Printing apparatus and liquid storage member

Abstract

The printing apparatus of the present invention includes: a print head; and a liquid storage container in which a liquid storage chamber that stores a liquid to be supplied to the print head, an atmosphere communication chamber that communicates with the atmosphere, and a communication flow path that causes the liquid storage chamber and the atmosphere communication chamber to communicate are formed integrally. The liquid storage container can take a first posture in which the atmosphere communication chamber is located under the liquid storage chamber in the direction of gravity and a second posture in which the atmosphere communication chamber and the liquid storage chamber are located side by side in the horizontal direction. In the case where the liquid storage container is in the second posture, the liquid injection portion and the communication flow path are located on the upper side of the liquid storage container.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A printing apparatus comprising:
 a print head having an ejection port surface on which an ejection port which ejects a liquid is formed; and   a liquid storage container including:
 a liquid storage chamber configured to store the liquid to be supplied to the print head; 
 a liquid injection portion configured for injection of the liquid into the liquid storage chamber from the outside; 
 an atmosphere communication chamber configured to communicate with the atmosphere, the atmosphere communication chamber being arranged under the liquid storage chamber in a direction of gravity; and 
 a communication flow path configured to allow communication between the liquid storage chamber and the atmosphere communication chamber, the communication flow path having an opening in the atmosphere communication chamber, the opening being arranged under the ejection port surface in the direction of gravity. 
   
     
     
       2. The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a liquid supply path that connects the liquid storage chamber and the print head;   a second valve provided on the liquid supply path and configured to switch a second open state in which the liquid is supplied to the print head from the liquid storage chamber and a second closed state in which the liquid is not supplied to the print head from the liquid storage chamber.   
     
     
       3. The printing apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the second valve is in the second closed state when the liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber from the liquid injection portion.   
     
     
       4. The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the liquid storage container further includes an atmosphere communication flow path that is connected to the atmosphere communication chamber and an atmosphere opening that opens into the atmosphere, and   the printing apparatus further comprising a first valve provided on the atmosphere communication flow path and configured to switch a first open state in which the atmosphere communication chamber communicates with the atmosphere through the atmosphere opening and a first closed state in which the atmosphere communication chamber does not communicate with the atmosphere.   
     
     
       5. The printing apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the first valve is in the first closed state when the liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber from the liquid injection portion.   
     
     
       6. The printing apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the atmosphere opening is arranged in the vicinity of a top of the liquid storage container.   
     
     
       7. The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein one end of the communication flow path is connected to a bottom surface side of the liquid storage chamber and the other end is connected to a bottom surface side of the atmosphere communication chamber.   
     
     
       8. The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the liquid storage container is installed in the printing apparatus.   
     
     
       9. The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the liquid storage chamber and the atmosphere communication chamber are formed by being defined by a partition wall arranged within the liquid storage container.   
     
     
       10. The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the opening in the atmosphere communication chamber of the communication flow path is formed on a bottom surface side of the atmosphere communication chamber, and   a bottom surface of the atmosphere communication chamber is arranged so as to be under an ejection port surface on which an ejection port through which the liquid is ejected is formed in the print head.   
     
     
       11. The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the storage container has a liquid supply portion from which the liquid in the liquid storage chamber is supplied to the print head, and   the liquid supply portion is located on a lower side of the liquid storage container.   
     
     
       12. The printing apparatus according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein a bottom surface of the atmosphere communication chamber is arranged so as to be under the lowest position of a flow path that connects the liquid supply portion and the print head.   
     
     
       13. The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a top surface of the atmosphere communication chamber is arranged under the ejection port surface in the direction of gravity.   
     
     
       14. The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the liquid injection portion is arranged above the ejection port surface in the direction of gravity.   
     
     
       15. A liquid storage container comprising:
 a liquid storage chamber configured to store a liquid to be supplied to a print head of the printing apparatus;   a liquid injection portion configured for injection of the liquid into the liquid storage chamber from the outside;   an atmosphere communication chamber configured to communicate with the atmosphere, the atmosphere communication chamber being arranged under the liquid storage chamber in a direction of gravity; and   a communication flow path configured to allow communication between the liquid storage chamber and the atmosphere communication chamber, the communication flow path having an opening in the atmosphere communication chamber, the opening being arranged under an ejection port surface of the print head in the direction of gravity.   
     
     
       16. A printing apparatus comprising:
 a print head having an ejection port surface on which an ejection port which ejects a liquid is formed;   a liquid storage container including:
 a liquid storage chamber configured to store the liquid to be supplied to the print head; 
 a liquid injection portion configured for injection of the liquid into the liquid storage chamber from the outside; 
 an atmosphere communication chamber configured to communicate with the atmosphere, the atmosphere communication chamber being arranged under the liquid storage chamber in a direction of gravity; 
 a communication flow path having an opening in the atmosphere communication chamber and configured to allow communication between the liquid storage chamber and the atmosphere communication chamber, the opening being arranged under the ejection port surface in the direction of gravity; and 
 an atmosphere communication flow path that is connected to the atmosphere communication chamber and an atmosphere opening that opens into the atmosphere; and 
   wherein the printing apparatus further comprises a first valve provided on the atmosphere communication flow path and configured to switch a first open state in which the atmosphere communication chamber communicates with the atmosphere through the atmosphere opening and a first closed state in which the atmosphere communication chamber does not communicate with the atmosphere.   
     
     
       17. The printing apparatus according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the first valve is in the first closed state when the liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber from the liquid injection portion.   
     
     
       18. The printing apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a liquid supply path that connects the liquid storage chamber and the print head;   a second valve provided on the liquid supply path and configured to switch a second open state in which the liquid is supplied to the print head from the liquid storage chamber and a second closed state in which the liquid is not supplied to the print head from the liquid storage chamber.   
     
     
       19. The printing apparatus according to  claim 18 ,
 wherein the second valve is in the second closed state when the liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber from the liquid injection portion.   
     
     
       20. The printing apparatus according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein one end of the communication flow path is connected to a bottom surface side of the liquid storage chamber and the other end is connected to a bottom surface side of the atmosphere communication chamber.   
     
     
       21. The printing apparatus according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the liquid storage container is installed in the printing apparatus.   
     
     
       22. The printing apparatus according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the storage container has a liquid supply portion from which the liquid in the liquid storage chamber is supplied to the print head, and   the liquid supply portion is located on a lower side of the liquid storage container.   
     
     
       23. The printing apparatus according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein a top surface of the atmosphere communication chamber is arranged under the ejection port surface in the direction of gravity.   
     
     
       24. The printing apparatus according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the liquid injection portion is arranged above the ejection port surface in the direction of gravity.   
     
     
       25. A printing apparatus comprising:
 a liquid storage container including:
 a liquid storage chamber that stores a liquid to be supplied to a print head that ejects the liquid; and 
 an injection portion configured to inject the liquid into the liquid storage chamber; 
   a cap that can open and close the injection portion;   an ejection portion that is located at a front side of the printing apparatus, and configured to eject a storge medium printed by the print head to outside of the printing apparatus; and   a cover that can cover a top and a front side of the injection portion and can open and close,   wherein   the print head performs a printing operation,   the injection portion is provided on an inclined surface of the liquid storage container and is oriented toward an upper side in a case where the liquid is ejected from the print head,   the inclined surface is positioned so as to face the front side of the printing apparatus;   the cover, in a case where the liquid is injected from the injection portion into the liquid storage container, is evacuated from the top and a side of the injection portion, and   the cap has a protrusion that protrudes toward an outside in a state where the injection portion is hermetically closed and that is provided at an opening center of the injection portion,   wherein the print head can eject a magenta ink, a yellow ink and a cyan ink as the color ink,   wherein the liquid storage container is independently provided for each color of the liquids of colors, and   wherein the cover is a single cover that covers the plurality of liquid storage containers.   
     
     
       26. The printing apparatus according to  claim 25 ,
 wherein the liquid storage container is arranged on a front side of the printing apparatus.   
     
     
       27. The printing apparatus according to  claim 26 ,
 wherein an index indicating an amount of the liquid in the liquid storage chamber is formed on a front side in a longitudinal direction of the liquid storage container.   
     
     
       28. The printing apparatus according to  claim 25 ,
 wherein the print head and the liquid storage container are connected by a tube.   
     
     
       29. The printing apparatus according to  claim 28 ,
 wherein a flow part that the tube is connected to is formed around a bottom surface of the liquid storage container.   
     
     
       30. The printing apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein
 the liquid storage container includes:
 a first chamber different from the liquid storage container; and 
 an opening through which the liquid storage container and the first chamber communicate with each other; and 
   an outlet portion to which the tube is connected is provided above the opening in the gravity direction.   
     
     
       31. The printing apparatus according to  claim 25 ,
 wherein the print head can eject a black ink and a color ink.   
     
     
       32. The printing apparatus according to  claim 25 ,
 wherein an atmosphere opening configured to take air into the liquid storage container is formed on a top side of the liquid storage container.   
     
     
       33. The printing apparatus according to  claim 25 ,
 wherein the print head can eject the liquids of colors, the liquid storage container is independently provided for each color of the liquids of colors.   
     
     
       34. The printing apparatus according to  claim 33 ,
 wherein the liquid storage container for at least one color of the liquid storage containers for the colors is different in size.   
     
     
       35. The printing apparatus according to  claim 34 ,
 wherein the print head can inject a black ink and a color ink, and   the size of the liquid storage container of the black ink is bigger than the size of the liquid storage container of the color ink.   
     
     
       36. The printing apparatus according to  claim 33 ,
 wherein a plurality of the liquid storage containers are provided side by side next to each other.   
     
     
       37. The printing apparatus according to  claim 26 , further comprising
 a window, the window being provided so that the liquid in the liquid storage container is visible from an exterior of the printing apparatus.