction along the X axis, and the transport direction in which the medium is transported is the +Y direction along the Y axis.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the scanner unit 10 is located on top of the device main body 102 and is rotatably attached to the device main body 102. The scanner unit 10 consists of a scanner housing 11, on which a document is placed and read, and a document cover 12, which are stacked in this order. The document cover 12 is a cover that protects the scanner housing 11 and is rotatable relative to the scanner housing 11. Furthermore, a display unit 15 is attached to the end of the document cover 12 in the +Y direction.

As shown by the solid lines and the two-dot chain lines in Figure 1, the display unit 15 can rotate together with the document cover 12 relative to the scanner housing 11 and can tilt relative to the document cover 12. In other words, the display unit 15 is attached to the end of the scanner unit 10 and can rotate and tilt together with the scanner unit 10.

The display unit 15 is composed of a liquid crystal display module with touch panel functionality. The display unit 15 functions as a notification unit that displays operation guidance for the recording device 101 and notifies users of information related to the recording device 101, and as an operation unit that allows users to make various settings for the recording device 101. The user can tilt the display unit 15 to a position that is easy to see, and perform various operations on the recording device 101 while referring to the images displayed on the display unit 15. Furthermore, the user can tilt the display unit 15 to a position that is easy to touch, and make various settings for the recording device 101 via the display unit 15.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, by rotating the display unit 15 together with the scanner unit 10 and opening the scanner unit 10 to which the display unit 15 is attached relative to the device main body 102, liquid can be refilled from the refill container 90 into the liquid storage container 40 of the liquid storage device 103.

As shown in FIG. 1, the recording device 101 has a power operation unit 16 on the front of the device main body 102. By operating the power operation unit 16, the user can switch between a powered state in which the recording device 101 is powered on and a powered-off state in which the recording device 101 is powered off.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the recording device 101 has, inside the device main body 102, a transport unit 25 that transports the medium, and a recording unit 20. The transport unit 25 transports the medium in the transport direction, which is the +Y direction. The recording unit 20 is configured to be able to record an image on the medium using liquid. As shown in Figure 1, the recording unit 20 has a carriage 21, a recording head 22 that is mounted on the carriage 21 and ejects liquid onto the medium, and a tube 23 that supplies liquid to the recording head 22. The liquid supplied to the recording head 22 is contained in a liquid storage container 40 of the liquid storage device 103. The recording head 22 and the liquid storage container 40 are connected by a tube 23. The tube 23 is an example of a liquid supply unit. The recording device 101 has a recording head 22 that ejects liquid, and a liquid storage container 40. The liquid storage container 40 is an example of a liquid container.

The carriage 21 is supported by a guide shaft and is movable in the width direction of the medium, which intersects with the transport direction in which the medium is transported. The recording head 22 is movable together with the carriage 21 in the width direction of the medium. The recording head 22 has a common liquid chamber, individual liquid chambers, ejection elements, and nozzles (not shown), and ejects liquid onto the medium. The recording device 101 according to this embodiment records a desired image on the medium by alternately repeating the operation of the recording head 22 ejecting liquid onto the medium while moving in the width direction of the medium, and the operation of the medium being transported in the transport direction by the transport unit 25.

Next, the liquid storage device 103 will be described. As shown in Figures 2, 4, 5, 8, and 9, the liquid storage device 103 has a liquid storage container 40 capable of storing liquid, a housing 30 in which the liquid storage container 40 is housed, an upper wall portion 61, an opening/closing cover 31, a cap lever 50, an opening/closing detection unit 71, a locking mechanism 72, and an illumination unit 80. Note that in Figure 4, the cap lever 50, which is a component of the liquid storage device 103, is not shown. In Figure 5, the cap lever 50 is shown by a two-dot chain line.

As shown in Figures 4 and 8, six liquid containers 40 are housed within the housing 30. The six liquid containers 40 are: liquid container 40K1, which contains a black liquid containing a black pigment as a colorant; liquid container 40K2, which contains a black liquid containing a black dye as a colorant; liquid container 40GR, which contains a gray liquid containing a gray dye as a colorant; liquid container 40C, which contains a cyan liquid containing a cyan pigment as a colorant; liquid container 40M, which contains a magenta liquid containing a magenta pigment as a colorant; and liquid container 40Y, which contains a yellow liquid containing a yellow pigment as a colorant. Liquid container 40K1, liquid container 40K2, liquid container 40GR, liquid container 40C, liquid container 40M, and liquid container 40Y are arranged in order in the +X direction.

The number of liquid storage containers 40 housed in the housing 30 is not limited to six, and may be less than six, one, or more than six. The coloring material contained in the liquid stored in the liquid storage container 40 may be a pigment or a dye. Furthermore, the liquid stored in the liquid storage container 40 may not contain a coloring material.

As shown in FIG. 5, the top surface 42 of the liquid storage container 40 is provided with an inlet 41a through which liquid can be injected from a refill container 90, and an air inlet 45. The air inlet 45 is connected to the intermediate storage section 41b, and is capable of introducing air into the intermediate storage section 41b. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the liquid storage container 40 has a liquid storage section 46 that is located in the +Z direction relative to the top surface 42 and is capable of storing liquid.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the liquid storage section 46 has a front surface 43F, a rear surface 43B, a bottom surface 43S, a top surface 43U, a right side surface 43R, and a left side surface 43L. The front surface 43F is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage section 46 on the +Y direction side. The rear surface 43B is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage section 46 on the -Y direction side. The bottom surface 43S is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage section 46 on the +Z direction side. The top surface 43U is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage section 46 on the -Z direction side. The right side surface 43R is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage section 46 on the +X direction side. The left side surface 43L is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage section 46 on the -X direction side.

Liquid can be injected into the liquid storage section 46 via the injection section 41, which includes an injection port 41a. As shown in Figures 5 and 9, the injection section 41 is composed of the injection port 41a, an intermediate storage section 41b, an inlet 41c, a relay flow path 41d, and an outlet 41e. The intermediate storage section 41b is located between the injection port 41a and the liquid storage section 46 in the Z-axis direction and is connected to the injection port 41a. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the relay flow path 41d is provided on the left side surface 43L of the liquid storage section 46 and has an inlet 41c that opens into the side surface on the -X direction side of the intermediate storage section 41b and an outlet 41e that opens into the left side surface 43L of the liquid storage section 46, connecting the intermediate storage section 41b and the liquid storage section 46.

As shown in FIG. 9, the outlet 41e opens at a position in the +Z direction relative to the lower limit liquid level LL when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 is at a lower limit level, which will be described later. This reduces the frequency with which liquid adheres to the inner surface of the front surface 43F or to areas of the light guide section 47, which will be described later, that are in the -Z direction relative to the liquid level LS, by injecting liquid into the liquid storage section 46 via the injection section 41.

As shown in FIG. 5, an outlet 49d connected to the tube 23 is provided on the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage section 46. The liquid in the liquid storage section 46 is supplied to the recording head 22 via the outlet flow path 49 including the outlet 49d and the tube 23. Thus, the recording head 22 ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage section 46 onto the medium. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the outlet flow path 49 is composed of an outlet 49a, a first connection flow path 49b, a second connection flow path 49c, and the outlet 49d. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the first connection flow path 49b is provided on the left side surface 43L of the liquid storage section 46 and has an outlet 49a opening to the left side surface 43L. The outlet 49a discharges the liquid from the liquid storage section 46 to the outlet flow path 49. The second connection flow path 49c is provided on the +Z direction side of the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage section 46, and connects the first connection flow path 49b and the outlet 49d.

The liquid storage section 46 is connected to the atmospheric air inlet 45 via the intermediate storage section 41b. As shown in FIG. 9, the outlet 49a opens at a position in the +Z direction from the lower limit liquid level LL when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 is at a lower limit level, which will be described later. This reduces the frequency with which liquid adheres to the inner surface of the front surface 43F or to areas in the -Z direction from the liquid level LS of the light guide section 47, which will be described later.

As shown in Figures 5, 8, and 9, a window member 43Fa is provided on the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46. The window member 43Fa is made of a translucent or transparent material, and allows the liquid stored in the liquid storage section 46, the liquid level LS, and the light guide section 47 (described below) to be viewed from outside the liquid storage section 46. The window member 43Fa is an example of a viewing surface. As long as the material used to form the window member 43Fa is a resin material, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), etc. can be used.

In this embodiment, the viewing surface is a surface along the X-Z plane. The window member 43Fa is provided with scales 44, such as scale 44a indicating when the liquid volume is at its lower limit and scale 44b indicating when the liquid volume is at its upper limit. The lower limit in this embodiment is the liquid volume when the liquid storage section 46 is low, and is the liquid volume at which it is desirable to refill the liquid container 40 with liquid. The upper limit in this embodiment is the liquid volume at which refilling the liquid container 40 with liquid is not necessary, and when some air is present in the liquid storage section 46. The lower limit and upper limit are examples of predetermined volumes. In Figures 8 and 9, the lower limit liquid level LL, which is the liquid level LS when the liquid volume is at its lower limit, and the upper limit liquid level LH, which is the liquid level LS when the liquid volume is at its upper limit, are indicated by two-dot chain lines.

Furthermore, if the liquid storage section 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material, the window member 43Fa may not be necessary. In this case, too, the user can check the liquid stored in the liquid storage section 46, the liquid level LS, and the light guide section 47 from outside the liquid storage section 46 through the front surface 43F. Therefore, the front surface 43F is an example of a viewing surface. In other words, the liquid storage section 46 has a front surface 43F that allows the liquid in the liquid storage section 46 to be viewed from outside the liquid storage section 46.

As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the liquid storage section 46 has a light guide section 47. The light guide section 47 functions as a so-called light guide member, guiding light emitted by the light emitter 81 (described later) into the liquid storage section 46. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the light guide section 47 of this embodiment has a rectangular columnar shape with the Z-axis direction as the longitudinal direction and the X-axis direction as the lateral direction. The light guide section 47 of this embodiment is made of a translucent or transparent material. The refractive index of the material making up the light guide section 47 is greater than the refractive index of the atmosphere and greater than the refractive index of the liquid stored in the liquid storage section 46. The material making up the light guide section 47 can be a resin material such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

The light guide 47 of this embodiment can guide light entering from the entrance surface 47b, which is the side surface on the -Z direction side of the light guide 47, to the front surface 47a, which is the side surface on the +Y direction side of the light guide 47. The front surface 47a is a surface that follows the X-Z plane. In other words, the front surface 47a is a surface that follows the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46. The front surface 47a is an example of a light-emitting surface. In this case, the rear surface 47d, which is the side surface on the +X direction side, the -X direction side, the +Z direction side, and the -Y direction side that define the outline of the light guide 47, can be said to be light guide surfaces that guide light entering from the entrance surface 47b toward the front surface 47a. The refractive index of the material constituting the light guide 47 is preferably 1.4 or higher, and more preferably 1.5 or higher.

The rear surface 47d has a flat surface 47e located at the end of the rear surface 47d in the -Z direction, and multiple reflective portions 47h located in the +Z direction of the flat surface 47e and aligned in the Z-axis direction. As a result, the rear surface 47d has a sawtooth shape formed by the multiple reflective portions 47h and extending in the Z-axis direction. The flat surface 47e is a flat surface that runs along the front surface 47a and is an example of another surface of the rear surface 47d. The reflective portions 47h have a convex shape that protrudes in the -Y direction from the flat surface 47e. For this reason, the reflective portions 47h can also be considered convex portions of the rear surface 47d.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the reflecting portion 47h includes an upper reflecting surface 47f that reflects light entering from the entrance surface 47b toward the front surface 47a, and a lower reflecting surface 47g. The upper reflecting surface 47f is an example of an upper surface that forms a convex portion, and the lower reflecting surface 47g is an example of a lower surface that forms a convex portion. The upper reflecting surface 47f is inclined so that it slopes downward in the +Z direction toward the tip, which is the end of the reflecting portion 47h on the -Y direction side. This makes it difficult for liquid to remain on the upper reflecting surface 47f of the reflecting portion 47h, even if the liquid adheres to the rear surface 47d. The lower reflecting surface 47g is inclined so that it slopes upward in the -Z direction toward the tip, which is the end of the reflecting portion 47h on the -Y direction side. This makes it difficult for liquid to remain on the lower reflecting surface 47g of the reflecting portion 47h, even if the liquid adheres to the rear surface 47d. Therefore, when liquid adheres to the rear surface 47d, the liquid is difficult to remain on the reflecting portion 47h.

The light guide 47 is located closer to the front surface 43F in the Y-axis direction than the center of the liquid storage section 46. The light guide 47 is also located closer to the front surface 43F in the Y-axis direction than the outlet 41e of the injection section 41. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, a gap is maintained between the side of the light guide 47 and the inner surface of the liquid storage section 46. Therefore, in the liquid storage section 46, the area on the +Y-axis side of the light guide 47 and the area on the -Y-axis side of the light guide 47 are continuous without being blocked by the light guide 47. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9 , the position of the liquid level LS of the liquid in the liquid storage section 46 is the same in the Z-axis direction from the area on the +Y-axis side of the light guide 47 to the area on the -Y-axis side of the light guide 47.

Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the light guide 47 extends substantially in the height direction, which is the Z-axis direction of the liquid storage section 46. As a result, the entrance surface 47b of the light guide 47 is located in the -Z direction from the window member 43Fa, and the side surface of the light guide 47 on the +Z direction side is located in the +Z direction from the window member 43Fa. Furthermore, the -Z direction ends of the front surface 47a, rear surface 47d, side surface on the +X direction side, and side surface on the -X direction side of the light guide 47 are located in the -Z direction from the window member 43Fa, and the +Z direction ends are located in the +Z direction from the window member 43Fa. In other words, the -Z direction end of the light guide 47 is located in the -Z direction from the window member 43Fa, and the +Z direction end of the light guide 47 is located in the +Z direction from the window member 43Fa.

In other words, when the visible range is the area within the liquid storage portion 46 that can be seen through the window member 43Fa from the +Y direction side, which is the direction facing the front surface 43F of the liquid storage portion 46, the light guiding portion 47 is provided across the visible range in the Z-axis direction. The front surface 47a of the light guiding portion 47 also extends across the visible range. In this case, the light guiding portion 47 can also be said to be provided at a position where the lower limit liquid level LL, which is the liquid level LS when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 is at its lower limit, and the upper limit liquid level LH, which is the liquid level LS when the amount of liquid is at its upper limit, cross the light guiding portion 47. The front surface 47a of the light guiding portion 47 can also be said to be provided at a position where the lower limit liquid level LL and the upper limit liquid level LH cross the front surface 47a. In other words, the light guiding unit 47 is provided at a position in the Z-axis direction corresponding to a lower limit liquid level LL, which is the liquid level LS when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 is at its lower limit, and an upper limit liquid level LH, which is the liquid level LS when the amount of liquid is at its upper limit. The front surface 47a of the light guiding unit 47 is also provided at a position in the Z-axis direction corresponding to the lower limit liquid level LL and the upper limit liquid level LH.

8, when the liquid storage section 46 is viewed from the +Y direction, which is the direction facing the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46, an area on the front surface 47a of the light guide 47 that is in the -Z direction from the liquid level LS is visible. As a result, the recording device 101 of this embodiment can recognize the position of the liquid level LS by looking at the front surface 47a of the light guide 47, even if the liquid level LS of the liquid in the liquid storage section 46 is difficult to see. Therefore, it is easier to recognize the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 compared to when the light guide 47 is not provided in the liquid storage section 46. The light guide 47 may extend to a position where the side surface of the light guide 47 on the +Z direction side contacts the bottom surface 43S of the liquid storage section 46. In this case, even when the liquid storage section 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material, if the visible range is the area within the liquid storage section 46 that can be seen through the front surface 43F from the +Y direction side, which is the direction facing the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46, then it can be said that the light guiding section 47 is provided across the visible range in the Z-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 9, the illumination unit 80 of this embodiment is provided outside the liquid storage unit 46. The illumination unit 80 has a light-emitting unit 81 that emits light. The light-emitting unit 81 emits visible light. The light-emitting unit 81 is provided in a position on the -Z direction side of the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage unit 46. The light-emitting unit 81 is also provided in a position where the front surface 81a of the light-emitting unit 81 faces the entrance surface 47b of the light-guiding unit 47. Note that although the light-emitting unit 81 of this embodiment is attached to the housing 30, it may also be attached to the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage unit 46.

In this embodiment, a window member 43Ua is provided on the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage portion 46 in an area facing the front surface 81a of the light-emitting portion 81. The window member 43Ua in this embodiment also functions as an attachment portion for attaching the light-guiding portion 47. The window member 43Ua is made of a translucent or transparent material, and visible light emitted by the light-emitting portion 81 passes through the window member 43Ua and enters the liquid storage portion 46. The illumination portion 80 in this embodiment has six light-emitting portions 81 arranged side by side in the X-axis direction, corresponding to each liquid storage portion 46 of the six liquid storage containers 40. Note that if the liquid storage portion 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material, or if the window member 43Ua and the light-guiding portion 47 are integrally formed, the window member 43Ua may be omitted.

The light-emitting unit 81 emits visible light, illuminating the liquid storage unit 46, including the liquid and the light-guiding unit 47, from outside the liquid storage unit 46 through the window member 43Ua. This makes it easier to check the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit 46 and the liquid surface LS from outside the liquid storage unit 46 with the recording device 101 of this embodiment than if the lighting unit 80 were not provided.

Furthermore, light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting unit 81 enters the light-guiding unit 47 from the entrance surface 47b of the light-guiding unit 47. For example, light from the light-emitting unit 81 that enters the light-guiding unit 47 from the entrance surface 47b of the light-guiding unit 47 and is incident on the reflecting unit 47h on the rear surface 47d is reflected by the reflecting unit 47h and directed toward the front surface 47a.

For example, when no liquid is stored in the liquid storage section 46, light guided to the front surface 47a of the light guide section 47 passes through the front surface 47a and the window member 43Fa of the liquid storage section 46 to reach the +Y side of the liquid storage section 46, which is outside the liquid storage section 46. As a result, when the inside of the liquid storage section 46 is viewed from the +Y side, which faces the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46, the front surface 47a of the light guide section 47 appears to glow. In other words, the light guide section 47 transmits light from the light-emitting section 81 that enters through the entrance surface 47b, and thereby has a front surface 47a that appears to glow when the inside of the liquid storage section 46 is viewed from the +Y side, which faces the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46. The front surface 47a of the light guide section 47 is an example of a light-emitting surface.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, when liquid is stored in the liquid storage section 46, in the region in the Z-axis direction that is at the same position as the liquid level LS of the liquid in the liquid storage section 46 or on the -Z direction side of the liquid level LS, light from the light-emitting section 81 that enters the light-guiding section 47 and is incident on the reflecting section 47h on the rear surface 47d is reflected by the reflecting section 47h and guided toward the front surface 47a. Note that in FIG. 11, the path of light from the light-emitting section 81 that enters the light-guiding section 47 from the entrance surface 47b is indicated by a dashed arrow.

Light guided to the front surface 47a of the light guide 47 passes through the front surface 47a and the window member 43Fa of the liquid storage portion 46, and reaches the +Y side of the liquid storage portion 46, which is outside the liquid storage portion 46. As a result, when the inside of the liquid storage portion 46 is viewed from the +Y side, which faces the front surface 43F of the liquid storage portion 46, the area of the front surface 47a of the light guide 47 that is at the same position as the liquid level LS of the liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 in the Z axis direction or on the -Z side of the liquid level LS appears to glow, as shown by solid color in Figure 12.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, in the region of the liquid storage section 46 that is on the +Z side of the liquid level LS in the Z-axis direction, much of the light from the light emitter 81 that enters the light guide section 47 and is incident on the reflector 47h on the rear surface 47d is not reflected by the reflector 47h, passes through the reflector 47h, and travels through the liquid in a direction toward the -Y side in the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, in the region of the liquid storage section 46 that is on the +Z side of the liquid level LS in the Z-axis direction, much of the light from the light emitter 81 that enters the light guide section 47 and is incident on a side surface of the light guide section 47 other than the rear surface 47d is not reflected by the side surface, passes through the side surface, and travels through the liquid in a direction different from the direction toward the front surface 43F.

This is because the refractive index of the liquid is closer to the refractive index of the light guiding section 47 compared to the refractive index of the atmosphere, and the critical angle is very small, or the refractive index of the liquid is greater than the refractive index of the light guiding section 47. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, when looking inside the liquid storage section 46 from the +Y direction, which is the direction facing the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46, the area on the front surface 47a of the light guiding section 47 that is on the +Z direction side of the liquid level LS of the liquid in the liquid storage section 46 in the Z axis direction does not appear to be shiny. In this case, for example, even if the liquid in the liquid storage section 46 is transparent, the area on the +Z direction side of the liquid level LS of the liquid in the liquid storage section 46 in the Z axis direction does not appear to be shiny.

As a result, the recording device 101 of this embodiment can recognize the position of the liquid surface LS by looking at the area of the front surface 47a of the light guiding unit 47 that appears to be lit, even when the liquid surface LS is difficult to see. This makes it easier to recognize the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 compared to when the light guiding unit 47 is not provided inside the liquid storage unit 46.

The reflective portions 47h in the light guide 47 described above are adjusted by adjusting the inclination of each upper reflective surface 47f, the inclination of each lower reflective surface 47g, the protrusion of each reflective portion 47h, and the spacing between the reflective portions 47h in the Z-axis direction so that the front surface 47a appears uniformly illuminated. Meanwhile, in the light guide 47, the appearance of the front surface 47a illuminating upon receiving light from the light-emitting portion 81 entering through the entrance surface 47b can be changed by modifying the reflective portions 47h on the rear surface 47d. For example, by changing the inclination of the upper reflective surface 47f, the inclination of the lower reflective surface 47g, and the spacing of the multiple reflective portions 47h in the Z-axis direction, the uniform illumination of the front surface 47a shown in FIG. 12 can be changed to an illumination pattern in which bright and dark portions extending linearly in the X-axis direction are alternately arranged in the Z-axis direction, resembling a scale, as shown in FIG. 13. This allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 to be easily grasped by visually checking the light guide 47, which appears like a scale.

Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, when the protrusion amount is the dimension by which the reflective portion 47h, as a convex portion, protrudes in the -Y direction from the plane 47e of the rear surface 47d, multiple reflective portions 47h, 47k, and 47m with different protrusion amounts may be provided on the rear surface 47d. Reflective portion 47k protrudes more than reflective portion 47h, and is provided so that the position of its tip in the Z-axis direction corresponds to the upper limit liquid level LH. Reflective portion 47m protrudes more than reflective portion 47h, and is provided so that the position of its tip in the Z-axis direction corresponds to the lower limit liquid level LL. By providing reflective portions 47k and 47m with protrusion amounts different from reflective portion 47h, it is possible to provide areas on the front surface 47a, which appears shiny, that are different in brightness from other areas and correspond to the upper limit liquid level LH and the lower limit liquid level LL. This makes it easier to grasp the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 by visually identifying the areas of different brightness from other areas on the light-guiding portion 47.

The protrusion amounts of the multiple reflecting portions 47h provided on the rear surface 47d of the light-guiding portion 47 may also be continuously changed. For example, in the light-guiding portion 47 shown in FIG. 15, the multiple reflecting portions 47h are provided such that the protrusion amount of the reflecting portion 47h located on the +Z side in the Z-axis direction is greater than the protrusion amount of the reflecting portion 47h located on the -Z side. Alternatively, the multiple reflecting portions 47h may be provided such that the protrusion amount of the reflecting portion 47h located on the -Z side in the Z-axis direction is greater than the protrusion amount of the reflecting portion 47h located on the +Z side.

In other words, the multiple reflective portions 47h are arranged so that the reflective portion 47h located at one end protrudes more in the Z-axis direction than the reflective portion 47h located at the other end. This allows the brightness of the front surface 47a to be continuously varied in the Z-axis direction. Alternatively, the multiple reflective portions 47h may be arranged so that the reflective portions 47h closer to the intermediate position between the reflective portions 47h located at one end and the reflective portions 47h located at the other end in the Z-axis direction protrude less. The intermediate position may be a position where the distance to the reflective portion 47h located at one end is shorter in the Z-axis direction than the reflective portion 47h located at the other end, or where the distance to the reflective portion 47h located at one end is longer in the Z-axis direction. Alternatively, the intermediate position may be a position at the center of the front surface 47a in the Z-axis direction. For example, if the intermediate position is the center of the front surface 47a in the Z-axis direction, the brightness of the front surface 47a, which appears to be glowing, can be continuously changed in the Z-axis direction from the center of the front surface 47a.

Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 16, the reflecting portion 47h may have a surface that follows the front surface 47a and an inclined surface 47p that slopes in the +Y direction from the surface that follows the front surface 47a. This allows the front surface 47a, which appears to be shining, to glow in a way that looks like a scale, with bright and dark areas extending linearly in the X-axis direction and arranged alternately in the Z-axis direction, as shown in FIG. 13.

Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 17, the reflecting portion 47h may have a surface that follows the front surface 47a and a curved surface 47q that extends in the +Y direction from the surface that follows the front surface 47a. This allows the front surface 47a, which appears to be shining, to glow in a way that looks like a scale, with bright and dark areas extending linearly in the X-axis direction alternating in the Z-axis direction, as shown in FIG. 13.

Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, the reflecting portion 47h may have a surface that conforms to the front surface 47a and a horizontal surface that faces in the +Y direction from the surface that conforms to the front surface 47a. In this case, the rear surface 47d of the light-guiding portion 47 has a flat surface 47e, multiple reflecting portions 47h as convex portions, and multiple connecting surfaces 47s that connect the multiple reflecting portions 47h lined up in the Z-axis direction. The connecting surfaces 47s are located along the front surface 47a and on the +Y direction side of the surface of the reflecting portion 47h that conforms to the front surface 47a. This allows the front surface 47a, which appears to be shining, to glow in a way that makes it appear as if it is a scale, with bright and dark portions extending linearly in the X-axis direction alternating in the Z-axis direction, as shown in FIG. 13.

As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 30 has a viewing section 34 and a wall section 36. The viewing section 34 has a through-hole 35 that exposes the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46. The wall section 36 is disposed in the -Z direction relative to the viewing section 34. The user can see through the through-hole 35 of the viewing section 34 and the front surface 43F to ascertain the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage section 46. Note that, if it is possible to expose the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46, the viewing section 34 may be provided with a cutout shape in which a portion of the viewing section 34 is removed, instead of the through-hole 35.

As shown in Figures 20 to 22, a viewing member 34a made of a translucent or transparent material may be provided in the through-hole 35 of the viewing section 34. The viewing member 34a may be made of a resin material such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

As shown in FIG. 4 , the upper wall portion 61 has six cap lever attachment portions 62 corresponding to the six liquid containers 40, an opening/closing cover attachment portion 63, a first recess 64, a second recess 65, and a lock pin protrusion hole 66. The cap lever attachment portion 62 is a cylindrical shaft extending along the X axis. The opening/closing cover attachment portion 63 is a cylindrical shaft extending along the X axis. The opening/closing cover 31 becomes rotatable around the opening/closing cover attachment portion 63 by engaging one end of the opening/closing cover 31 with the opening/closing cover attachment portion 63.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the cap lever 50 has an end 53, an engagement portion 51, a cap 54 that can close the injection port 41a, and a protrusion 55 provided on the engagement portion 51. When the engagement portion 51 engages with the cap lever attachment portion 62 of the upper wall portion 61, the cap lever 50 becomes rotatable around the cap lever attachment portion 62 as an axis.

2, the cap lever 50 is positioned to seal the filler ports 41a of the liquid storage containers 40K1, 40K2, 40GR, 40C, and 40M, and to open the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40Y. As shown in FIGS. 2, 6, and 7, the cap lever 50 can be rotated between a closed state in which the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40 is sealed, and an open state in which the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40 is opened. As shown in FIG. 3, when the cap lever 50 is in the open state, the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40 is opened, allowing liquid to be refilled from the refill container 90 into the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40.

As shown in Figure 6, the opening/closing cover 31 protects the cap levers 50 and the upper wall portion 61. The opening/closing cover 31 rotates around the opening/closing cover mounting portion 63 as an axis, and can be in a closed state in which it covers six cap levers 50 (not shown), as shown by the two-dot chain lines in Figure 4, and an open state in which it exposes six cap levers 50 (not shown), as shown by the solid lines in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, the opening/closing cover 31 has a regulated portion 31a.

When the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage section 46 becomes low and the liquid storage container 40 needs to be refilled with liquid from the refill container 90, the user changes the access cover 31 from the closed state shown in FIG. 6 to the open state shown in FIG. 7. The user then places their finger on the end 53 of the cap lever 50 and moves the cap lever 50 from the closed state to the open state, thereby changing the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40 from a sealed state to an open state, as shown in FIG. 7. The user then inserts the tip of the refill container 90 into the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40 and refills the liquid from the refill container 90 into the liquid storage section 46 of the liquid storage container 40.

As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7, the filler port 41a is located in the first recess 64. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6, when the cap lever 50 is in the closed position, the cap 54 is inserted into the first recess 64. Also, as shown in Figure 3, when refilling the liquid storage section 46 of the liquid storage container 40 with liquid from a refill container 90, the tip of the refill container 90 is inserted into the first recess 64. At this time, the first recess 64 functions as a guide section that guides the position of the tip of the refill container 90.

As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7, the second recess 65 has a cap lever attachment portion 62 and an open/closed detection portion 71 disposed therein. The open/closed detection portion 71 is configured to detect whether the cap lever 50 is in a closed or open state. Six open/closed detection portions 71 are provided corresponding to the six cap levers 50. The protrusion 55 of the cap lever 50 functions as a detection portion for detecting whether the cap lever 50 is in a closed or open state.

In this embodiment, the open/close detection unit 71 is a contact sensor having a movable detector 71a. The detector 71a can be biased in the protruding direction and can be displaced between protruding and retracting. The open/close detection unit 71 is not limited to a contact sensor, and may also be a limit switch, a pressure sensor, or an angle sensor that detects the rotation angle of the cap lever 50. Furthermore, the open/close detection unit 71 is not limited to a contact sensor, and may also be a non-contact sensor such as a transmission photosensor or ultrasonic sensor, as long as it can detect either the closed or open state of the cap lever 50.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the detector 71a is pushed by the protrusion 55 and retracts in a direction that reduces its protrusion amount, and by detecting the protrusion 55, the open/closed detector 71 enters a state in which it can detect the closed state of the cap lever 50. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the detector 71a protrudes without being pushed by the protrusion 55 and does not detect the protrusion 55, and the open/close detector 71 enters a state in which it can detect the open state of the cap lever 50.

As shown in FIG. 4, the locking mechanism 72 is provided at a position on the +Z direction side of the upper wall portion 61. The locking mechanism 72 is also provided at a position on the -X direction side in the X axis direction adjacent to the first recess 64 in which the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40K1 is located. The locking mechanism 72 is configured to be switchable between a locked state in which the opening/closing cover 31 cannot be moved from a closed state to an open state, and an unlocked state in which the opening/closing cover 31 can be moved from a closed state to an open state.

In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 72 is a solenoid that linearly moves a locking pin (not shown) using magnetic force generated by passing a current through an electromagnetic coil. The locking pin is the movable iron core of the solenoid. The locking pin is movable between a retracted position where the tip of the locking pin is located within the locking pin protruding hole 66 and a protruding position where it protrudes from the retracted position in the +Y direction.

In this embodiment, the lock pin in the protruding position restricts the upward movement of the restricted portion 31a of the opening/closing cover 31 when it is in the closed state. At this time, the opening/closing cover 31 is in a locked state where it cannot move from the closed state to the open state. Furthermore, the lock pin in the retracted position does not restrict the upward movement of the opening/closing cover 31 when it is in the closed state. At this time, the opening/closing cover 31 is in an unlocked state where it can move from the closed state to the open state.

In this embodiment, when current is applied to the locking mechanism 72, the lock pin moves from the protruding position to the retracted position. In other words, when current is applied to the locking mechanism 72, the opening/closing cover 31 enters an unlocked state, and when current is cut off to the locking mechanism 72, the opening/closing cover 31 enters a locked state. Therefore, in this embodiment, the opening/closing cover 31 enters a locked state when the recording device 101 is powered off.

Next, the electrical configuration of the recording device 101 will be described. As shown in FIG. 19, the recording device 101 includes a control unit 111. The scanner unit 10, power operation unit 16, display unit 15, and open/close detection unit 71 are connected to the control unit 111 via an input interface (not shown). The display unit 15, transport unit 25, recording unit 20, locking mechanism 72, and light-emitting unit 81 of the illumination unit 80 are also connected to the control unit 111 via an output interface (not shown). The display unit 15 and display unit 215, which serve as notification units, have the function of displaying and notifying information received along with display instructions in accordance with the instructions.

Here, the control unit 111 is connected to the display unit 215 of the host device 210, which is an external device, via a communication interface (not shown) within the device main body 102, a communication cable, a wireless communication line, or the like. The control unit 111 transmits data along with a signal requesting the display of information based on that data to at least one of the display unit 15 and the host device 210, and performs notification processing to display information based on the data on the display unit 15 or the display unit 215. Examples of the host device 210 include a personal computer, smartphone, mobile phone, and personal digital assistant.

The control unit 111 includes, for example, a built-in CPU and memory (not shown), and performs various controls by the CPU executing programs stored in the memory. The CPU is an arithmetic processing unit. The control unit 111 has the function of displaying information on either the display unit 15 or the display unit 215, thereby notifying the user of the information through the display.

The control unit 111 causes either the display unit 15 or the display unit 215 to notify information regarding either the closed or open state of the cap lever 50 based on the detection result that the open/close detection unit 71 has detected either the closed or open state of the cap lever 50. Furthermore, if the open/close detection unit 71 has detected the open state of the cap lever 50 when an operation to cut off the power to the recording device 101 is performed, the control unit 111 causes either the display unit 15 or the display unit 215 to notify information requesting that the cap lever 50 be put into the closed state.

The control unit 111 manages the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 of each liquid storage container 40. When the user has finished pouring liquid into the liquid storage section 46 of a liquid storage container 40, they input information about the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 to the recording device 101 by operating the display unit 15 or host device 210. The control unit 111 obtains the current amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 after the liquid has been poured based on the input information about the liquid amount. The control unit 111 also measures the amount of liquid consumed by the recording unit 20 and manages the current amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 for each liquid storage container 40 by subtracting the current amount of liquid consumed from the previous amount for each liquid storage container 40.

The control unit 111 controls the recording unit 20 to perform a liquid ejection operation, which ejects liquid toward the medium transported by the transport unit 25, and flushing, which ejects liquid unrelated to printing. The control unit 111 also controls a maintenance device (not shown) to perform a cleaning operation, which forcibly ejects liquid from the nozzles of the recording head 22. The recording device 101 is equipped with a carriage motor (not shown) as a drive source for moving the carriage 21 in the width direction of the medium, and the control unit 111 controls the liquid ejection of the recording head 22 and the drive of the carriage motor to perform a liquid ejection operation, which ejects liquid onto the recording head 22 while it is mounted on the carriage 21 and moving.

The control unit 111 controls the transport unit 25 to feed media from a media storage cassette (not shown) and transport the fed media along a predetermined transport path. The transport unit 25 includes, for example, a roller-type or belt-type transport mechanism and a transport motor (not shown) that serves as its drive source. The control unit 111 controls the transport motor to control the transport of the media.

The control unit 111 controls the locking mechanism 72 by controlling the supply of electricity to the locking mechanism 72, switching between a locked state in which the opening/closing cover 31 cannot be moved from a closed state to an open state, and an unlocked state in which the opening/closing cover 31 can be moved from a closed state to an open state. For example, when there is a liquid storage container 40 in which the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 has reached a lower limit, the control unit 111 transitions the locking mechanism 72 from a locked state to an unlocked state.

The control unit 111 notifies the user of the operating status of the recording device 101 by controlling the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit 81. The control unit 111 also reduces the power consumption of the recording device 101 by controlling the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit 81. For example, the control unit 111 turns the light-emitting unit 81 off during printing and turns it on when not printing. For example, the control unit 111 turns on the light-emitting unit 81 when the user operates the power operation unit 16 to turn on the power to the recording device 101, and turns off the light-emitting unit 81 during printing. For example, the control unit 111 turns on the light-emitting unit 81 when the power operation unit 16, display unit 15, scanner unit 10, opening/closing cover 31, etc. are operated, and turns off the light-emitting unit 81 if no operation is performed for a certain period of time.

For example, the control unit 111 turns on the light-emitting unit 81 when the opening/closing cover 31 is opened, and turns off the light-emitting unit 81 a certain time after the opening/closing cover 31 is closed. For example, the control unit 111 turns on or flashes the light-emitting unit 81 when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 approaches the lower limit. This notifies the user that the liquid storage container 40 needs to be refilled with liquid. For example, the control unit 111 turns on or flashes the light-emitting unit 81 when the locking mechanism 72 is unlocked. For example, when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 of any liquid storage container 40 has reached the lower limit, the control unit 111 displays this on either the display unit 15 or the display unit 215, and keeps on lighting or flashing the light-emitting unit 81 corresponding to the liquid storage unit 46 whose amount of liquid has reached the lower limit until the opening/closing cover 31 is changed from the open state to the closed state.

As described above, the recording device 101 according to embodiment 1 can achieve the following effects.

The recording device 101 comprises a liquid storage section 46 capable of storing liquid, a recording head 22 that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage section 46 onto a medium, and a light-emitting section 81 that is provided outside the liquid storage section 46 and emits light. The liquid storage section 46 has a front surface 43F that allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 to be visible from outside the liquid storage section 46, and a light-guiding section 47 that is provided within the liquid storage section 46 and guides the light from the light-emitting section 81 into the liquid storage section 46. This makes it easy to illuminate the inside of the liquid storage section 46, even when the light-emitting section 81 is provided outside the liquid storage section 46, because the light-guiding section 47 is provided within the liquid storage section 46.

The light guide 47 is provided at a position in the Z-axis direction that corresponds to the liquid level LS when the liquid volume in the liquid storage section 46 reaches a predetermined volume. This makes it easy to determine when the liquid volume in the liquid storage section 46 has reached a predetermined volume by visually checking the light guide 47.

When the visible range is the area within the liquid storage section 46 that can be seen from the direction facing the front surface 43F, the light guide section 47 is provided across this visible range in the Z-axis direction. This makes it easy to grasp the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 by visually checking the light guide section 47.

The light guide 47 has an entrance surface 47b through which the light from the light emitter 81 enters the light guide 47; a front surface 47a that is a surface along the front surface 43F and that appears to glow when viewed from the direction facing the front surface 43F by transmitting the light that entered from the entrance surface 47b; and a rear surface 47d that is the surface opposite the front surface 47a and that guides the light that entered from the entrance surface 47b toward the front surface 47a. This makes it easy to grasp the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 by visually checking the front surface 47a, which appears to glow from the front surface 43F.

The rear surface 47d has a reflecting portion 47h that protrudes from the flat surface 47e on the rear surface 47d. By providing irregularities on the rear surface 47d, the way in which the light guide portion 47 illuminates the inside of the liquid storage portion 46 can be changed.

The rear surface 47d has multiple reflecting portions 47h aligned in the Z-axis direction. This allows the front surface 47a to be illuminated uniformly.

When the protrusion amount is the dimension by which the reflective portion 47h protrudes as a convex portion from the flat surface 47e of the rear surface 47d, the rear surface 47d has multiple reflective portions 47h, 47k, 47m with different protrusion amounts. This makes it possible to provide areas with a different brightness from other areas on the front surface 47a, which appears shiny. Furthermore, by visually identifying the areas with a different brightness from other areas on the light-guiding portion 47, it is easy to grasp the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 46.

The multiple reflecting portions 47h are arranged so that the reflecting portion 47h located at one end protrudes more in the Z-axis direction than the reflecting portion 47h located at the other end. This allows the brightness of the front surface 47a, which appears to be shining, to change continuously in the Z-axis direction.

The multiple reflective portions 47h are arranged so that the closer to the midpoint in the Z-axis direction between the reflective portions 47h located at one end and the reflective portions 47h located at the other end, the less the protrusion amount of the reflective portions 47h. As a result, for example, if the midpoint is the center of the front surface 47a in the Z-axis direction, the brightness of the front surface 47a, which appears to be glowing, can be continuously changed in the Z-axis direction from the center of the front surface 47a.

The rear surface 47d has multiple connecting surfaces 47s that connect the multiple reflective sections 47h lined up in the Z-axis direction. This allows the front surface 47a, which appears to be shiny, to glow in a way that looks like a scale, with bright and dark sections extending linearly in the X-axis direction alternating in the Z-axis direction.

The reflective portion 47h has a surface that conforms to the front surface 47a. This allows the front surface 47a, which appears to be shiny, to glow in a way that looks like a scale, with bright and dark areas extending linearly in the X-axis direction and arranged alternately in the Z-axis direction.

The upper reflecting surface 47f forming the reflecting portion 47h is inclined downward toward the tip of the reflecting portion 47h. This makes it difficult for liquid to remain on the upper reflecting surface 47f of the reflecting portion 47h when it adheres to the rear surface 47d.

The recording device 101 further includes a control unit 111 that controls the turning on and off of the light-emitting unit 81. By controlling the turning on and off of the light-emitting unit 81, the control unit 111 can change the light-emitting state of the light-guiding unit 47 and notify the user of the operating status of the recording device 101.

The recording device 101 further includes an injection unit 41 that can inject the liquid into the liquid storage unit 46. As a result, the liquid storage unit 46 can also be used in a top-up type recording device 101 that requires liquid to be replenished before use.

2. Embodiment 2
Next, a liquid containing device 103 in a recording apparatus 101 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Note that parts common to the liquid containing device 103 according to the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Descriptions of actions and effects similar to those of the first embodiment will also be omitted.

As shown in Figures 20 and 21, the liquid storage device 103 of embodiment 2 differs from the liquid storage device 103 of embodiment 1 in that the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40 has a light guide support portion 46H and a window member 43Ba but does not have a window member 43Ua, the illumination portion 80 has a common light guide portion 82, and there is only one light emitter 81. The light emitter 81 is provided in a position on the -Y direction side of the six liquid storage containers 40 and on the -X direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40K1. The light emitter 81 of this embodiment is provided so that light emitted from the front surface 81a is directed in the +X direction.

As shown in Figures 20 to 22, the light guide 47 of this embodiment has a triangular shape when viewed from the Y-axis direction and a columnar shape extending in the Y-axis direction. The light guide 47 of this embodiment is made of the same material as the light guide 47 of embodiment 1. The light guide 47 is provided on the left side surface 43L, which is the -X direction side of the center of the liquid storage section 46 in the X-axis direction. The light guide 47 of this embodiment is provided within the liquid storage section 46 so that the -X direction side, which defines the outline of the light guide 47, is aligned with the left side surface 43L. The light guide 47 of this embodiment can, for example, guide light entering from the entrance surface 47b, which is the side surface on the -Y direction side of the light guide 47, to the front surface 47a, which is the side surface on the +Y direction side of the light guide 47. The front surface 47a is a surface that is aligned with the X-Z plane. In other words, the front surface 47a is a surface that is aligned with the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46. The front surface 47a is an example of a light-emitting surface.

In this case, the three side surfaces extending in the Y-axis direction that define the outer shape of the light guiding unit 47 can be considered light guiding surfaces that guide light entering from the entrance surface 47b toward the front surface 47a. The light guiding unit 47 is attached to the light guiding unit support 46H of the liquid storage unit 46 so that the vertex in the +X direction, of the three vertices of the triangular front surface 47a and entrance surface 47b, is located at the lower limit liquid level LL of the liquid in the Z-axis direction. In other words, the light guiding unit 47 is located at a position, in the direction of gravity, that corresponds to the lower limit liquid level LL when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 reaches the lower limit.

22, when the liquid storage portion 46 is viewed from the +Y direction, which is the direction facing the front surface 43F of the liquid storage portion 46, an area on the front surface 47a of the light guiding portion 47 that is in the -Z direction from the lower limit liquid level LL is visible. As a result, with the recording device 101 of this embodiment, even if the lower limit liquid level LL of the liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 is difficult to see, the position of the lower limit liquid level LL of the liquid can be recognized by visually checking the front surface 47a of the light guiding portion 47. Therefore, it is easier to recognize the lower limit amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 compared to when a light guiding portion 47 is not provided inside the liquid storage portion 46.

The common light guide 82 is made of a translucent or transparent material. As shown in Figures 20 and 21, the common light guide 82 has an entrance surface 82b, an irradiation surface 82a, and a rear surface 82r. In this embodiment, the common light guide 82 is a light guide member that guides light entering from the entrance surface 82b toward the irradiation surface 82a. For example, the common light guide 82 can be made of a resin material such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

The entrance surface 82b is the side surface of the common light guide section 82 facing the -X direction, and is located facing the front surface 81a of the light emitter 81. The entrance surface 82b is located on the -X direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage section 46 of the liquid storage container 40K1.

The irradiation surface 82a is the side surface on the +Y direction side of the common light guide section 82. The irradiation surface 82a extends from a position on the -X direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage section 46 in the liquid storage container 40K1 to a position on the +X direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage section 46 in the liquid storage container 40Y. The irradiation surface 82a is located opposite the entrance surface 47b of the light guide section 47.

As a result, the window member 43Ba of the liquid storage portion 46 in the liquid storage containers 40K1, 40K2, 40GR, 40C, 40M, and 40Y is located between the light guiding portion 47 of the liquid storage portion 46 in the liquid storage containers 40K1, 40K2, 40GR, 40C, 40M, and 40Y and the irradiation surface 82a in the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, the irradiation surface 82a is provided so as to correspond to the position of the lower limit liquid level LL of the liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 in the Z-axis direction. Note that the window member 43Ba may not be necessary if the liquid storage portion 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material, or if the window member 43Ba and the light guiding portion 47 are integrally formed.

The rear surface 82r is the side surface on the -Y direction side of the common light guide section 82. The rear surface 82r extends from a position on the -X direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage section 46 in the liquid storage container 40K1 to a position on the +X direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage section 46 in the liquid storage container 40Y. The rear surface 82r is formed by multiple reflecting sections 82t lined up in the X axis direction, and has a sawtooth shape extending in the X axis direction. The reflecting sections 82t have a convex shape formed by reflecting surfaces 82d and 82e lined up in the X axis direction.

As shown in Figure 21, light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting unit 81 enters the common light-guiding unit 82 from the entrance surface 82b of the common light-guiding unit 82. In Figure 21, the path of light emitted from the light-emitting unit 81 is indicated by dashed arrows. Light from the light-emitting unit 81 that enters the common light-guiding unit 82 from the entrance surface 82b is guided within the common light-guiding unit 82 toward the irradiation surface 82a by the multiple reflecting portions 82t that make up the rear surface 82r, and the side surfaces of the common light-guiding unit 82 on the +Z direction side, -Z direction side, and +X direction side.

Light from the light-emitting unit 81 guided to the irradiation surface 82a passes through the window member 43Ba and enters the liquid storage units 46, illuminating the interiors of the six liquid storage units 46, including the liquid and the light-guiding units 47. In other words, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided outside the liquid storage units 46 and illuminates the interiors of the six liquid storage units 46, including the liquid and the light-guiding units 47, via the common light-guiding unit 82. Furthermore, the recording device 101 of this embodiment illuminates the light-guiding units 47 in multiple liquid storage units 46 with a single light-emitting unit 81 via the common light-guiding unit 82.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 22, assume that the liquid level LS of the liquid in the liquid storage section 46 is located in the -Z direction from the light guide section 47, and the side surface of the light guide section 47, which serves as the light guide surface, is in the liquid, as in liquid storage containers 40K1, 40K2, 40GR, and 40C. In this case, as shown in FIG. 21, most of the light that enters the light guide section 47 from the entrance surface 47b via the common light guide section 82 and strikes the side surface of the light guide section 47 is not reflected by the side surface, but passes through the side surface and travels through the liquid in a direction different from the direction toward the front surface 43F along the Y axis. As a result, when viewing the inside of the liquid storage section 46 from the +Y direction, which faces the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46, the front surface 47a of the light guide section 47 does not appear to be illuminated.

On the other hand, as in liquid storage containers 40M and 40Y, the liquid level LS of the liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 is near the lower limit liquid level LL and is located in the +Z direction from the top of the light guiding portion 47. In other words, at least a portion of the side surface serving as the light guiding surface of the light guiding portion 47 is in contact with the atmosphere. In this case, as shown in FIG. 21, light that enters the light guiding portion 47 from the entrance surface 47b via the common light guiding portion 82 is guided inside the light guiding portion 47 toward the front surface 47a. As a result, when the inside of the liquid storage portion 46 is viewed from the +Y direction, which is the direction facing the front surface 43F of the liquid storage portion 46, the area of the front surface 47a of the light guiding portion 47 that is on the -Z direction side of the liquid level LS in the Z axis direction appears to glow, as shown by the solid color in FIG. 22.

As a result, with the recording device 101 of this embodiment, even if the lower limit liquid level LL of the liquid is difficult to see when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 is at its lower limit, the position of the liquid level LS can be recognized by looking at the area of the front surface 47a of the light guiding section 47 that appears to be glowing, making it easier to recognize the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 compared to when a light guiding section 47 is not provided inside the liquid storage section 46.

In addition, the light guiding section 47 of the liquid storage section 46 in the liquid storage container 40M has a region on the side of the light guiding section 47 that is located in the +Z direction from the liquid level LS. In this case, much of the light that enters the light guiding section 47 from the entrance surface 47b and enters this region is not reflected by the side, but passes through the side and travels through the liquid in a direction different from the direction toward the front surface 43F along the Y axis. For this reason, when viewing the inside of the liquid storage section 46 from the +Y direction, which faces the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46, the front surface 47a of the light guiding section 47 appears darker and brighter than the front surface 47a of the light guiding section 47 in a liquid storage container 40Y where the liquid level LS is located in the +Z direction from the light guiding section 47.

As described above, the recording device 101 according to embodiment 2 can achieve the following effects.

The recording device 101 includes multiple liquid storage sections 46 and a common light guide section 82 that guides light from a single light emitter 81 to the light guide sections 47 in the multiple liquid storage sections 46. This allows each light guide section 47 in the multiple liquid storage sections 46 to be illuminated by a single light emitter.

The recording device 101 and liquid container 40 according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention are based on the configuration described above, but it is of course possible to modify or omit parts of the configuration without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment and other embodiments described below can be combined with each other to the extent that they are not technically inconsistent. Other embodiments will be described below.

In the above embodiment, the housing 30 of the liquid storage device 103 may not have the viewing portion 34 and the wall portion 36. For example, the liquid storage device 103 may have the housing 30 function as an attachment portion that detachably accommodates an exchangeable liquid storage container 40. In this case, for example, the liquid storage container 40 in the first embodiment is a liquid storage container 40 that can be attached to the housing 30 of a recording device 101 that includes a recording head 22 that ejects liquid, a light-emitting unit 81 that emits light, and the housing 30, and includes a liquid storage section 46 that can store the liquid, and when the liquid storage container 40 is attached to the housing 30, the area of the liquid storage section 46 that faces the light-emitting unit 81 is transparent or translucent, and the liquid storage section 46 has a front surface 43F that allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 to be visible from outside the liquid storage section 46, and a light-guiding unit 47 that is provided within the liquid storage section 46 and guides the light from the light-emitting unit 81 into the liquid storage section 46. According to this, even when the light-emitting unit 81 is provided outside the liquid storage section 46, the light-guiding unit 47 is provided within the liquid storage section 46, making it easy to illuminate the inside of the liquid storage section 46. Note that if the light-emitting unit 81 is provided on the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage unit 46, the recording device 101 does not need to be equipped with the light-emitting unit 81.

In the above embodiment, the light guide 47 may be made of multiple materials with different light transmittances. The light guide 47 may also be made of multiple materials with different colors. In this case, the light guide 47 may be integrally molded from multiple different resin materials. For example, in the reflective portion 47h of the light guide 47 shown in FIG. 18, the surface along the front surface 47a may be made of a material with a lower light transmittance than the other portions. In this case, the material forming the surface along the front surface 47a does not have to be a resin material, and may be a metal such as stainless steel.

In the first embodiment described above, the light guide 47 may have two or more different shaped reflecting portions 47h among the different shaped reflecting portions 47h shown in Figures 9, 14 to 18. For example, the light guide 47 may have a rear surface 47d on which multiple reflecting portions 47h shown in Figure 9 and one reflecting portion 47h shown in Figure 16 are aligned in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the rear surface 47d has one reflecting portion 47h having a surface that conforms to the front surface 47a. In this case, the position in the Z-axis direction of the reflecting portion 47h having a surface that conforms to the front surface 47a may be arranged to correspond to the lower limit liquid level LL. Alternatively, the light guide 47 may have a rear surface 47d on which multiple reflecting portions 47h shown in Figure 17 and two reflecting portions 47h shown in Figure 18 are aligned in the Z-axis direction. In this case, two reflecting portions 47h shown in Figure 18 may be aligned consecutively in the Z-axis direction, with a connecting surface 47s provided between them. In this case, the position of the connection surface 47s in the Z-axis direction may be set to correspond to the lower limit liquid level LL. In this case, the rear surface 47d has multiple reflecting portions 47h with surfaces that conform to the front surface 47a, and one connection surface 47s that conforms to the front surface 47a.

In the above-described first embodiment, the light guide 47 does not need to have a protruding reflecting portion 47h on the rear surface 47d. In this case, for example, a metal film such as stainless steel or a coating film made of a color material may be provided on the rear surface 47d as a reflective surface. When the light guide 47 is made of a resin material, it can also be said that the light guide 47 is made of multiple materials with different light transmittances. Furthermore, multiple linear metal films or coating films extending in the X-axis direction may be formed on the rear surface 47d at intervals in the Z-axis direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, the front surface 47a, which appears to be shiny, may be illuminated in a way that resembles a scale, with bright and dark areas extending linearly in the X-axis direction alternating in the Z-axis direction.

In the above-described first embodiment, the light guide unit 47 does not need to have a protruding reflecting portion 47h including an upper reflecting surface 47f and a lower reflecting surface 47g on the rear surface 47d. In this case, for example, instead of the reflecting portion 47h shown in FIG. 9, the rear surface 47d may be provided with a plurality of crescent-shaped protrusions extending in the X-axis direction and in the Z-axis direction when viewed from the X-axis direction. Alternatively, the rear surface 47d of the light guide unit 47 may be treated with a liquid-repellent coating to retain liquid adhering to the rear surface 47d in the form of multiple protrusions, thereby forming regions with different light transmittance on the rear surface 47d.

In the above-described second embodiment, the light guiding unit 47 may be provided within the liquid storage unit 46 so that the vertex in the +X direction, one of the three vertices of the triangular front surface 47a and entrance surface 47b, is located at the position of the upper limit liquid level LH of the liquid in the Z-axis direction. In other words, the light guiding unit 47 may be provided at a position where the upper limit liquid level LH crosses the light guiding unit 47 when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 reaches the upper limit. In this way, when the user refills the liquid container 40 with liquid, the control unit 111 can light up or blink the light emitting unit 81, thereby notifying the user of the position of the liquid level when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 reaches the upper limit.

In the above embodiments, the shape of the light guide 47 is not particularly limited as long as it has an entrance surface 47b and a light-emitting surface. For example, the side surface on the +Z direction side of the light guide 47 in embodiment 1 may be located in the -Z direction relative to the upper limit liquid level LH of the liquid in the liquid storage section 46 in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, for example, the light guide 47 in embodiment 2 may have a cylindrical shape with a circular front surface 47a, or a prismatic shape with a square front surface 47a.

In the above embodiment, the color of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 81 may be changeable, and the control unit 111 may change the color when lighting or flashing the light-emitting unit 81. For example, in embodiment 1, the control unit 111 may light the light-emitting unit 81 with green light when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 is greater than the lower limit, and may flash the light-emitting unit 81 with yellow light when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 falls below the lower limit. Also, for example, the control unit 111 may light the light-emitting unit 81 with red light when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 falls below the lower limit.

In the above-described first embodiment, the color of visible light emitted by each light-emitting element 81 of the illumination unit 80 may differ depending on the corresponding liquid storage container 40.

In the above embodiment, the light guide sections 47 in the multiple liquid storage sections 46 may be different colors.

In the second embodiment described above, the liquid storage device 103 does not necessarily have to include the light-emitting unit 81. In this case, for example, the light-emitting unit 81 may be provided in the device body 102 at a position on the -Y side of the liquid storage device 103, or at a position on the -X side of the liquid storage device 103.

In the above embodiment, the recording head 22 and the liquid container 40 do not have to be connected by the tube 23. In this case, the recording device 101 may mount the recording head 22 and the liquid container 40 on the carriage 21, and while the carriage 21 moves in the width direction of the medium, alternately repeat a liquid ejection operation in which the recording head 22 ejects liquid onto the medium and a transport operation in which the medium is transported in the transport direction by the transport unit 25, thereby recording a desired image on the medium.

10...Scanner unit, 11...Scanner housing, 12...Document cover, 15...Display unit, 16...Power supply operation unit, 20...Recording unit, 21...Carriage, 22...Recording head, 23...Tube, 25...Transport unit, 30...Housing, 34...Visualization unit, 34a...Visualization member, 35...Through hole, 36...Wall portion, 40, 40K1, 40K2, 40GR, 40C, 40 M, 40Y...liquid storage container, 41...injection section, 41a...injection port, 41b...intermediate storage section, 41c...inlet port, 41d...relay flow path, 41e...outlet port, 43B...rear surface, 43Ba...window member, 43F...front surface, 43Fa...window member, 43L...left side surface, 43R...right side surface, 43S...bottom surface, 43U...upper surface, 43Ua...window member, 44...scale section, 45...atmosphere introduction Mouth, 46...Liquid storage part, 46H...Light guide support part, 47...Light guide part, 47a...Front surface, 47b...Entry surface, 47d...Back surface, 47e...Plane, 47f...Upper reflection surface, 47g...Lower reflection Surface, 47h, 47k, 47m...Reflection part, 47p...Slanted surface, 47q...Curved surface, 47s...Connection surface, 49...Derivation channel, 49a...Discharge port, 49b...First connection channel, 49c...Second Connection flow path, 49d...outlet port, 80...illumination section, 81...light-emitting section, 81a...front surface, 82...common light-guiding section, 82a...irradiation surface, 82b...entry surface, 82d, 82e...reflecting surfaces, 82r...rear surface, 82t...reflecting section, 90...replenishment container, 101...recording device, 102...device main body, 103...liquid storage device, 111...control section, 210...host device, 215...display section.

Claims (8)

a plurality of liquid storage sections capable of storing liquid;
a recording head that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage section onto a medium;
a light emitting unit that is provided outside the liquid storage unit and emits light;
Equipped with
The liquid storage section is
a visual confirmation surface that allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion to be visually confirmed from outside the liquid storage portion;
a light guide portion provided in the liquid storage portion and configured to guide the light from the light emitting portion into the liquid storage portion;
and
a common light guiding section that guides the light from one of the light emitting sections to the light guiding sections in the plurality of liquid storage sections;
Equipped with
A recording device characterized by: the light guiding section is provided at a position in the direction of gravity that corresponds to a liquid level when the amount of the liquid in the liquid storage section reaches a predetermined amount.
2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium. The common light guiding section
an entrance surface through which the light from the light emitting unit enters the common light guiding unit;
The liquid storage surface is formed by a surface that is parallel to the viewing surface and transmits the light that has entered from the entrance surface.
an illumination surface that guides light to the retention portion ;
a reflecting surface that is a surface opposite to the irradiation surface and that guides the light that has entered from the entrance surface toward the irradiation surface;
having
3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a recording medium having a recording capacity of 1000 kW. The reflecting surface has a convex portion that protrudes from other surfaces of the reflecting surface.
4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3. the reflecting surface has a plurality of the convex portions arranged in a width direction in which the plurality of liquid storage portions are arranged,
5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4. Further, a control unit is provided to control turning on and off the light emitting unit.
6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a recording medium having a recording capacity of 1000 kW . Further provided is an injection part capable of injecting the liquid into the liquid storage part.
7. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a recording medium having a recording capacity of 1000 kW . A liquid container that can be attached to a mounting portion of a recording device that includes a recording head that ejects liquid, a light emitting portion that emits light, and a mounting portion,
a plurality of liquid storage sections capable of storing the liquid;
When the liquid container is attached to the attachment portion,
the light emitting unit is located outside the liquid storage unit,
a region of the liquid storage portion facing the light emitting portion is transparent or translucent;
The liquid storage section is
a visual confirmation surface that allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion to be visually confirmed from outside the liquid storage portion;
a light guide portion provided in the liquid storage portion and configured to guide the light from the light emitting portion into the liquid storage portion;
and
a common light guiding section that guides the light from one of the light emitting sections to the light guiding sections in the plurality of liquid storage sections;
Equipped with
A liquid container characterized by: