IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,027,551
Granted Patent B2
US 11,027,551 · App. 16/743,448 · Granted Jun 8, 2021

System including a reservoir configured to store liquid and a tank to which the reservoir can be connected

Inventors: Akihito Ono (Nagoya, JP); Akinari Ishibe (Okazaki, JP); Hiroaki Takahashi (Nagoya, JP); Takahiro Miyao (Nisshin, JP); Kosuke Nukui (Nagoya, JP)
Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B41J2/175B41J2/17509B41J2/17553B41J2/1753
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,027,551
App. No.
16/743,448
Granted
Jun 8, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system includes: a housing; a first tank; a second tank; a first reservoir configured to be connected to the first tank; a second reservoir configured to be connected to the second tank; and a liquid discharge head that ejects the liquid supplied from the first tank and the second tank. The housing includes: a front wall; a rear wall facing the front wall; and a housing side contact, the first reservoir and the second reservoir includes: a liquid flow hole; a first outer wall; and a second outer wall facing the first outer wall, the first tank includes a first flow pipe, and the second tank includes a second flow pipe. The system further includes a circuit board that is disposed on the second outer wall and has a reservoir side contact that contacts the housing side contact.

Claims (84)

1. A system comprising:

a housing that includes a conveyance path that extends in a depth direction intersecting a height direction of the housing and through which a sheet passes;

a first tank that is disposed on one side of the conveyance path inside the housing in a width direction perpendicular to the height direction and the depth direction and configured to store liquid;

a second tank that is disposed on the other side of the conveyance path inside the housing in the width direction and configured to store liquid;

a first reservoir that is configured to be connected to the first tank and configured to store liquid;

a second reservoir that is configured to be connected to the second tank and configured to store liquid; and

a liquid discharge head that is disposed inside the housing and ejects the liquid supplied from the first tank and the second tank, wherein

the housing includes:

a front wall having an opening through which a sheet is discharged;

a rear wall facing the front wall; and

a housing side contact,

each of the first reservoir and the second reservoir includes:

a liquid flow hole which is configured to lead the stored liquid to the outside;

a first outer wall that has translucency and is visible from the outside of the housing through a translucent portion formed in the front wall and having translucency when the first reservoir is connected to the first tank or the second reservoir is connected to the second tank; and

a second outer wall located between the first outer wall and the rear wall when the first reservoir is connected to the first tank or the second reservoir is connected to the second tank, and facing the first outer wall,

the first tank includes a first flow pipe that extends upward from an upper end of the first tank and is configured to be connected to the liquid flow hole of the first reservoir,

the second tank includes a second flow pipe that extends upward from an upper end of the second tank and is configured to be connected to the liquid flow hole of the second reservoir, and

the system further comprises a circuit board that is disposed on the second outer wall and has a reservoir side contact that contacts the housing side contact when the first reservoir is connected to the first tank or the second reservoir is connected to the second tank.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

the liquid flow hole is located closer to the first outer wall than the second outer wall in a direction in which the first outer wall and the second outer wall face each other.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

the liquid flow hole of the first reservoir is on one side with respect to the center of the first reservoir in the width direction, and

the circuit board disposed in the first reservoir is disposed on the other side with respect to the center of the first reservoir in the width direction.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

the liquid flow hole of the second reservoir is on one side with respect to the center of the second reservoir in the width direction, and

the circuit board disposed in the second reservoir is disposed on the other side with respect to the center of the second reservoir in the width direction.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the first tank and the second tank includes a first wall having translucency, and

the first wall is visible from the outside of the housing through the translucent portion.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the first reservoir and the second reservoir includes a third outer wall that has translucency and connects one end of the first outer wall in the width direction and one end of the second outer wall in the width direction,

the housing includes a side wall that connects one end of the front wall in the width direction and one end of the rear wall in the width direction, and

the third outer wall is visible from the outside of the housing through a second translucent portion that is formed in the side wall and has translucency.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein

each of the first tank and the second tank include a second wall having translucency, and

the second wall is visible from the outside of the housing through the second translucent portion.

8. A system comprising:

a housing that includes a conveyance path that extends in a depth direction intersecting a height direction of the housing and through which a sheet passes;

a first tank that is disposed on one side of the conveyance path inside the housing in a width direction perpendicular to the height direction and the depth direction and configured to store liquid;

a second tank that is disposed on the other side of the conveyance path inside the housing in the width direction and configured to store liquid;

a first reservoir that is configured to be connected to the first tank and configured to store liquid;

a second reservoir that is configured to be connected to the second tank and configured to store liquid; and

a liquid discharge head that is disposed inside the housing and ejects the liquid supplied from the first tank and the second tank, wherein

each of the first reservoir and the second reservoir includes a liquid flow hole through which the stored liquid is flowable to the outside the reservoir,

the first tank includes a first flow pipe that extends upward from an upper end of the first tank and is configured to be connected to the liquid flow hole of the first reservoir, and

the second tank includes a second flow pipe that extends upward from an upper end of the second tank and is configured to be connected to the liquid flow hole of the second reservoir.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein

at least one of the first tank or the second tank includes a first wall having translucency,

the housing includes a front wall having an opening through which a sheet is discharged, and

the first wall is visible from the outside of the housing through a first translucent portion formed in the front wall and having translucency.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein

the first reservoir includes a second wall having translucency, and

when the first reservoir is connected to the first tank, the second wall is visible from the outside of the housing through the first translucent portion.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein

the second reservoir includes a third wall having translucency, and

when the second reservoir is connected to the second tank, the third wall is visible from the outside of the housing through the first translucent portion.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein

the housing includes a side wall extending from an end portion of the front wall in the width direction along a direction intersecting the width direction and the height direction, and

the first wall is visible from the outside of the housing through a second translucent portion formed in the side wall and having translucency.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein

the first reservoir includes a second wall having translucency, and

when the first reservoir is connected to the first tank, the second wall is visible from the outside of the housing through the second translucent portion.

14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein

the second reservoir includes a third wall having translucency, and

when the second reservoir is connected to the second tank, the third wall is visible from the outside of the housing through the second translucent portion.

15. The system according to claim 8 , wherein

the system includes at least either of the first tank and the second tank in plural, and

at least either of the plurality of first tanks or the plurality of second tanks is arranged in parallel along the width direction.

16. The system according to claim 8 , wherein

the system includes at least either of the first reservoir or the second reservoir in plural, and

at least either of the plurality of first reservoirs or the plurality of second reservoirs is arranged in parallel along the depth direction.

17. The system according to claim 8 , wherein

the first tank and the second tank include

an air communication hole that allows the internal space of the first tank and the second tank to communicate with the atmosphere,

a first flow path in which one end thereof is below the air communication hole in the internal space, and the other end thereof is opened to the outside through the first flow pipe or the second flow pipe, and

a second flow path in which one end thereof is below the one end of the first flow path in the internal space, and the other end thereof is opened to the outside through the first flow pipe or the second flow pipe.

18. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising:

a cover that is movable to a covering position for covering the upper ends of the first reservoir connected to the first tank and the second reservoir connected to the second tank, and to an opening position for opening the upper ends.

19. The system according to claim 18 , wherein

the cover in the covering position is in contact with the first reservoir from above, and

the position where the cover in the covering position is in contact with the first reservoir, and the liquid flow hole of the first reservoir overlap each other in the line of sight along the height direction.

20. The system according to claim 18 , wherein

the cover in the covering position is in contact with the second reservoir from above, and

the position where the cover in the covering position is in contact with the second reservoir, and the liquid flow hole of the second reservoir overlap each other in the line of sight along the height direction.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 15, 2020
From: ONO, AKIHITO; ISHIBE, AKINARI; TAKAHASHI, HIROAKI; MIYAO, TAKAHIRO; NUKUI, KOSUKE
To: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 051523/0770 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP JP2019-005744 · Jan 17, 2019 · national
JP JP2019-005745 · Jan 17, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200230963A1 · Jul 23, 2020
Cited By (5)
US 12,380,754 US 12,387,544 US 12,424,044 US 12,518,582 US 12,738,116