Patent Description:
Liquid discharge apparatuses (recording apparatuses) with a refillable ink (liquid) tank and a recording head for discharging the liquid supplied from the ink tank via nozzles to form an image on a medium are known, for example, in <CIT>. The recording apparatus described in <CIT> includes a recording section for recording an image on a medium, a transport roller section for feeding the medium toward the recording section, a discharging roller section for discharging the image-recorded medium from the recording section, an ink tank that stores a liquid that is supplied to a recording head, an optical sensor for detecting a remaining amount of the liquid in the ink tank, and a display section for displaying various kinds of information. When the level of the liquid in the ink tank becomes low, the user is prompted to refill the ink tank with the liquid, and the user refills the ink tank with the liquid.

In the recording apparatus described in <CIT>, however, the ink tank that stores the liquid to be supplied to the recording head is apart from the display section for displaying various kinds of information. Accordingly, for example, it may be difficult for the user to refill the ink tank with the liquid while referring to the information displayed on the display section, and the user may improperly perform the ink refilling operation to the ink tank.

<CIT> discloses an inkjet recording apparatus that includes a tank, a recording head, a display, an operation interface, a memory and a controller. The controller performs: an inquiry process in which a displaying and receiving process is repeatedly performed for each of ink chambers of the tank to inquire whether ink has been injected into a target ink chamber, an operation determination process to determine whether all of operations received in the inquiry process are first operations, and, in response to the determination in the operation determination process that all of the operations received in the inquiry process are first operations, a confirmation process to prompt a user to input a third operation to confirm that ink has been injected into all of the ink chambers. The controller initializes, in response to receipt of the third operation in the confirmation process, count values for all of the ink chambers.

According to the invention, there is provided a recording apparatus as defined in claim <NUM>.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a recording apparatus <NUM> according to a first embodiment. <FIG> is a perspective view of the recording apparatus <NUM> according to the first embodiment. <FIG> are perspective views of the recording apparatus <NUM> according to the embodiment. <FIG> illustrate a scanner section <NUM> that is closed with respect to an apparatus body <NUM>. <FIG> and <FIG> illustrate the scanner section <NUM> that is open with respect to the apparatus body <NUM>. In <FIG>, an ink tank 46Y is refilled with a yellow liquid from a refill container <NUM>. First, with reference to <FIG>, an overview of the recording apparatus <NUM> according to the embodiment will be described.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the recording apparatus <NUM> according to the embodiment includes the rectangular parallelepiped apparatus body <NUM> and the scanner section <NUM> that is attached to an upper portion of the apparatus body <NUM>, and the recording apparatus <NUM> is installed on a horizontal surface. In the following description, an X direction denotes a longside direction (width direction) of the rectangular parallelepiped apparatus body <NUM>, a Y direction denotes a short-side direction (depth direction) of the apparatus body <NUM>, and a Z direction denotes a height direction of the apparatus body <NUM>. In addition, a + direction denotes a tip side of an arrow that indicates a direction, and a - direction denotes a base end side of the arrow that indicates the direction. The +Y direction side of the apparatus body <NUM> is an example apparatus front surface in the embodiments of the present application, and hereinafter, referred to as an apparatus front surface <NUM>. When the apparatus front surface <NUM> is viewed from the +Y direction side, the apparatus front surface according to the present application is viewed from the front side.

The scanner section <NUM> is disposed on an upper portion of the apparatus body <NUM> such that the scanner section <NUM> can be turned with respect to the apparatus body <NUM> (see <FIG> and <FIG>). The scanner section <NUM> includes a scanner housing <NUM> (see <FIG>) that reads a document mounted on the scanner housing <NUM>, and an upper cover <NUM>. The scanner housing <NUM> and the upper cover <NUM> are stacked. The upper cover <NUM> is a cover for protecting the scanner housing <NUM>, and can be turned with respect to the scanner housing <NUM> as illustrated by chain double-dashed lines in the drawings. A display section <NUM> is attached to an end portion of the upper cover <NUM> on the +Y-direction side.

As illustrated by solid lines and chain double-dashed lines in the drawings, the display section <NUM> can be turned together with the upper cover <NUM> with respect to the scanner housing <NUM> and can be tilted with respect to the upper cover <NUM>. That is, the display section <NUM> is attached to an end of the scanner section <NUM>, and can be turned together with the scanner section <NUM>, and can be tilted. The display section <NUM> is a liquid crystal display module that includes a touch panel. The display section <NUM> includes a display panel <NUM> that has a touch panel and a casing <NUM>. The display section <NUM> has a mechanism (display function) that provides operation guidance of the recording apparatus <NUM> and a function for setting various settings to the recording apparatus <NUM>. The user can tilt the display section <NUM> to a position for easy viewing and perform various operations to the recording apparatus <NUM> while referring to images displayed on the display sections <NUM>. Furthermore, the user can tilt the display section <NUM> to a position where the user can readily touch the display section <NUM> and set various settings to the recording apparatus <NUM> via the display section <NUM>. As described above, the recording apparatus <NUM> has the display section <NUM> that provides operation guidance to the recording apparatus <NUM>. The display section <NUM> that can be tilted to the upper cover <NUM> enables the user to readily refer to the operation guidance displayed on the display section <NUM> and set various settings to the recording apparatus <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the user turns the display section <NUM> together with the scanner section <NUM> to open the scanner section <NUM> with the display section <NUM> attached thereto with respect to the apparatus body <NUM>, and refills an ink tank <NUM> with a liquid from the refill container <NUM>. When the liquid is supplied from the refill container <NUM> into the ink tank <NUM>, the display section <NUM> is disposed away from the ink tank <NUM>, and thus the display section <NUM> does not interfere with the operation of supplying the liquid from the refill container <NUM> into the ink tank <NUM>. Consequently, the large display section <NUM> can be provided. With the structure in which the display section <NUM> is attached to the end of the scanner section <NUM> and the display section <NUM> can be turned together with the scanner section <NUM>, the large display section <NUM> can be provided, enabling the user to readily visually check images for operation guidance that are displayed on the display section <NUM>.

Returning to <FIG> and <FIG>, in the apparatus body <NUM>, a recording section <NUM> is disposed. The recording section <NUM> can record images on a medium with a liquid. The recording section <NUM> includes a carriage <NUM>, a recording head <NUM> that is mounted on the carriage <NUM>, and a tube <NUM> for supplying a liquid to the recording head <NUM>. The tube <NUM> is coupled to the recording section <NUM> and the liquid storage section <NUM>. A liquid stored in the liquid storage section <NUM> is supplied to the recording section <NUM> through the tube <NUM>.

The carriage <NUM> is supported by a guide shaft (not illustrated), and can be moved in a width direction of a medium that intersects a transport direction in which the medium is transported. In this embodiment, the width direction is the +X direction or the -X direction, which is an example medium width direction that intersects the medium transport direction according to the present application. The carriage <NUM> can be moved in the medium width direction (+X direction or -X direction). The recording head <NUM> can be moved together with the carriage <NUM> in the medium width direction. The recording head <NUM> includes a common liquid chamber (not illustrated), pressure generating chambers (not illustrated), piezoelectric elements (not illustrated), nozzles (not illustrated), and the like to discharge a liquid onto a medium. In the recording apparatus <NUM>, the recording head <NUM> alternately repeats discharging a liquid onto a medium while moving in the medium width direction and transporting the medium in the transport direction to record a desired image on the medium.

In an upper portion of the apparatus front surface <NUM> on the +X-direction side, the display section <NUM> is disposed, and in a lower portion of the apparatus front surface <NUM> on the +X direction side, a liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> of a storage case <NUM> is disposed. The display section <NUM> is, accordingly, disposed above the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> and near the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>. As described above, the recording apparatus <NUM> has the display section <NUM> that is disposed above the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>. In the apparatus front surface <NUM>, a front side casing <NUM> is disposed on the -X-direction side with respect to the display section <NUM>, and a front door <NUM> is disposed on the -X-direction side with respect to the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>. The front side casing <NUM> includes a power button <NUM> for turning on or off the power. As described above, the recording apparatus <NUM> has the front door <NUM> that is disposed on the medium width direction side (-X-direction side) with respect to the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>. The front door <NUM> can be opened or closed with respect to the apparatus body <NUM> (see <FIG> and <FIG>).

As will be described in detail below, the liquid storage section <NUM> includes the storage case <NUM> and the ink tank <NUM> that is stored in the storage case <NUM>. A surface of the storage case <NUM> on the +Y-direction side is the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>. Through the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> of the storage case <NUM>, the user can visually check a liquid level of a liquid that is stored in the ink tank <NUM> in the storage case <NUM>. The recording apparatus <NUM> has the display section <NUM> and the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> that are disposed in one end portion of the apparatus front surface <NUM> on the medium width direction side (+X-direction side of the apparatus front surface <NUM>). The display section <NUM> and the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> may be disposed not on the +X-direction side of the apparatus front surface <NUM> but on the -X-direction side of the apparatus front surface <NUM>. The arrangement in which the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> and the display section <NUM> are disposed on one end side of the apparatus front surface <NUM> in the medium width direction enables the display section <NUM> to be disposed above the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>, and thus the display section <NUM> can be disposed near the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>.

On the apparatus front surface <NUM>, the +Y-direction side surface of the display section <NUM> is flush with the +Y-direction side surface of the front surface of the storage case <NUM>. In the recording apparatus <NUM>, accordingly, the display section <NUM> is not flush with the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> but the +Y-direction side surface of the display section <NUM> is flush with the +Y-direction side surface of the front surface of the storage case <NUM>. The arrangement in which the +Y-direction side surface of the display section <NUM> is flush with the +Y-direction side surface of the front side of the storage case <NUM> enables the display section <NUM> to be disposed near the storage case <NUM>, and thus the display section <NUM> can be disposed near the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>. It should be noted that the display section <NUM> may be flush with the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>. Furthermore, on the apparatus front surface <NUM>, the +Y-direction side surface of the display section <NUM> and the +Y-direction side surface of the front surface of the storage case <NUM> are disposed on the +Y-direction side with respect to the +Y-direction side surface of the front side casing <NUM>, and protrude in the + Y direction that intersects the medium width direction (+X direction, -X direction). As described above, the recording apparatus <NUM> has the display section <NUM> and the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> that protrude in the direction that intersects the medium width direction. With the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> and the display section <NUM> that protrude in the direction that intersects the medium width direction, as compared with a structure in which the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> and the display section <NUM> do not protrude in the direction that intersects the medium width direction, the volume of the ink tank <NUM> in the liquid storage section <NUM> can be increased, and thus the liquid storage section <NUM> can store a large amount of liquid.

In the front door <NUM>, a portion 22a that is disposed on the -Z-direction side with respect to the front side casing <NUM> is flush with the front side casing <NUM>. Furthermore, in the front door <NUM>, a portion 22b that is disposed on the +X-direction side is disposed on the +Y-direction side with respect to the +Y-direction side surface of the front side casing <NUM>, and protrudes in the + Y direction that intersects the medium width direction. The front door <NUM> includes the portion 22b that protrudes in the +Y direction that intersects the medium width direction and the portion 22a that is flush with the front side casing <NUM>. The portion 22b in the front door <NUM>, the +Y-direction side surface of the display section <NUM>, and the +Y-direction side surface of the front surface of the storage case <NUM> are flush with each other.

An edge 22c of the front door <NUM> on the +Z-direction side is an example edge of the front door according to the present application. The edge 22c of the front door <NUM> is a portion of the front door <NUM> at a boundary between the front side casing <NUM>. When the apparatus front surface <NUM> is viewed in the +Y direction (when the apparatus front surface <NUM> is viewed from the front side), it can be considered that the edge 22c of the front door <NUM> and a boundary <NUM> between the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> and the display section <NUM> are disposed in visually substantially the same line. When the apparatus front surface <NUM> is viewed from the front side, accordingly, in the recording apparatus <NUM>, the edge 22c of the front door <NUM> and the boundary <NUM> between the display section <NUM> and the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> are disposed in substantially the same line. In the structure in which the edge 22c of the front door <NUM> and the boundary <NUM> between the display section <NUM> and the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> are disposed in the same line, the front door <NUM> is prevented from interfering with the display section <NUM> and the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>, enabling the front door <NUM> to be readily opened or closed. In the present application, being disposed in the same line means a state in which being disposed in visually substantially the same line, and thus, for example, a portion that is not in the same line may be included. Furthermore, in the present application, being flush with each other means a state in which being visually substantially flush with each other, and thus, for example, a portion that is not flush with each other may be included.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the apparatus body <NUM> accommodates a sheet feed tray <NUM> and a discharge tray <NUM> that is an example discharge section. The discharge tray <NUM> is disposed above the sheet feed tray <NUM>. More specifically, the discharge tray <NUM> is disposed on the +Z-direction side with respect to the sheet feed tray <NUM>, and the sheet feed tray <NUM> is disposed on the -Z-direction side with respect to the discharge tray <NUM>. When the front door <NUM> is opened with respect to the apparatus body <NUM>, the sheet feed tray <NUM> and the discharge tray <NUM> are exposed, and then the discharge tray <NUM> and the sheet feed tray <NUM> can be inserted into or removed from the apparatus body <NUM>.

The sheet feed tray <NUM> can store a medium. The user inserts the sheet feed tray <NUM> with a medium stored therein into the apparatus body <NUM> to set the medium in the apparatus body <NUM>. In a state in which the front door <NUM> is open with respect to the apparatus body <NUM> and a part of the discharge tray <NUM> is pulled out to the outside of the apparatus body <NUM> as illustrated by chain double-dashed lines in <FIG>, the recording apparatus <NUM> performs recording to the medium. The medium stored in the sheet feed tray <NUM> is fed toward the recording section <NUM> while being bent in the apparatus body <NUM> so that its orientation is reversed, and after image recording is performed in the recording section <NUM>, the medium is fed toward the discharge tray <NUM> and discharged onto the discharge tray <NUM>. In the recording section <NUM>, the recording head <NUM> alternately repeats discharging a liquid onto the medium while moving in the medium width direction (+X direction, -X direction) and transporting the medium in the transport direction to record a desired image on the medium. The medium transport direction according to the present application is a direction (+Y direction) in which a medium is transported in the recording section <NUM>. In the present application, a direction that intersects the transport direction (+Y direction) and the width direction (+X direction, -X direction) is the Z direction. When the apparatus is viewed in the Z direction, it corresponds to a case in which the apparatus is viewed in the direction that intersects the transport direction and the width direction in the present application.

In this embodiment, the position of the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> in the medium width direction (the position in the X direction) and the position of the discharge tray <NUM> in the medium width direction differ from each other, and the position of the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> in the medium width direction and the position of the sheet feed tray <NUM> in the medium width direction differ from each other. With this structure, the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> is prevented from interfering with the discharge tray <NUM> and the sheet feed tray <NUM>, enabling the user to readily visually check the ink tank <NUM> through the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>. Furthermore, when viewed in the Z direction, a part of the display section <NUM> overlaps with the discharge tray <NUM> and the sheet feed tray <NUM>. With this structure, the dimension (dimension in the X direction) of the recording apparatus <NUM> in the medium width direction can be shortened, and the compact recording apparatus <NUM> can be provided. When viewed in the Z direction, a part of the display section <NUM> may overlap with either the discharge tray <NUM> or the sheet feed tray <NUM>, or may overlap with both the discharge tray <NUM> and the sheet feed tray <NUM>. That is, when viewed in the Z direction, a part of the display section <NUM> may overlap with at least one of the discharge tray <NUM> and the sheet feed tray <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, an overview of a liquid storage section <NUM> will be described. As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the liquid storage section <NUM> includes the storage case <NUM> and the ink tank <NUM> that is accommodated in the storage case <NUM>. The ink tank <NUM> stores a liquid to be supplied to the recording head <NUM>. In the storage case <NUM>, the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> is a portion (the +Y-direction side surface of the storage case <NUM>) through which the user can visually check the liquid level of the liquid stored in the ink tank <NUM>. The storage case <NUM> has, in addition to the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>, an upper cover <NUM> that can be opened or closed. The upper cover <NUM> protects the ink tank <NUM>. When the upper cover <NUM> is open, a liquid can be supplied from the refill container <NUM> (see <FIG>) into an injection port 46b of the ink tank <NUM>. As described above, the liquid storage section <NUM> stores a liquid to be supplied to the recording head <NUM> and includes the injection port 46b into which the liquid can be injected from the refill container <NUM> and the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> through which the liquid level of the liquid can be visually checked.

The storage case <NUM> accommodates six ink tanks <NUM>. The six ink tanks <NUM> includes an ink tank 46K1 that stores a black liquid that contains a black pigment as colorant, an ink tank 46K2 that stores a black liquid that contains a black dye as colorant, an ink tank 46GR that stores a gray liquid that contains a gray dye as colorant, an ink tank 46C that stores a cyan liquid that contains a cyan pigment as colorant, an ink tank <NUM> that stores a magenta liquid that contains a magenta pigment as colorant, and an ink tank 46Y that stores a yellow liquid that contains a yellow pigment as colorant. In the liquid storage section <NUM>, the ink tank 46K1 that stores a black liquid that contains a black pigment as colorant, the ink tank 46K2 that stores a black liquid that contains a black dye as colorant, the ink tank 46GR that stores a gray liquid that contains a gray dye as colorant, the ink tank 46C that stores a cyan liquid that contains a cyan pigment as colorant, the ink tank <NUM> that stores a magenta liquid that contains a magenta pigment as colorant, and the ink tank 46Y that stores a yellow liquid that contains a yellow pigment as colorant are arranged in the +X direction.

It should be noted that the number of the ink tanks <NUM> accommodated in the storage case <NUM> is not limited to six, and may be less than six or more than six. The colorant contained in the liquid may be pigment or dye. Furthermore, the liquid may contain no colorant.

The black liquid that contains a black pigment as colorant is less likely to bleed, and is suitable for recording, for example, characters and markers the black liquid that contains a black dye as colorant has high color reproducibility, and is suitable for recording, for example, photographs. Accordingly, the black liquid that contains a black pigment as colorant is used for monochrome printing, printing of markers, and the like. The black liquid that contains a black dye as colorant is used for printing photographs and the like. Furthermore, recording an intermediate color between white and black with a gray liquid that contains a gray dye as colorant increases color reproducibility, and thus the gray liquid that contains a gray dye as colorant is used for printing photographs and the like.

The ink tank <NUM> includes a body section 46a that stores a liquid, the injection port 46b from which the liquid can be injected from the refill container <NUM>, and a cap member 46c. One end of the cap member 46c is used as a rotation axis and the other end can be turned with respect to the body section 46a. The cap member 46c seals the injection port 46b to suppress drying of the liquid that is stored in the body section 46a. The body section 46a is made of a transparent or translucent material, and the liquid that is stored in the body section 46a can be visually checked from the outside. Furthermore, the body section 46a has a graduation line <NUM> that indicates that no liquid is provided and a graduation line <NUM> that indicates that the liquid is fully provided. The surface of the body section 46a on which the graduation lines <NUM> and <NUM> are provided is a visual-check surface <NUM>.

The liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> has openings <NUM> for exposing the respective visual-check surfaces <NUM> of the six ink tanks <NUM>. Through the openings <NUM> in the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>, the user can visually check the visual-check surfaces <NUM> of the ink tanks <NUM>. In other words, the user can observe the liquid level check surfaces <NUM> of the ink tanks <NUM> through the liquid-level visual check section <NUM> to visually check the liquid levels of the liquids in the ink tanks <NUM> and properly grasp the remaining amounts of the liquids in the ink tanks <NUM> with the graduation lines <NUM> and <NUM>.

In order to facilitate the visual check of the remaining amounts of the liquids in the ink tanks <NUM> for the users of the recording apparatus <NUM>, the same dark color is used for the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> and for the casing <NUM> in the display section <NUM>. More specifically, the color of the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> and the color of the casing <NUM> in the display section <NUM> are black. When a user reads the graduation lines <NUM> and <NUM> and determines that the remaining amounts of the liquids in the ink tanks <NUM> are low, as illustrated in <FIG>, the user opens the scanner section <NUM> with respect to the apparatus body <NUM>, and inserts the refill container <NUM> into the injection port 46b of the ink tank <NUM> to refill the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid from the refill container <NUM>.

As described above, the recording apparatus <NUM> includes the ink tanks <NUM> that can be refilled with the respective liquids from the corresponding refill containers <NUM>, and when the remaining amount of the liquid in one ink tank <NUM> becomes low, the user can supply the liquid from the refill container <NUM> into the ink tank <NUM>. In the recording apparatus that includes the ink tanks that can be refilled with the respective liquids from the corresponding refill containers by a user, however, the user may improperly inject (refill) a liquid into a wrong ink tank, and the liquid may not be properly supplied into the ink tank and spill from the ink tank. Furthermore, the liquid spilled from the ink tank may adhere to electrical components of the recording apparatus and cause a failure in the recording apparatus (electrical components), or may soil around the recording apparatus.

For example, the user may mistakenly refill an ink tank that contains a sufficient amount of liquid instead of an ink tank that contains a low amount of liquid, and the liquid may spill from the ink tank. In general, in a recording apparatus that includes an ink tank that can be refilled with a liquid from a refill container by a user, the shape of the refill container and the shape of the injection port of the ink tank are made such that the refill container can be inserted into only the injection port of the corresponding refill container. For example, a refill container that stores a yellow liquid can be inserted into only the injection port of an ink tank that stores the yellow liquid. However, in some cases, a user forcibly inserts a refill container into a wrong injection port of an ink tank that does not correspond to the refill container, and the liquid is unnecessarily mixed into the liquid that is stored in the wrong ink tank and the ink unnecessarily spill from the ink tank, or the liquid stored in the ink tank can no longer be used. For example, a user may forcibly insert a refill container that stores a yellow liquid into an injection port of an ink tank that stores a magenta ink, and the yellow liquid is mixed into the magenta liquid and the yellow ink may spill from the magenta ink tank, or the magenta liquid stored in the ink tank can no longer be used. As described above, the recording apparatus that includes the ink tanks that can be refilled with the respective liquids from the corresponding refill containers by a user may be mistakenly operated by a user who is unfamiliar with the liquid refilling operation, resulting in unexpected problems.

Furthermore, many users have not mastered the operations for the recording apparatus and are unfamiliar with the liquid refilling operation, and thus the recording apparatus may be subjected to the above-described improper operations, resulting in unexpected problems. To solve the problem, it is desirable to provide a user-friendly recording apparatus that allows users who are unfamiliar with the liquid refilling operation to understand the proper operations and properly perform the liquid refilling operation to the ink tanks. The recording apparatus <NUM> according to the embodiment is made for such users who are unfamiliar with the liquid refilling operation to the ink tank <NUM>, and the operation for refilling the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid can be readily understood. In the recording apparatus <NUM>, the ink tank <NUM> can be properly refilled with the liquid. Hereinafter, the configuration will be described in detail.

When the remaining amount of the liquid stored in the ink tank <NUM> becomes low and the ink tank <NUM> is refilled with the liquid, the user touches and selects an icon for indicating the liquid refilling operation that is displayed on the display section <NUM>. In response to the toughing operation, the display section <NUM> displays images by frame-by-frame advance to provide visual guidance on the operation of refilling the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid. The images that are displayed on the display section <NUM> enables the user to visually check the operation of refilling the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid. The recording apparatus <NUM> visually indicates the operation of refilling the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid by the use of the images, and consequently, as compared with a configuration in which sentences that describe the liquid refilling operation to the ink tank <NUM> are displayed, the user who is unfamiliar with the liquid refilling operation to the ink tank <NUM> can properly grasp the liquid refilling operation to the ink tank <NUM>.

After the completion of the guidance on the operation of refilling the ink tank <NUM>, the user touches an icon for starting the liquid refilling operation to select the icon. Upon the selection, the display section <NUM> displays images to provide visual guidance on the position of the ink tank <NUM> to be refilled with the liquid, the type (for example, color) of the liquid to be refilled, and the like. The recording apparatus <NUM> visually indicates the information by the use of the images, and accordingly, as compared with the configuration in which sentences are displayed, users who are unfamiliar with the liquid refilling operation to the ink tank <NUM> can properly understand the position of the ink tank <NUM> to be refilled with the liquid, the type of refill liquid, and the refill container <NUM> that stores the refill liquid.

In the recording apparatus <NUM>, the display section <NUM> for the operation guidance is disposed near the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>. The display section <NUM> disposed near the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> enables the user to check the information about the operation of refilling the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid while the user visually checking the images displayed on the display section <NUM> and the state of the liquid storage section <NUM>. Accordingly, as compared with a configuration in which the user is required to respectively visually check the images displayed on the display section <NUM> and the state of the liquid storage section <NUM>, the user can properly understand the operation of refilling the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid. If the display section <NUM> is disposed away from the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> and the user cannot visually check the display section <NUM> and the liquid storage section <NUM> together, the user is required to respectively visually check the images displayed on the display section <NUM> and the state of the liquid storage section <NUM> while changing the user's line of sight to check the operation of refilling the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid. In such a case, the user is likely to mistakenly or improperly understand the operation, and may mistakenly refill the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid.

The recording apparatus <NUM> according to the embodiment enables users to properly understand the operation of refilling the ink tank <NUM> with ink by the use of the images that are visually displayed on the display section <NUM>, and to properly grasp the information about the liquid refilling operation. Consequently, users who are unfamiliar with the liquid refilling operation to the ink tank <NUM> can properly perform the liquid refilling operation to the ink tank <NUM>.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a recording apparatus <NUM> according to a second embodiment, and corresponds to <FIG>. The recording apparatus <NUM> according to the embodiment includes the display section <NUM> that is attached to the apparatus body <NUM>. In the recording apparatus <NUM> according to the first embodiment, the display section <NUM> is attached to the upper cover <NUM> of the scanner section <NUM>. The arrangement is a major difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment. Hereinafter, with reference to <FIG>, an overview of the recording apparatus <NUM> according to the embodiment will be described, focusing on differences from the first embodiment. To components similar to those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are given to omit their overlapping descriptions.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the display section <NUM> is attached to the apparatus body <NUM> and is disposed above the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM>. The display section <NUM> cannot be turned together with the scanner section <NUM>, but can be tilted with respect to the apparatus body <NUM>. In the recording apparatus <NUM> according to the embodiment, when the scanner section <NUM> is opened with respect to the apparatus body <NUM> to refill the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid, the display section <NUM> is disposed near the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> (liquid storage section <NUM>). In contrast, in the first embodiment, when the scanner section <NUM> is opened with respect to the apparatus body <NUM> to refill the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid, the display section <NUM> is disposed away from the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> (liquid storage section <NUM>). In the recording apparatus <NUM> according to the embodiment, when the user refill the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid, the display section <NUM> for operation guidance is near the liquid-level visual-check section <NUM> (liquid storage section <NUM>).

As illustrated in <FIG>, in refilling the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid, an image <NUM> for indicating the color of the refill liquid and features (for example, shape and color) of the refill container <NUM> and an image <NUM> for indicating the position of the ink tank <NUM> to be refilled with the liquid are provided. The image <NUM> indicates the ink tank <NUM> to be refilled with the liquid, and thus the user can properly select the ink tank <NUM> to be refilled with the liquid without selecting a wrong ink tank <NUM>. In addition, the image <NUM> indicates the color of the refill liquid and features (for example, shape and color) of the refill container <NUM>, and the user can properly select the refill container <NUM> to be refilled with the liquid without selecting a wrong refill container <NUM>.

Furthermore, in refilling the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid, the user can refill the ink tank <NUM> with the liquid while referring to the images displayed on the display section <NUM>. Consequently, the user who is unfamiliar with the liquid refilling operation to the ink tank <NUM> can properly refill the ink tank <NUM> with the ink.

Claim 1:
A recording apparatus (<NUM>) comprising:
a carriage (<NUM>) configured to move in a width direction (X) intersecting a medium transport direction;
a recording head (<NUM>) mounted on the carriage;
a scanner section turnably attached to the apparatus body;
a liquid storage section (<NUM>) configured to store a liquid to be supplied to the recording head, the liquid storage section including an injection port (46b) configured to receive the liquid from a refill container (<NUM>) and a liquid-level visual-check section (<NUM>) through which a liquid level of the liquid is visually checked; and
a display section (<NUM>) configured to be operated by a user to adjust settings of the recording apparatus, the display section including a display panel (<NUM>) and a casing (<NUM>), and having a display function that provides operation guidance of the recording apparatus and a function for adjusting settings of the recording apparatus, wherein
the liquid-level visual-check section is disposed on an apparatus front surface (<NUM>) and the display section is disposed on the scanner front surface, and the display section is disposed above the liquid-level visual-check section,
the front surface is a surface on one side of an apparatus body (<NUM>) in a depth direction (Y),
the depth direction is a direction along a shorter side of the apparatus body,
the depth direction is perpendicular to the width direction (X), which is a direction along a longer side of the apparatus body compared to the shorter side, and the depth direction is perpendicular to a height direction (Z) of the apparatus body perpendicular to the width direction, and
the liquid-level visual-check section and the display section are disposed at a same location in the width direction.