IP Library › Granted Patent US 12673500
Granted Patent B2
US 12673500 · App. 18/643,516 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Liquid supply apparatus, printing system, and printing apparatus

Inventors: Naoaki Wada (Kanagawa, JP); Tomoyuki Nagase (Kanagawa, JP); Masakazu Nagashima (Kanagawa, JP); Hideyuki Nozawa (Tochigi, JP); Daigo Kuronuma (Kanagawa, JP); Hiromasa Yoneyama (Kanagawa, JP); Ryohei Maruyama (Kanagawa, JP); Akira Fujikake (Kanagawa, JP); Kichinosuke Hirokawa (Tokyo, JP); Kenta Iimura (Kanagawa, JP); Yuto Nitami (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
B41J2/17523B41J2/17513B41J2/17556B41J2002/17516
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12673500
App. No.
18/643,516
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A liquid supply apparatus configured to supply a liquid to a printing unit, comprising a tray on which a flexible retaining container that retains a liquid is configured to be placed, and a tray holder configured to hold the tray so as to allow insertion of the tray in a first direction, wherein the retaining container includes a supply port configured to supply a liquid to the printing unit and an inlet coupled to the supply port and configured to take in a liquid into the retaining container, and the tray is provided with a concave shape overlapping the inlet from a viewpoint in an up-down direction in a state in which the tray is inserted in the tray holder.

Claims (26)

1 . A liquid supply apparatus configured to supply a liquid to a printing unit, comprising:

a tray on which a flexible retaining container that retains a liquid is configured to be placed; and

a tray holder configured to hold the tray and to allow insertion of the tray in a first direction,

wherein the retaining container includes a supply port configured to supply a liquid to the printing unit and an inlet coupled to the supply port and configured to take in a liquid from the retaining container, and

the tray being provided with a concave shape formed on a bottom surface of the tray, the concave shape overlapping the inlet from a viewpoint in an up-down direction in a state in which the tray is inserted in the tray holder.

2 . The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the concave shape has a planar portion and inclined surfaces surrounding the planar portion.

3 . The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the inclined surfaces are formed so as to shallow the concave shape outward in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

4 . The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the inclined surfaces are formed so as to shallow the concave shape outward in the first direction.

5 . The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an area of the concave shape is larger than an area of a bottom of an inlet member having the inlet in a state in which the tray is inserted in the tray holder.

6 . The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the inlet is positioned below a portion of the tray other than the concave shape in an up-down direction in a first liquid amount state.

7 . The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tray holder includes a pressing member configured to press the retaining container when the retaining container is placed on the tray, and

the concave shape and the pressing member overlap each other from a viewpoint in an up-down direction.

8 . The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining container includes a foldable gusset portion, and

the concave shape does not overlap the gusset portion from a viewpoint in an up-down direction in a state in which the tray is inserted in the tray holder.

9 . The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining container includes a welded portion at an end portion, and

the concave shape does not overlap the welded portion from a viewpoint in an up-down direction in a state in which the tray is inserted in the tray holder.

10 . The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tray holder is configured to hold the tray in an inclined posture so as to locate the supply port of the retaining container to a position below an opposite side of the retaining container.

11 . The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the concave shape and the inlet overlap each other in the first direction in a state in which the tray is held by the tray holder in the inclined posture.

12 . The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a length of the concave shape in a second direction intersecting the first direction is not less than half of a length of the retaining container in the second direction.

13 . The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a length of the concave shape in the first direction is less than 10% of a length of the retaining container in the first direction.

14 . A printing system comprising:

a liquid supply apparatus defined in claim 1 ; and

a printing apparatus including the printing unit configured to perform printing by using a liquid supplied from the liquid supply apparatus.

15 . A printing apparatus comprising:

a liquid supply apparatus defined in claim 1 ; and

a printing unit configured to perform printing by using a liquid supplied from the liquid supply apparatus.