Liquid container, printing apparatus, liquid container manufacturing apparatus, and liquid container manufacturing method

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a liquid container detachably mounted to a container mounting portion of the printing apparatus;
• a hollow needle insertable into an outlet unit included in the liquid container;
• and
• a tool for moving an on-off valve included in the liquid container, wherein
• the liquid container includes:
• a bag body which contains a liquid therein;
• and
• an outlet unit having
• a supply channel unit which permits the liquid to be delivered to the printing apparatus from the bag body, and
• a bypass channel unit which permits the liquid to be delivered to the bag body from the printing apparatus,
• in the supply channel unit, a check valve is disposed which permits the liquid to be delivered to the printing apparatus from the bag body and does not permit the liquid to be delivered to the bag body from the printing apparatus,
• in the bypass channel unit, an on-off valve is disposed which is configured to be movable to a first position and a second position, the first position being a position at which the on-off valve closes the bypass channel unit to not permit the liquid to be delivered, the second position being a position at which the on-off valve opens the bypass channel unit to permit the liquid to be delivered, and
• the on-off valve is configured to be freely moved between the first position and the second position by being operated by a tool from outside the liquid container to thereby switch opening and closing of the bypass channel unit.

A liquid container manufacturing apparatus comprising:

• a mounting unit which mounts a liquid container;
• a hollow needle insertable into an outlet unit included in the liquid container;
• and
• a tool for moving an on-off valve included in the liquid container, wherein
• the liquid container includes:
• a bag body which contains a liquid therein;
• and
• an outlet unit having
• a supply channel unit which permits the liquid to be delivered to the printing apparatus from the bag body, and
• a bypass channel unit which permits the liquid to be delivered to the bag body from the printing apparatus,
• in the supply channel unit, a check valve is disposed which permits the liquid to be delivered to the printing apparatus from the bag body and does not permit the liquid to be delivered to the bag body from the printing apparatus,
• in the bypass channel unit, an on-off valve is disposed which is configured to be movable to a first position and a second position, the first position being a position at which the on-off valve closes the bypass channel unit to not permit the liquid to be delivered, the second position being a position at which the on-off valve opens the bypass channel unit to permit the liquid to be delivered, and
• the on-off valve is configured to be freely moved between the first position and the second position by being operated by a tool from outside the liquid container to thereby switch opening and closing of the bypass channel unit.

A liquid container manufacturing method for introducing a liquid into a liquid container by using

• a manufacturing apparatus including:
• a liquid tank;
• a pump mechanism;
• and
• a hollow tube, and
• the liquid container including:
• a bag body which contains a liquid therein;
• a supply channel unit which permits the liquid to be delivered from the bag body to an outside;
• a bypass channel unit which permits the liquid to be delivered to the bag body from the outside;
• the supply channel unit including
• a liquid supply hole to insert a hollow tube included in the manufacturing apparatus,
• a liquid inlet hole communicating with the bag body,
• a liquid channel connecting the liquid supply hole and the liquid inlet hole to each other, and
• a check valve disposed at an intermediate portion of the liquid channel,
• the bypass channel unit including
• a bypass channel hole communicating with the bag body,
• a bypass channel branching off from an intermediate portion of the liquid channel forming the supply channel unit between the liquid supply hole and the check valve, and connected to the bypass channel hole, and
• an on-off valve disposed at an intermediate portion of the bypass channel;
• and
• a tool insertion hole for operating the on-off valve from an outside with a tool,
• the liquid container manufacturing method comprising driving the pump mechanism in a state where the liquid container is mounted to the manufacturing apparatus and the hollow tube is inserted in the liquid supply hole so as to deliver the liquid to the liquid container from the liquid tank of the manufacturing apparatus through the hollow tube, the liquid channel, and the bypass channel unit branching off from the liquid channel with the on-off valve of the bypass channel unit opened with the tool and deliver the liquid to the pump mechanism of the manufacturing apparatus from the liquid container through the supply channel unit of the liquid container and the hollow tube with the on-off valve of the bypass channel unit closed and thereby circulate the liquid and introduce the liquid into the liquid container.