IP Library Granted Patent US 9,469,117
Granted Patent B2
US 9,469,117 · App. 14/854,160 · Granted Oct 18, 2016

Liquid consuming apparatus including liquid tank with rotatable cover

Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe (Seto, JP); Tomohisa Higuchi (Nagoya, JP)
Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B41J2/1752B41J2/175B41J2/17509B41J2/17553B41J2/20G03G15/0865
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,469,117
App. No.
14/854,160
Granted
Oct 18, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is provided a liquid consuming apparatus including: a tank having a liquid storing chamber, an erected wall through which the liquid inside the liquid storage chamber is visible from outside of the tank, and an inlet which is formed to penetrate through the erected wall and via which the liquid is poured into the liquid storage chamber; a liquid consuming section which consumes the liquid stored in the liquid storing chamber; and a cover. A transmitting section and a checking section are formed in an upper surface, of the cover, under a condition that the cover is in the exposure position, the transmitting section configured to transmit information optically to a user of the liquid consuming apparatus and the checking section configured to prevent the liquid moving on a particular surface of the cover from arriving at the transmitting section.

Claims (30)

1. A liquid consuming apparatus configured to consume liquid, comprising:

a tank including a liquid storing chamber configured to store the liquid therein, and an erected wall which is provided upstandingly, which defines an end of the liquid storing chamber in a first direction crossing a vertical direction and through which the liquid inside the liquid storage chamber is visible from outside of the tank, the tank including an inlet which is formed to penetrate through the erected wall;

a liquid consuming section configured to consume the liquid stored in the liquid storing chamber; and

a cover configured to rotate between a cover position at which the cover covers the erected wall in the first direction and an exposure position at which the cover allows the erected wall to be exposed, the cover being configured to rotate around an axis extending in a second direction which intersects the vertical direction and the first direction;

wherein the axis of the cover is disposed below the inlet;

wherein the cover further comprises a particular surface facing the vertical direction in the exposure position, a transmitting section disposed on the particular surface, the transmitting section being configured to transmit information optically to a user of the liquid consuming apparatus, and a checking section disposed on the particular surface, the checking section being configured to prevent the liquid moving on the particular surface of the cover from arriving at the transmitting section; and

wherein the checking section is arranged between the erected wall and the transmitting section in the first direction and extends in the second direction.

2. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the checking section is one of a rib, groove and a stepped portion, which are provided on the particular surface of the cover.

3. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the checking section is configured to hold the liquid by surface tension.

4. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the checking section extends in an extending direction along an outer edge of the transmitting section, and is configured to lead the liquid in the extending direction by capillarity.

5. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the checking section surrounds a periphery of the transmitting section.

6. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitting section is a transparent portion via which the erected wall is visually observable from outside of the liquid consuming apparatus under a condition that the cover is in the cover position.

7. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a letter, figure or symbol is drawn in the transmitting section.

8. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the checking section is a rib formed in the particular surface of the cover; and

the rib has a portion which is arranged between the erected wall of the tank and the transmission section in the first direction and which extends in the second direction.

9. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the rib surrounds a periphery of the transmitting section.

10. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the rib is located away from the erected wall of the tank at the cover position of the cover.

11. A liquid consuming apparatus configured to consume liquid, comprising:

a tank configured to store the liquid therein, and an erected wall which is provided upstandingly in a vertical direction, the erected wall facing a particular direction, the tank including an inlet which is formed to penetrate through the erected wall; and

a cover configured to rotate between a cover position at which the cover covers the erected wall in the particular direction and an exposure position at which the cover allows the erected wall to be exposed, the cover being configured to rotate around an axis extending in a further direction which intersects the vertical direction and the particular direction;

wherein the axis of the cover is disposed below the inlet,

wherein the cover further comprises a particular surface facing the vertical direction in the exposure position, the particular surface includes a first area disposed below the tank under the condition the cover is at the cover position, a second area disposed further than the first area in the particular direction under the condition the cover is at the exposure position, and a checking section disposed between the first area and the second area, the checking section being configured to prevent the liquid on the first area of the particular surface from arriving at the second area under the condition the cover is at the exposure position.

12. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein at least a part of the second area covers the erected wall, and the checking section is disposed below the tank at the cover position.

13. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprises a transparent portion disposed on the second area of the particular surface.

14. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a letter, figure or symbol is drawn on the second area.

15. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the checking section is one of a rib, groove and a stepped portion, which are provided on the particular surface of the cover.

16. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the rib is positioned further than the tank in the particular direction under a condition that the cover is in the cover position.

17. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the checking section is configured to hold the liquid by surface tension.

18. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the checking section extends in an extending direction which intersects to the particular direction and the vertical direction, and is configured to lead the liquid in the extending direction by capillarity.

19. The liquid consuming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the checking section surrounds a periphery of the transmitting section.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 15, 2015
From: OSAKABE, YOSHINORI; HIGUCHI, TOMOHISA
To: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 036564/0697 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2014-200868 · Sep 30, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160091820A1 · Mar 31, 2016