HK1117104B - Ink cartridge - Google Patents

Description

Ink box

Description of divisional applications

This application is a divisional application of the patent application having application number 02120693.7, application date 4/3/2002, entitled "ink cartridge".

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an ink cartridge that supplies ink to a recording head that ejects ink droplets in response to a print signal under an appropriate negative pressure state.

Background

A recording apparatus having a locking device in which an ink container is detachably mounted on a carriage having an ink jet recording head, prevents movement of an ink cartridge due to movement of the carriage during a printing operation, and enables easy removal of the ink cartridge by an external operation.

For example, as disclosed in JP- ｃA-10-44451, there is constructed ｃA locking device in which ｃA projection portion engaging with an ink cartridge holder is formed on one surface of opposite side surfaces of an ink tank, and ｃA pawl is formed on ｃA pivot lever on the other surface. In a state where the projection is engaged with the cartridge holder, the pawl is engaged with the cartridge holder by moving the other surface with the projection as a rotation fulcrum.

However, it is difficult to apply a locking mechanism adapted to mount the ink cartridge by rotation of the ink cartridge to an ink tank which forms an ink flow path using an ink supply needle communicating with a recording head.

That is, since the supply needle has a predetermined length to ensure reliable communication with the ink tank, there is a risk that the supply needle is bent or damaged when it is subjected to an external force in a non-axial direction. Therefore, the ink container can only move parallel to the longitudinal direction of the supply needle.

Further, as disclosed in JP- ｃA-9-11500, there is proposed an ink cartridge in which elastically deformable levers, each having ｃA pawl engaged with ｃA cartridge holder, are formed on opposite surfaces of ｃA container in which ink is stored, so that the ink cartridge can be inserted onto an ink supply needle.

Further, as disclosed in JP-A-2001-105587, an ink cartridge is proposed in which an elongated, rectangular parallelepiped container for storing ink has ｃA latch member on one front side wall in the longitudinal direction and has projecting portions for guiding insertion of the ink cartridge on the opposite wall in the vicinity of the front side wall.

However, a cartridge having a storage device for storing cartridge-related information or the like requires reliable connection to the micro-electrode and, therefore, reliable positioning.

Summary of The Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink cartridge which is detachably inserted to an ink supply needle and can be mounted in a precise position which can ensure communication with a storage means in the ink cartridge.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge whose capacity can be easily changed using common constituent elements.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an ink cartridge comprising: a container which stores ink therein and has an ink supply port on a front end side in an insertion direction of the container; storage means having an electrode connectable to a recording means, the electrode being located on an opposite surface substantially parallel to the direction of insertion of the container; and a lock member provided on a surface and disposed on a trailing end side of the electrode in an insertion direction, the lock member being capable of engaging with or disengaging from a recording device.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide ink cartridges which can store different kinds of inks respectively and are mounted as a set to an ink jet recording apparatus, while each ink cartridge includes a container casing having an ink supply port and a cover member closing an opening surface of the container casing, wherein the ink supply port and a member cooperating with the ink jet recording apparatus are disposed at the same position with respect to a side surface of the container casing of the respective ink cartridge.

The disclosure of the present invention relates to the contents contained in Japanese patent applications 2001-104526 (application date: 2001-4/3), 2001-149315 (application date: 2001-5/18), 2001-149788 (application date: 2001-5/18), and 2001-264225 (application date: 2001-8/31), which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Brief description of the drawings

FIGS. 1A and 1B are views showing the front and rear external appearances of a small capacity type ink cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention, respectively;

FIGS. 2A to 2D are respectively a top view, a front view, a bottom view and a side view of the ink cartridge according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the assembly of the ink cartridge according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the assembly of the ink cartridge according to the first embodiment;

fig. 5 is a sectional view showing a carriage mounted with an ink cartridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 6A and 6B are views showing a process in which the ink cartridge is mounted to the carriage;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a bottom structure of a container casing forming the ink cartridge;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an opening surface structure of a container case forming the ink cartridge;

FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing a front structure of a container case forming the ink cartridge, and FIG. 9B is a view showing a through hole formed in a groove for communication;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the structure of a storage chamber of a negative pressure generating means;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a storage chamber of an air communication valve;

fig. 12A and 12B are a perspective view and a front view, respectively, showing an example of an ink cartridge recognition block;

fig. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of a carriage configured such that a plurality of ink cartridges can be stored in the ink cartridges;

figure 14 is a perspective view showing the carriage from a different direction;

fig. 15A and 15B are enlarged views showing the vicinity of the carriage ink supply needle and the vicinity of the ink supply port of the ink cartridge, respectively;

FIGS. 16A to 16C are two perspective views and a bottom view, respectively, showing a large capacity type ink cartridge according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 17A and 17B are views each showing an ink ejection orifice structure of a large-capacity type ink cartridge;

fig. 18 is a view showing a state where small-capacity type and large-capacity type ink cartridges are mounted on a carriage;

FIG. 19A is a perspective view showing an example of a storage device, and FIG. 19B is a perspective view showing another example of a storage device;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing an ink cartridge according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21A is a perspective view showing another example of a storage device, and FIG. 21B is a perspective view showing yet another example of a storage device;

fig. 22A is a front view of an ink cartridge according to still another embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 22B is an enlarged partial view of the ink cartridge.

Description of The Preferred Embodiment

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1A and 1B and fig. 2A to 2D show the appearance of an ink cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the assembly of the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge 1 is mainly composed of an elongated box-like rectangular container casing 2 having an opening surface and a cover member 3 for closing the opening surface. An ink supply port 4 is formed on the front end side in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 1 (in this embodiment, on the bottom surface of the tank case 2 at a position offset in the longitudinal direction of the tank case 2). Locking pieces 5 and 6 are integrally formed on the container case 2 in the upper portions of the opposite walls as the front and rear sides, respectively, when the ink cartridge 1 is inserted or withdrawn.

The locking member 5 located in the vicinity of the ink supply port is formed to have a rotation fulcrum and an openable upper portion capable of being opened outward at a front end portion in the insertion direction (in this embodiment, a portion located slightly higher than the lower end of the ink cartridge). Another opposing locking member 6 is formed to cooperate with the locking member 5 to assist the fixing of the ink cartridge.

Each of the locking pieces 5 and 6 has a width corresponding to the width of the insertion port in the carriage so that the side surface of each locking piece 5, 6 serves as a guide portion to define the position of the ink cartridge in the width direction.

Further, a storage device 7 is provided below the locking member 5 located near the ink supply port. The memory device 7 has electrodes 7a on the exposed surface of a board arranged in two upper and lower rows, while a semiconductor memory element is mounted on the back surface of the board and connected to the electrodes 7 a. On the other hand, a valve storage chamber 8 is formed below the other locking member 6.

A groove portion 9 is formed in a central region of the container in the vicinity of the ink supply port 4 such that the groove portion 9 is open at least at the front end of the ink cartridge and extends in the cartridge insertion/extraction direction. The groove portion 9 has such a length and width that the ink cartridge is adjusted so that the opening surface of the ink supply port 4 is perpendicular to the supply needle of the carriage at least before the front end of the ink supply port 4 reaches the supply needle.

On the other hand, the carriage 100 on which the ink cartridge is mounted has a recording head 101 at the bottom thereof, and an ink supply needle(s) 102 communicating with the recording head 101, as shown in fig. 5. An ink cartridge pressing member (a leaf spring 103 in this embodiment) is located in a region separate from the region where the supply needle 102 is located, and a positioning projection 104 is formed between the supply needle 102 and the leaf spring 103 and extends in the ink cartridge insertion/extraction direction. Also, an electrode 106 is provided on a side wall 105 on the side of the ink supply needle 102, and a recess 107 is provided on an upper portion of the side wall 105 to engage with a projection 5a of the locker 5.

By adopting the above-described structure, as shown in fig. 6A, if the ink cartridge 1 is inserted into the carriage with the ink supply port 4 on the rear side and the ink cartridge 1 is pressed against the leaf spring 103, the groove portion 9 is restricted by the projection 104. Therefore, although an attempt is made to apply a rotational force to the ink cartridge 1 (in the direction of arrow a in fig. 6A) by the leaf spring 103 in the biased position to move the ink supply port 4 side downward, the position of the ink cartridge is defined substantially parallel to the prescribed insertion/extraction direction (vertical direction in this embodiment).

When the ink cartridge 1 is further pressed against the leaf spring 103 with a finger placed on the top surface 2b of the container case 2, the ink cartridge 1 generates a component force to press the surface of the ink cartridge 1 having the storage device 7 against the electrode 106 of the carriage 100 because the top surface 2b of the container case 2 is formed into a slope having an angle θ in which the rear side of the ink cartridge 1 (i.e., the side of the lock 5) is high. Therefore, when the electrode 7a of the storage device 7 is brought into close contact with the electrode 106, the ink cartridge is pressed and inserted into the ink supply needle 102. During this press-insertion, as shown in fig. 6B, the protrusions 5a of the locker 5 resist the entire elastic force of the locker 5 and then sink into the recesses 107, so that the protrusions 5a are engaged with the recesses 107. Therefore, a distinct click is transmitted to the finger, causing the user to feel that the ink cartridge is securely mounted on the carriage 100.

Although the locking member 6 may also have a projection similar to the projection 5a of the locking member 5, the projection 5a provided only on the locking member 5 on the side of the storage device 7 can prevent the cartridge from being mounted erroneously. This is because, if there is no click generated by the locker 6 on the side of the storage device 7, the user erroneously judges that the ink cartridge has been properly mounted although the locker 5 on the side of the storage device 7 is not yet in the proper position, i.e., the locker 5 is in a position where no click has been generated.

In the state where the ink cartridge has been mounted, since the position of the ink cartridge 1 in the insertion/extraction direction is restricted by the projection 5a of the lock 5, and the surface of the ink cartridge 1 having the storage device 7 is pressed against the electrode 106 of the carriage 100 by the urging force of the leaf spring 103 (the force in the direction of arrow a in fig. 6A), the contact between the ink cartridge 1 and the carriage 100 is securely maintained regardless of the vibration generated during printing.

On the other hand, when the ink cartridge 1 is to be removed from the carriage 100 for replacement or the like, the lock member 5 is elastically pressed toward the container case 2, so that the lock member 5 is rotated about a portion slightly higher than the lower end and serving as a rotation fulcrum. As a result, the projection 5a of the locker 5 is released from the recess 107. When the ink cartridge 1 is drawn out in this state, the ink cartridge 1 moves parallel to the supply needle 102 under the influence of the urging force of the leaf spring 103 guided by the protrusion (guide) 104. Therefore, the ink cartridge 1 can be removed from the carriage 100 without any bending force or the like acting on the ink supply needle 102.

Fig. 7 and 8 show an example of a flow path formed in the container case 2 constituting the ink cartridge. The tank case 2 is divided into upper and lower portions by a substantially horizontally extending wall 10.

The lower portion includes a first ink chamber 11. The frame 14 defines an upper portion at the bottom of which the wall 10 extends continuously. The wall 12 of the tank case 2 is separated from the frame 14 to form a predetermined gap, so that the gap forms an air communication passage 13. The frame 14 is further divided into two parts by a vertical wall 15, and a through hole 15a formed on the bottom of the frame 14 is located on the left. One of the two portions is formed as a second ink chamber 16, and the other portion is formed as a third ink chamber 17.

A suction passage 18 is formed in the first ink chamber 11 at a lower portion of the second ink chamber 16, and the suction passage 18 connects the bottom 16a of the second ink chamber 16 and the bottom 2a of the tank case 2. In the present embodiment, the inhalation passage 18 is further configured to form a recess 18c (fig. 9A) in the front face of the container case 2 while sealing the recess 18c with a gas impermeable film 57.

A wall 19 having communication holes 19a and 19b is formed at a lower portion of the suction passage 18. A nozzle hole 20 is formed at a portion opposite to one end of the suction passage 18 to inject ink from the outside into the container case 2, and another hole 21 communicating with the first ink chamber 11 is formed in parallel to the nozzle hole 20.

The third ink chamber 17 is partitioned by walls 22, 24, and 26 with a predetermined gap from the upper surface 14a of the frame 14. In the third ink chamber 17, the walls 10, 24, 26 and 27 define the fourth ink chamber 23, and the wall 24 defines a flow passage communicating with the back surface of the differential pressure valve storage chamber 33 (fig. 10).

Between the lower portion of the wall 24 and the wall 10, a partition wall 26 having a communication hole 26a is provided. The partition wall 27 having a communication hole 27a at a lower portion thereof is provided such that an ink passage 28 is formed between the partition wall 27 and the frame 14. The upper portion of the ink passage 28 communicates with the front surface side of the ink cartridge 1 through a through hole 29 as a filter chamber. A filter 55 (fig. 3) made of a porous material is inserted into the through-hole 29. In fig. 8, reference numeral 2c denotes a recess for storing the memory device 7.

As shown in fig. 8, the wall 30 connected to the wall 27 defines a through hole 29 communicating with the upper end of the ink passage 28 through a recess 29A, and also communicating with a recess 24a at the upper portion of the flow passage divided between the wall 34 and the wall 24 at the rear of the pressure difference valve storage chamber 33 through a drop-shaped recess 30a (fig. 9A) on the front surface of the container case 2.

The lower portion of the differential pressure valve storage chamber 33 is interconnected with the ink supply port 4 through a flow path which is constituted by a recess 35 (fig. 9A) in the front face of the container case 2, while a gas impermeable film 57 (fig. 10) covers the recess 35.

As shown in fig. 9A, a narrow groove 36, a wide groove 37 and a groove 38 are formed on the front surface of the container case 2. The narrow slot 36 meanders to provide as much flow resistance as possible. Wide slots 37 are arranged around narrow slots 36. The grooves 38 are rectangular and located at opposite regions of the second ink chamber 16. The frame 39 and the ribs 40 are formed in the rectangular groove 38 so as to be slightly lower in height than the opening surface of the rectangular groove 38. An air-permeable film (not shown) having ink repellency and air permeability is stretched and bonded to the frame 39 and the ribs 40, thus defining an air communication chamber. The bottom of the recess 38 is formed with a through hole 41 which communicates with an elongated area 43 (fig. 7) defined by walls 42 of the second ink chamber 16. The narrow groove 36 communicates with the groove 38 at a position closer to the front side with respect to the gas permeable membrane. The other end of the region 43 communicates with the valve storage chamber 8 through a through hole 44, a communicating groove 45 and a through hole 46 (fig. 9B).

A window 8a is formed and opened at the front end of the valve storage chamber 8 in the ink cartridge insertion direction (the lower portion of the valve storage chamber 8 in this embodiment, as shown in fig. 8), so that an ink cartridge recognition block 70 (shown in fig. 3, 4, and 12) can be mounted as described later. The cartridge recognition block 70 allows insertion of a valve-operating lever and a number of recognition members 110, 111 and 112 (shown in fig. 5) on a carriage 100 of the recording apparatus casing.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing the structure in the vicinity of the storage chamber 33 of the differential pressure valve. A spring 50 and a diaphragm valve 52 are stored in the differential pressure valve storage chamber 33. The diaphragm valve 52 is formed of an elastically deformable material such as elastomer, and has a through hole 51 at the center thereof. The diaphragm valve 52 includes an annular thick portion 52a located on the circumference and a frame 54 formed integrally with the thick portion 52 a. The diaphragm valve 52 is fixed to the tank case 2 via a frame 54. The spring 50 is supported at one end by a spring receiving portion 52b of the diaphragm valve 52 and at the other end by a spring receiving portion 53a of a cover member 53 fixed to the opening of the storage chamber 33.

Reference numerals 56 and 57 denote gas impermeable films bonded to the front surface side and the opening surface side of the container case 2. The gas impermeable membrane 56 is bonded to the wall 10, frame 14 and walls 15, 22, 24, 26, 27, 30 and 42 by welding or the like (fig. 7 and 8). The narrow groove 36 and the differential pressure valve storage chamber 33 thus formed on the front face of the container case 2 are covered with the air-impermeable film 57.

In this structure, the ink flowing through the ink flow hole 34a is blocked by the diaphragm valve 52. When the pressure at the ink supply port 4 is reduced in this state, the diaphragm valve 52 is moved away from the valve seat 34b against the urging force of the spring 50, so that the ink flows through the through-hole 51 and flows toward the ink supply port 4 via the flow path formed by the groove 35.

When the ink pressure at the ink supply port 4 increases to a predetermined value, the diaphragm valve 52 starts to elastically contact with the valve seat 34b under the urging force of the spring 50. As a result, the flow of ink is interrupted. By repeating this operation, ink is discharged to the ink supply port while maintaining a constant negative pressure.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing the structure of the valve storage chamber 8 for communicating with air. A through bore 60 is drilled in the wall defining the valve storage chamber 8. A pressing member 61 formed of an elastic material such as rubber is movably inserted into the through hole 60 so that the circumference of the pressing member 61 is in a state of being supported by the container housing 2. A valve body 65 is located at the front end of the pressing member 61 in the insertion direction, so that the valve body 65 is supported by an elastic member 62, such as a leaf spring, whose lower end is fixed by the projection 63 and whose central portion is restricted by the projection 64. The valve body 65 is always pushed toward the through hole 60.

The ink cartridge recognition block 70 shown in fig. 12 is mounted on the other surface of the pressing member 61.

The ink cartridge recognition block 70 consists of a base that is secured to a recess 80 (fig. 9A) of the ink cartridge by detents 70a and 70 b. The base is formed by a plurality of slots (three slots 71, 72 and 73 in this embodiment) and an arm 74. Each of the three grooves 71, 72, and 73 extends parallel to the ink cartridge insertion direction and has a predetermined width in the lateral direction of the ink cartridge. In the present embodiment, an arm 74 is provided in the groove 72 on the ink cartridge insertion direction side (the rear end in the insertion direction in the present embodiment) to press the pressing member 61. The depth of the grooves 71, 72 and 73 is set such that the grooves 71, 72 and 73 can receive the respective identification members.

The arm 74 is pivoted about a fulcrum 74a so as to be disposed further inward, and has a pull-out end (a front end portion of the arm 74 in the insertion direction in the present embodiment) which obliquely projects into the insertion passage of the operating lever 113 (fig. 14).

Further, projection members 71a, 72a, and 73a are formed in the grooves 71, 72, and 73, respectively, to face upper ends of the identification pieces 110, 111, and 112 of the carriage 100, respectively.

In the above structure, when the position of the arm 74 is fixed, the positions of the projection members 71a, 72a, and 73a for engagement and the positions of the respective identification members 110, 111, and 112 are also set in accordance with the kind of ink contained in the ink cartridge. Therefore, this can prevent the ink cartridge from being mounted by mistake. If the positions of the engaging projection members 71a, 72a, and 73a can be changed in both the cartridge insertion direction and the cartridge width direction, the engaging projection members 71a, 72a, and 73a can adopt a three-dimensional arrangement structure. Therefore, it is possible to recognize a considerable variety of inks without increasing the formation area of the recognition region.

Fig. 13 and 14 show an example in which the ink cartridge is mounted on the carriage. The carriage is constructed such that a plurality of ink cartridges (one black ink cartridge and three color ink cartridges in the present embodiment) can be mounted on the carriage.

That is, a first mounting area 120 having a width slightly larger than the others is located on one side, and second, third and fourth mounting areas 121, 122 and 123 having widths equal to each other are defined by a rib 124 passing through 126 and a rib 127 passing through 129 on the opposite side of the carriage so as to be adjacent to the first mounting area 120.

As described with reference to fig. 5, each ink cartridge mounting area has an ink supply needle 102 communicating with the recording head 101, a pressing member (leaf spring 103 in this embodiment) in an area separated from the area where the ink supply needle 102 is located, and a positioning protrusion 104 extending in the ink cartridge insertion/extraction direction between the leaf spring 103 and the ink supply needle 102. Further, a groove 107' is formed to guide a side end portion of the ink cartridge on the side of the locking member 5.

Further, an electrode 106 is located on one sidewall 105 near the ink supply needle 102. In the upper portion of the side wall 105, a groove 107 is formed to be engaged with the protrusion 5a of the locker 5. In the vicinity of the recess 107, a recess 107a is formed to engage with a projection 5b (fig. 1 and 2) of the locker 5 projecting from the side end portion of the locker 5.

Also, as shown in fig. 5 and 14, the area of the carriage in contact with the lock member 6 is formed with a groove 109 for guiding the side end portion of the lock member 6, and a groove 109a for engaging with a projection 6b (fig. 1 and 2) of the lock member 6 projecting from the side end portion of the lock member 6.

In the present embodiment, the positioning projection 104 is configured such that, as shown in fig. 15A, a side end portion 104a extending parallel to the front face of the ink cartridge is formed to ensure positioning reliability and strength of the elongated projection 104. Corresponding to the positioning projection 104, as shown in fig. 15B, the groove portion 9 of the ink cartridge is configured such that at least the front end in the cartridge insertion direction is formed with a groove 9a that is a pair of side end portions 104a, the groove 9a opening toward the front side of the ink cartridge.

Around the ink supply needle 102, ribs 102a are formed which engage with the ribs 4a, each rib 4a having a U-shaped cross section with the ink supply port 4 of the ink cartridge sandwiched therebetween. By these ribs, the ink cartridge can be maintained in a state where the supply needle 102 is inserted into the ink supply port 4.

The large-capacity type ink cartridge mounted to the first mounting area 120 having the larger width basically has the same structure as the ink cartridge (the small-capacity type ink cartridge shown in fig. 1 and 2) in the above-described embodiment, as shown in fig. 16A to 16C. A reservoir housing 2' is configured to have an opening surface of the same shape as the reservoir housing 2, but its depth W is set to be larger than that of the reservoir housing 2. Therefore, the amount of ink contained in the tank case 2 'can be increased only by changing the depth W of the tank case 2'. Incidentally, in fig. 16A and 16B, components having the same functions as those in fig. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals but with a single reference numeral.

The centers of arrangement of the ink supply port 4 ' and the storage device 7 ', particularly, the electrodes 7a ' of the storage device 7 ' are disposed at a predetermined position W1 from the surface of the container case 2 ', i.e., at the bottom, in the same manner as in other ink cartridges. That is, the distance W1 between the center of arrangement of the ink supply ports 4 ' on the large capacity ink cartridge 1 ' and the surface of the container case 2 ' is set to be equal to the distance W1 between the center of arrangement of the ink supply ports 4 on the small capacity ink cartridge 1 and the surface of the container case 2. Also, the distance W1 between the center of arrangement of the electrodes 7a ' on the large capacity cartridge 1 ' and the surface of the container case 2 ' is set to be equal to the distance W1 between the center of arrangement of the electrodes 7a on the small capacity cartridge 1 and the surface of the container case 2. In addition, an ink cartridge recognition block 70 'is mounted on the container case 2' on the front surface side. Therefore, the cartridge recognition block 70' is located at the same position as the other cartridges.

The locking members 5 ' and 6 ' are located at a biased position toward the surface of the container case 2 ' in the same manner as the ink supply port 4 ' to ensure that a pressure is applied to the ink supply port 4 ' when the ink cartridge is mounted.

Further, as shown in fig. 16A, in view of operability, the width W2 of the lock member 6 ' closer to the user when the user mounts or removes the ink cartridge 1 ' from the carriage is preferably larger than the width W3 of the lock member 5 '. That is, the width W2 of the locker 6 'on which the user's thumb is placed is preferably greater than the width W3 of the locker 5 'on which the user's index finger is placed.

As shown in fig. 17B, a tongue portion 130a may be formed with a decoration film 130 adhered to the surface of the film 57 'on the container case 2' so that the tongue portion 130a corresponds to the position of the ink ejection holes 20 'and 21' (fig. 17A) and seals the ink ejection holes 20 'and 21'.

Fig. 18 shows a state in which the small-capacity type ink cartridge 1 and the large-capacity type ink cartridge 1' described above are mounted on the carriage 100.

In the above-described embodiment, the description has been made with respect to the case where a differential pressure valve is used as the negative pressure generating means. However, it is clear that the same effect can be achieved using a porous material such as an ink-impregnated sponge to maintain a negative pressure through the capillary forces of the pores.

Meanwhile, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration is such that a plurality of ink cartridges are mounted in the carriage. Alternatively, it may be configured such that a plurality of carriages are provided and one or more ink cartridges are mounted on each of the plurality of carriages.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ink cartridge which is detachably inserted into an ink supply needle and is mounted in a precise position which can ensure communication with a storage device in the ink cartridge. Also, an ink cartridge whose capacity can be easily changed using common constituent elements is provided.

As described above, the present invention provides at least the following:

(1) an ink cartridge includes: a container housing having a first wall; at least one electrode connected to at least the memory device, the at least one electrode being fixed relative to the wall; and a bonding portion movable relative to the wall and higher than the at least one electrode in the Y-axis direction.

By way of non-limiting example, as shown in fig. 2C, a movable engaging protrusion 5a is higher than the electrode 7a in the Y-axis direction. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2A to 2C, the movable engaging portion is in the form of a projection 5a, and the projection 5a is formed on the lock 5 in the form of a pivot lever and engages with the recess 107 of the carriage 100, but the present invention is not limited thereto. By way of non-limiting example, the engagement portion can be formed as a recess in retaining member 5. In this case, the mating engagement portion on the carriage 100 is preferably formed as a protrusion that mates with the groove.

Further, the engaging portion may be formed directly on the wall of the container housing 2 without passing through the locker 5. For example, an elastic protrusion may be attached to the wall of the container case 2 as the engaging portion. More preferably, a spring bias having a rounded end may be provided on the wall of the reservoir housing 2. In this case, the rounded end protrudes from the wall of the container housing 2 by virtue of the biasing force of the spring, so that the spring biasing member provides a predetermined latching force to secure the ink cartridge 1 to the carriage 100 when engaged with the recess 107. During insertion or removal of the ink cartridge 1 from the carriage 100, since the end is rounded, the rounded end can be retracted into the container case 2 under the biasing force of the spring and disengaged from the recess 107.

In addition, as shown in fig. 22A and 22B, a protrusion 131 may be formed on a relatively hard portion of the reservoir housing 2, such that the protrusion 131 is secured within the recess 107 of the carriage 100 by the resilient energy of at least the portion of the carriage 100 defining the recess 107. That is, the ink cartridge 1 having the projection 131 is allowed to be inserted into, fixed to, and removed from the carriage 100 by the elasticity of the carriage 100 portion defining the groove 107.

(2) In an ink cartridge constructed according to (1), the joint portion is substantially aligned with at least one electrode in the Y-axis direction. By way of non-limiting example, as shown in fig. 2C, the engaging protrusion 5a is aligned with the electrode 7a in the Y-axis direction. This arrangement contributes significantly to reliable contact between the electrode 7a of the ink cartridge 1 and the electrode 106 of the carriage 100.

(3) In an ink cartridge constructed according to (1) or (2), the wall may have a recess portion in which at least one electrode is disposed. By way of non-limiting example, as shown in fig. 1A and 7, the wall of the container housing 2 has a recess 2a for storing a substrate (memory device 7) having a first exposed surface on which the electrode 7a is disposed and a second hidden surface on which the main circuit elements of the memory device 7 electrically connected to the electrode 7a are mounted. Therefore, the electrode 7a is disposed within the recess 2 a. In addition, the main circuit element of the memory device 7 may be placed in a position other than the recess 2a with an FPC. For example, as shown in fig. 19A, a memory device 107 includes a substrate 107s, electrodes 107a formed on the substrate 107s, a flexible printed circuit 107f in the form of a flexible sheet, and a main circuit element (in the form of a chip) 107m electrically connected to the electrodes 107a through an FPC107f and mounted on a hidden surface of the FPC107 f. The storage device 107 can be mounted to the ink cartridge 1 such that the substrate including the electrode 107a is mounted on one wall of the ink cartridge 1 while the main circuit element 107f of the storage device 107 is mounted on the other wall of the wall on which the substrate 107s and the electrode 107a are not mounted. In addition, the substrate may be dispensed with an FPC. For example, as shown in fig. 19B, the storage device 107 can be configured without using the substrate 107 s. That is, the electrode 107a can be formed directly on the FPC107 f.

(4) In an ink cartridge constructed according to (1) or (2), the wall may have a protruding portion on which at least one electrode is provided. A protruding portion may be formed on the wall of the container 2 instead of the recess 2a so that the electrode 7a can be placed on the protruding portion. For example, as shown in fig. 20, a projection 2d may be formed on the container case 2 having an end surface extending parallel to the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 1. The electrode 7a may be placed on the end surface of the protruding portion 2 d.

(5) In an ink cartridge constructed according to (1) or (2), the wall may have a first surface portion on which the at least one electrode is located, and a second surface portion on which a pivot lever having an engagement portion is located. By way of non-limiting example, in the case of the first embodiment, the first surface portion is defined by a recess 2a of the wall, while the second surface portion is defined by a wall surface located above the recess 2 a.

(6) In an ink cartridge constructed according to (5), the first surface portion is flush with the second surface portion. In the first embodiment, the first surface portion is somewhat recessed relative to the second surface portion, but the first and second surface portions may be completely flush with each other to provide a flat surface.

(7) In an ink cartridge constructed as described in (5), the first and second surface portions have a plane difference therebetween. The first and second surface portions in the first embodiment have a slight planar difference therebetween. The minute plane difference can be enlarged.

(8) In an ink cartridge constructed according to (5), the first surface portion may be inclined with respect to the second surface portion. In the first embodiment, the first surface portion is parallel to the second surface portion, but may be inclined with respect to the second surface portion. By way of non-limiting example, FIG. 20 illustrates an ink cartridge having a first surface portion that is inclined relative to a second surface portion.

(9) In an ink cartridge constructed as described in any one of (1) to (8), a main circuit element of a storage device is disposed on the first wall. By way of non-limiting example, in a first embodiment, the main circuit elements of the storage device are stored in a recess 2c of the wall in the vessel casing 2.

(10) In an ink cartridge constructed as described in any one of (1) to (8), the main circuit element of the storage device may be disposed on a second wall other than the first wall. By way of non-limiting example, the main circuit components of the storage device 7 may be placed on a side wall of the container housing 2 with an FPC.

(11) In an ink cartridge constructed as described in any one of (1) to (10), at least one of the electrodes has a width and a length greater than the width. For example, as shown in fig. 2c, the length L of the electrode 7 in the Y-axis direction is larger than the width W of the electrode 7a in the Z-axis direction. In addition, as shown in fig. 21A and 21B, the electrodes 107a each having a larger length and a smaller width may be formed in an elliptical shape.

(12) An ink cartridge constructed as described in any one of (1) to (11) provides an ink supply port having an axis defining a first side and a second side opposite the first side in the X-axis direction. For example, in the first embodiment, the ink cartridge 1 has the ink supply port 4 having an axis a defining a first side B and a second side C different from the first side B with respect to the axis a in the X-axis direction.

(13) In an ink cartridge constructed according to (12), at least one electrode and a joint portion are located in the first side. For example, in the first embodiment, the electrode 7a and the joint portion 5a are located in the first side B.

(14) In an ink cartridge constructed according to (12) or (13), at least one of the electrode and the joint portion is located on an axis of the ink supply port in a Y-Z plane. By way of non-limiting example, the central electrode 7a of the upper row is located on the a-axis, while the joint portion 5a is also located on the a-axis, as shown in fig. 2C.

(15) In an ink cartridge constructed as described in (14), the center of the at least one electrode and the center of the joint portion are preferably located on the axis of the ink supply port on the Y-Z plane. By way of non-limiting example, in the first embodiment, the center of the upper-row center electrode 7a and the center of the joint portion 5a are located on the axis, as shown in fig. 2C.

(16) In an ink cartridge constructed as described in (12) or (13), the at least one electrode may include a plurality of electrodes arranged in at least one row, and the at least one row and the joint portion are preferably located on an axis of the ink supply port on the Y-Z plane. By way of non-limiting example, in the first embodiment, both the upper and lower rows of electrodes 7a are located on the a-axis, as shown in fig. 2C.

(17) In an ink cartridge constructed according to (16), the center of the at least one line and the center of the joint portion are preferably located on the axis of the ink supply port on the Y-Z plane. By way of non-limiting example, in the first embodiment, after the upper and lower rows of electrodes 7a are arranged in parallel with respect to the a-axis as shown in fig. 2C, the centers of the upper and lower rows are located on the a-axis as shown in fig. 2C.

(18) In an ink cartridge constructed as described in any one of (12) to (17), an axis of the ink supply port may be located at a central position with respect to the tank case in the Z-axis direction. This arrangement is adopted for the small capacity type ink cartridge 1.

(19) In an ink cartridge constructed as described in any one of (12) to (17), an axis of the ink supply port may be located at an offset position with respect to the tank case in the Z-axis direction. The large capacity type ink cartridge 1' adopts this arrangement.

(20) In an ink cartridge constructed as described in any one of (5) to (8), an ink supply port having an axis is provided, and at least one of the first and second surface portions is inclined with respect to the axis so that at least a part of the first wall has a tapered configuration. For example, in the first embodiment, the wall of the container provided with the electrode 7a and the retaining member 5 having the engaging projection 5a extends parallel to the axis a of the ink supply port 4. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. By way of non-limiting example, the wall may be partially or entirely inclined with respect to the axis a of the ink supply port 4, so that a portion of the wall closer to the ink supply port 4 in the Y-axis direction than other portions of the wall is located closer to the axis a in the X-axis direction than other portions of the wall, in which case the electrode 7a may be located on the inclined portion of the wall inclined with respect to the axis a.

(21) In an ink cartridge constructed as described in any one of (12) to (20), it is preferable to provide a groove extending substantially parallel to the axis of the ink supply port and located in the second side. By way of non-limiting example, in the first embodiment, the slot 9 is formed in the reservoir housing 2.

(22) In an ink cartridge constructed as described in any one of (1) to (11), an ink supply port and a groove are provided, the groove extending in the Y-axis direction and being located in the vicinity of the ink supply port. In the first embodiment, the groove 9 is formed in the vicinity of the ink supply port 4. The slot 9 is preferably located in the second side, but may also be located in the first side.

Claims (21)

1. An ink cartridge for being detachably mounted on a carriage of a recording apparatus, the carriage having a plurality of electrodes and having a carriage engagement portion and an ink supply needle, the ink cartridge comprising:

a first wall substantially parallel to a Y-axis direction corresponding to an insertion direction of the ink cartridge relative to the carriage;

a second wall opposite the first wall;

an ink supply port provided on a bottom surface of the ink cartridge, the ink supply port being located closer to the first wall than to the second wall, and the ink supply port being connectable to the ink supply needle when the ink cartridge is mounted on the carriage;

a plurality of electrodes including at least one electrode fixed relative to the first wall; and

an ink cartridge engaging portion engageable with the carriage engaging portion,

wherein the plurality of electrodes and the cartridge engaging portion are arranged in the insertion direction of the cartridge with respect to the carriage,

wherein the plurality of electrodes are closer to the ink supply port than the cartridge fitting portion,

wherein the plurality of electrodes contact a plurality of electrodes of the carriage when the cartridge engaging portion engages with the carriage engaging portion, and

the at least one electrode of the ink cartridge and the cartridge engagement portion are located on a central axis of the ink supply port when viewed in a Y-Z plane defined by the Y axis and a Z axis, the Z axis being perpendicular to the Y axis and parallel to the first wall, the central axis of the ink supply port being located at an offset position in a direction of the Z axis.

2. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the first wall has a recess in which the plurality of electrodes of the ink cartridge are disposed.

3. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the first wall has a protrusion on which the plurality of electrodes of the ink cartridge are disposed.

4. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the first wall has a first surface portion on which the plurality of electrodes of the ink cartridge are disposed and a second surface portion on which a pivotable lever including the mating portion of the ink cartridge is disposed.

5. The ink cartridge of claim 4, wherein the first surface portion is flush with the second surface portion.

6. The ink cartridge of claim 4, wherein the first surface portion is in a first plane and the second surface is in a second plane different from the first plane.

7. The ink cartridge of claim 4, wherein the first surface portion is inclined relative to the second surface portion.

8. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode of the cartridge has a width and a length greater than the width.

9. The ink cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a retaining member disposed on the first wall, the retaining member including the cartridge mating portion.

10. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes are arranged in at least one row when viewed in the Y-Z plane, and the at least one row of electrodes and the cartridge fitting portion are located on the axis of the ink supply port.

11. The ink cartridge according to claim 10, wherein a center of the at least one row of electrodes and a center of the cartridge fitting portion are located on the axis of the ink supply port when viewed in the Y-Z plane.

12. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the ink supply port is located at a central position with respect to the ink cartridge in a thickness direction of the ink cartridge.

13. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the ink supply port is located at an offset position with respect to the ink cartridge in a thickness direction of the ink cartridge.

14. The ink cartridge according to claim 4, wherein:

at least one of the first and second surface portions is inclined with respect to the axis of the ink supply port so that at least a portion of the first wall is tapered.

15. The ink cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a groove extending generally parallel to the axis of the ink supply port and located in the bottom surface.

16. The ink cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a groove extending in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge and located in the vicinity of the ink supply port.

17. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and 14 to 16, further comprising:

a locker including the ink cartridge-fitting portion and protruding from the first wall, wherein the locker further includes a locker-side surface, both of which are guided by the bracket to restrict a position of the first wall when the ink cartridge-fitting portion is fitted to the bracket-fitting portion.

18. The ink cartridge as in claim 17, wherein the side surface has a laterally extending protrusion that is received in a slot of the carriage to urge the cartridge mating portion toward the carriage mating portion.

19. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the first wall is generally planar in its entirety.

20. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge fitting portion is higher than the electrode in the insertion direction.

21. The ink cartridge according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising:

a locker including the ink cartridge fitting part and protruding from the first wall, wherein the locker further includes a locker side surface, both of which are guided by the bracket to restrict a position of the first wall.