# US 2017/0282579 A1 · Tank and liquid consuming apparatus including the same

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- Number: US 2017/0282579 A1
- Document ID: US20170282579A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/473,893
- Filed: 2017-03-30
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31
- Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Masahiro HAYASHI; Taichi SHIRONO; Masako KAWAGOE; Yoshinori OSAKABE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170282579A1

## CPC

- B41J 2/17523: {Ink connection}
- B41J 2/17509: {Whilst mounted in the printer}
- B41J 2/17513: {Inner structure}
- B41J 2/17553: {Outer structure}
- B41J 2/17566: {Ink level or ink residue control}
- B41J 29/02: Framework
- B41J 29/13: Cases or covers
- B41J 2002/17573: {using optical means for ink level indication}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

There is provided a tank including: a casing; a liquid chamber including first and second chambers; a communicating channel configured by first, second, and third communicating channels; a liquid inlet port; a first communicating port; a second communicating port; an atmosphere open port; a liquid outflow port; and a gas-liquid separating membrane provided in the third communicating channel and blocking flowing (distribution, circulation) of liquid in the third communicating channel. A first end of the second communicating channel is communicated with the second chamber, and a second end of the second communicating channel is communicated with an end of the first communicating channel. A first end of the third communicating channel is communicated with the second end of the second communicating channel, and a second end of the third communicating channel is communicated with the atmosphere open port.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tank for storing liquid to be supplied to a liquid consuming device, comprising:
a casing;
a liquid chamber including a first chamber and a second chamber which are configured to store the liquid;
a communicating channel including a first communicating channel, a second communicating channel, and a third communicating channel;
a liquid inlet port via which the liquid is poured into the first and second chambers;
a first communicating port communicating the first chamber and a first end of the first communicating channel;
a second communicating port communicating the first and second chambers;
an atmosphere open port communicating the third communicating channel and an outside of the tank;
a liquid outflow port via which the liquid stored in the first and second chambers is allowed to flow out of the first and second chambers and toward the liquid consuming device; and
a gas-liquid separating membrane located in the third communicating channel and blocking flowing of the liquid in the third communicating channel,
wherein a first end of the second communicating channel is communicated with the second chamber, and a second end of the second communicating channel is communicated with a second end of the first communicating channel, and
a first end of the third communicating channel is communicated with the second end of the second communicating channel, and a second end of the third communicating channel is communicated with the atmosphere open port.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tank according to claim 1, further comprising a third communicating port allowing the liquid to flow from the second ends of the first and second communicating channels to the third communicating channel in a first direction,
wherein the third communicating port is provided at a position different from that of the gas-liquid separating membrane in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The tank according to claim 2, wherein the third communicating channel includes a liquid flow channel extending in the first direction, and
the gas-liquid separating membrane is located in the liquid follow channel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The tank according to claim 1, wherein in a state where a maximum amount, of the liquid, storable in the tank in a usable posture is stored in the tank, a part, of the second chamber, at which a liquid surface of the liquid is positioned is a boundary position between the second chamber and the second communicating channel, and
a length, of the second communicating channel, between the boundary position and the third communicating port in a liquid flow direction is substantially the same as a length, of the first communicating channel, between the first communicating port and the third communicating port in the liquid flow channel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The tank according to claim 1, wherein the casing includes an adjacent surface which is a part of a bottom surface defining a lower end of the third communicating channel in a state where the tank is in a usable posture and which is adjacent to the gas-liquid separating membrane at a position closer to the second communicating channel than the gas-liquid separating membrane, and
the adjacent surface is inclined to a horizontal direction such that a part close to the gas-liquid separating membrane is positioned above a part away from the gas-liquid separating membrane.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The tank according to claim 1, further comprising a labyrinth channel having a labyrinth shape which is disposed between the gas-liquid separating membrane and the atmosphere open port.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The tank according to claim 1, wherein the liquid chamber is defined by a first surface and a second surface which face each other and are parallel to each other in a width direction,
the casing includes:
a first film configuring at least a part of the first surface; and
a second film configuring at least a part of the second surface,
the communicating channel includes a first part and a second part, the first part being defined by one of the first film and the second film and being communicated with the liquid chamber, the second part being defined by the other of the first film and the second film and being communicated with the atmosphere open port, and
at least a part of the first part overlaps with at least a part of the second part in the width direction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The tank according to claim 7, wherein a length of the first part in the width direction is longer than a length of the second part in the width direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The tank according to claim 8, wherein the first part is defined by the first film, and the second part is defined by the second film.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The tank according to claim 7, wherein a first width of the first part is larger than a second width of the second part,
the first width is a length along a direction orthogonal to the width direction and a communicating direction of the first part, and
the second width is a length along a direction orthogonal to the width direction and a communicating direction of the second part.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The tank according to claim 7, further comprising:
a first rib defining the first part and
a second rib defining the second part,
wherein the first rib intersects with the second rib as viewed in the width direction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The tank according to claim 7, wherein the gas-liquid separating membrane is located between the first part and the second part of the communicating channel.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The tank according to claim 12, wherein the communicating channel includes:
a first channel which is communicated with the first part at a position close to one of the first surface and the second surface and which extends toward the other of the first surface and the second surface in the width direction,
a second channel which is communicated with the first channel at a position close to the other of the first surface and the second surface and which extends toward one of the first surface and the second surface in the width direction, and
a third channel which is communicated with the second channel at a position close to one of the first surface and the second surface, extends toward the other of the first surface and the second surface in the width direction, and is communicated with the second part at a position close to the other of the first surface and the second surface,
wherein the gas-liquid separating membrane is located in the second channel.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A liquid consuming apparatus comprising:
the tank as defined in claim 1, and
a liquid consuming device connected to the tank to consume the liquid supplied from the tank.