# US 11,440,326 B2 · Liquid ejection apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,326 B2 - Document ID: US11440326B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/143,963 - Filed: 2021-01-07 - Published: 2021-07-22 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-20 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yoshiyuki Fukumoto; Hiroshi Higuchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440326B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/17506: {Refilling of the cartridge} - B41J 2/17509: {Whilst mounted in the printer} - B41J 2/17553: {Outer structure} - 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 A liquid ejection apparatus includes at least one ink tank which is ink-refillable from outside, a liquid ejection head that ejects an ink supplied from the ink tank, and a housing that contains the ink tank and the liquid ejection head inside. The at least one ink tank is fixed to a housing wall of at least one surface out of surfaces forming the housing. Moreover, one surface out of surfaces forming the ink tank, which is attached to the housing wall, is either a surface having the largest area of the ink tank or a surface opposed to the surface having the largest area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid ejection apparatus comprising: at least one ink tank which is ink-refillable from outside; a liquid ejection head configured to eject an ink supplied from the ink tank; and a housing configured to contain the ink tank and the liquid ejection head inside, wherein the at least one ink tank is fixed to a housing wall of at least one surface out of a plurality of surfaces forming the housing, and of a plurality of surfaces forming the ink tank, a surface attached to the housing wall is any of a surface having the largest area of the ink tank and a surface opposed to the surface having the largest area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid ejection apparatus includes a plurality of the ink tanks, and all the ink tanks are fixed to the housing wall. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing wall includes: an inner wall exposed to inside of the liquid ejection apparatus; and an outer wall exposed to outside of the liquid ejection apparatus, and the ink tank is fixed to the inner wall. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing wall includes: an inner wall exposed to inside of the liquid ejection apparatus; and an outer wall exposed to outside of the liquid ejection apparatus, and the ink tank is fixed between the inner wall and the outer wall. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink tank and the housing wall are formed from an integrated component. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a movable wall provided to at least one of surfaces forming the housing, and the housing wall to which the ink tank is fixed is a wall of at least one of the surfaces except the surface provided with the movable wall. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ink tank is arranged at one of corner portions of side surfaces of the housing and is fixed across respective housing walls of two surfaces forming the corner portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid ejection apparatus includes a plurality of the ink tanks, and any of the plurality of the ink tanks is fixed to each of a plurality of housing walls of surfaces forming side walls of the housing except a surface from which a print medium printed by the liquid ejection head is discharged. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid ejection apparatus includes a plurality of the ink tanks, and all of the plurality of ink tanks are fixed to a housing wall of an arbitrary one of the plurality of surfaces forming the housing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the surface of the housing wall to which the ink tanks are fixed is an upper surface of the housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the surface of the housing wall to which the ink tanks are fixed is a side surface of the housing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a shape of at least one of the ink tanks includes a shape which combines two ink tanks having elongate shapes extending in one direction while orienting the ink tanks in directions not parallel to each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of ink tanks are connected to tubes each including an ink filling port, and the ink filling ports are gathered at a portion of the housing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of ink tanks includes an ink filling port which enables refill of the ink tank with an ink from outside without using a tube, and the ink filling ports are gathered at a portion of the housing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a lowermost portion in a direction of gravitational force of the ink tank is located at a position higher than an ejection surface of the liquid ejection head. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink tank includes an ink discharge hole configured to discharge the ink to the liquid ejection head, and a width of the ink tank is gradually reduced toward the ink discharge hole. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink tank includes an ink supply hole, and an ink filling port used to refill with an ink from outside is formed at a portion of the housing wall to which the ink tank is fixed, the portion being located at a position opposed to the ink supply hole of the fixed ink tank. ### Claim 18 A liquid ejection apparatus comprising: at least one ink tank which is ink-refillable from outside; a liquid ejection head configured to eject an ink supplied from the ink tank; and a housing configured to contain the liquid ejection head inside, wherein the liquid ejection apparatus includes a tank attachment unit configured to attach the at least one ink tank to a housing wall of at least one surface out of a plurality of surfaces forming the housing, the tank attachment unit is fixed to the housing wall; and wherein the tank attachment unit is fixed to the housing wall such that a total thickness of the attached ink tank and the housing wall becomes smallest. ### Claim 19 A liquid ejection apparatus comprising: at least one ink tank which is ink-refillable from outside; a liquid ejection head configured to eject an ink supplied from the ink tank; and a housing configured to contain the liquid ejection head inside, wherein the liquid ejection apparatus includes a tank attachment unit configured to attach the at least one ink tank to a housing wall of at least one surface out of a plurality of surfaces forming the housing, the tank attachment unit is fixed to the housing wall; and wherein the tank attachment unit fixed to the housing wall is configured to establish communication between outside and inside of the housing in a state where the ink tank is not attached, and to shut off the communication between the outside and the inside of the housing in a state where the ink tank is attached.