# US 10,500,867 B2 · Liquid tank > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,500,867 B2 - Document ID: US10500867B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/117,438 - Filed: 2018-08-30 - Published: 2019-02-28 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-31 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Makoto Sawadaishi; Naomi Kimura; Shoma Kudo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500867B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/17553: {Outer structure} - B41J 2/175: Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} - B41J 2/17513: {Inner structure} - B41J 2/1752: {Mounting within the printer} - B41J 2/17523: {Ink connection} - B41J 2/17596: {Ink pumps, ink valves} - B41J 29/13: Cases or covers - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract Provided is a technique for reducing the likelihood of air bubbles flowing to a liquid ejection head, in a liquid tank mounted on a carriage. The liquid tank mounted on the carriage movable in a Y direction includes a liquid chamber, a liquid inlet port, an atmospheric air introduction portion, a liquid outlet, and a division wall arranged in the liquid chamber. The division wall has first division walls perpendicular to the Y direction in a mounted state on the carriage, and the liquid chamber includes a plurality of small liquid chambers partitioned by the first division walls, an upper communication portion allowing the small liquid chambers to be in communication with each other, and a lower communication portion positioned below the upper communication, and allowing the small liquid chambers to be in communication with each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid tank that is mounted on a carriage provided with a liquid ejection head movable in a Y direction, and configured to contain liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head, the liquid tank comprising: a liquid chamber configured to contain the liquid; a liquid inlet port through which the liquid can be injected into the liquid chamber; an atmospheric air introduction portion for introducing atmospheric air into the liquid chamber; a liquid outlet provided in a bottom face of the liquid chamber; and a division wall arranged in the liquid chamber, wherein the division wall has first division walls perpendicular to the Y direction in a mounted state in which the liquid tank is mounted on the carriage, and the liquid chamber includes: a plurality of small liquid chambers partitioned by the first division walls, an upper communication portion that allows the plurality of small liquid chambers to be in communication with each other in the mounted state, and a lower communication portion that is positioned below the upper communication portion in the mounted state, and allows the plurality of small liquid chambers to be in communication with each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The liquid tank according to claim 1, wherein the liquid chamber has a liquid visual recognition wall that is parallel to the Y direction that is a horizontal direction and a Z direction that is a direction along a gravity direction orthogonal to the Y direction, in the mounted state, and that makes it possible to visually recognize the liquid in the liquid chamber from the outside. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The liquid tank according to claim 2, wherein the liquid visual recognition wall has an upper limit sign indicating an upper limit of an amount of the liquid that is contained in the liquid chamber, the upper communication portion is formed above the upper limit sign in the mounted state, and the lower communication portion is formed below the upper limit sign in the mounted state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The liquid tank according to claim 1, wherein two or more first division walls are provided, and three or more small liquid chambers are provided. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The liquid tank according to claim 1, wherein the division wall further has a second division wall that is parallel to the Y direction and the Z direction that is a direction along a gravity direction orthogonal to the Y direction, in the mounted state, and partitions the small liquid chambers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The liquid tank according to claim 1, wherein the upper communication portion is formed by a gap between upper end portions of the first division walls and a ceiling face of the liquid chamber, and the lower communication portion is formed by lower end recessed portions provided in lower end portions of the first division walls. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The liquid tank according to claim 5, wherein the liquid chamber is formed by a recessed portion formed in a tank body of the liquid tank and a film member that seals an opening of the recessed portion, and the division wall is a body separate from the recessed portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The liquid tank according to claim 1, wherein the liquid outlet includes a filter member that catches an extraneous material in the liquid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The liquid tank according to claim 1, wherein the liquid outlet is formed between one wall that define the liquid chamber and is perpendicular to the Y direction and the first division walls. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The liquid tank according to claim 1, further comprising: an opposing wall that is positioned above the liquid outlet, is positioned below a ceiling face of the liquid chamber, and is opposed to at least a portion of the liquid outlet, in the mounted state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The liquid tank according to claim 10, wherein the opposing wall is inclined relative to the horizontal direction in the mounted state. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The liquid tank according to claim 10, wherein the opposing wall is connected to the first division walls. ### Claim 13 A liquid tank that is mounted on a carriage provided with a liquid ejection head and movable in a Y direction, and configured to contain liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head, the liquid tank comprising: a liquid chamber configured to contain the liquid; a liquid inlet port through which the liquid can be injected into the liquid chamber; an atmospheric air introduction portion for introducing atmospheric air into the liquid chamber; a liquid outlet provided in a bottom face of the liquid chamber; and an opposing wall that is positioned above the liquid outlet and below a ceiling face of the liquid chamber, and is opposed to at least a portion of the liquid outlet, in a mounted state in which the liquid tank is mounted on the carriage. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The liquid tank according to claim 13, wherein the liquid chamber has a liquid visual recognition wall that is parallel to the Y direction that is a horizontal direction and a Z direction that is a direction along a gravity direction orthogonal to the Y direction in the mounted state, and that makes it possible to visually recognize the liquid in the liquid chamber from the outside, the liquid visual recognition wall has a lower limit sign indicating a reference of a lower limit of an amount of the liquid that is contained in the liquid chamber, and at least a portion of the opposing wall opposed to the liquid outlet is arranged at a position lower than or at the same height as a position of the lower limit sign, in the mounted state. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The liquid tank according to claim 13, further comprising: a division wall arranged in the liquid chamber, wherein the division wall has a first division wall perpendicular to the Y direction in the mounted state, and the liquid outlet is formed between a wall face of the liquid chamber orthogonal to the horizontal direction and the first division wall opposed to the wall face in the mounted state.