JP2017121766A - Liquid consumption device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique enhancing detection accuracy of information related to liquid in liquid containers.SOLUTION: A liquid consumption device comprises: k (k is an integer of 2 or more) pieces of liquid containers; pairs of conductive members mounted to individual ones of the k pieces of liquid containers; a circuit board 23 electrically connected to the pairs of conductive members; k pieces of wiring members connecting the circuit board and the pairs of conductive members; and a control section utilizing a voltage applied to the pairs of conductive members by the circuit board and detecting information related to liquid of individual ones of the k pieces of liquid containers. The circuit board includes: k pieces of circuit side connection sections 75a through 75d; and a selection circuit 79 selectively applying the voltage to the k pieces of circuit side connection sections. The selection circuit is disposed between the circuit side connection section 75a positioned first and the circuit side connection section 75d positioned k-th.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid consuming apparatus.

  As an aspect of a liquid consuming apparatus that consumes liquid during driving, an ink jet printer that discharges ink to form an image (hereinafter also simply referred to as “printer”) is known. Some printers electrically detect the remaining amount of ink stored in an ink tank (for example, Patent Document 1 below). Generally, in such a printer, a conductive member constituting a terminal portion such as an electrode pin is attached to an ink tank, and a voltage is applied to the ink in the ink tank through the conductive member.

JP-A-5-31915

  In a printer that applies voltage to ink in an ink tank via a conductive member and detects information about ink such as the amount of ink stored in the ink tank, it is desirable that the detection accuracy be improved. In particular, in a printer having a plurality of ink tanks, it is desirable that variations in detection accuracy in each ink tank be reduced. In addition, in a printer, vibration may occur with the printing process, so that the electrical connection to the conductive member can be secured without being interrupted by an impact such as vibration. desirable. Further, in order to reduce the manufacturing cost of the printer, it is desirable that the electrical connection with the conductive member can be ensured by a simpler configuration and a simple connection method. These problems are not limited to printers, but are common to liquid consuming devices that electrically detect information about liquids that are consumables.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms.

[1] According to the first aspect of the present invention, a liquid consuming device is provided. The liquid consuming apparatus may include a liquid container, a conductive member, a circuit board, a wiring member, and a control unit. The liquid container may contain a liquid, and the liquid consuming device may include k liquid containers (k is an integer of 2 or more). The conductive member may include a pair of conductive members, and the pair of conductive members may be attached to each of the k liquid containers. The circuit board may be electrically connected to each of the pair of conductive members. The wiring member may include k wiring members that connect the circuit board and each of the pair of conductive members. The control unit may detect information on the liquid stored in each of the k liquid containers using a voltage applied to the pair of conductive members by the circuit board. The circuit board is selectively connected to the k circuit-side connection portions connected to the k wiring members and arranged in order in a predetermined direction, and a part of the k circuit-side connection portions. A selection circuit that applies the voltage to the circuit, the selection circuit being positioned first in the predetermined direction, and the circuit side connection being positioned kth, , May be disposed between. According to the liquid consumption device of this aspect, the nonuniformity of the voltage supplied from the selection circuit to each liquid container is reduced, and the detection accuracy of the information regarding the liquid in the control unit is suppressed from varying from one liquid container to another. .

[2] In the liquid consumption device according to the above aspect, k is an integer equal to or greater than 4, and the selection circuit includes the circuit-side connection unit positioned second in the predetermined direction, and k−1th. And the circuit-side connecting portion located at the same position. According to the liquid consumption device of this aspect, the nonuniformity of the voltage supplied from the selection circuit to each liquid container is further reduced.

[3] In the liquid consumption device of the above aspect, the same number of the circuit-side connection portions may be provided on both sides of the selection circuit in the predetermined direction. According to the liquid consumption device of this aspect, the nonuniformity of the voltage supplied from the selection circuit to each liquid container is more significantly reduced.

[4] In the liquid consuming device according to the above aspect, the k liquid containers are arranged in a horizontal direction, and the circuit board is arranged in a direction in which the k liquid containers are arranged. The k circuit-side connection portions may be arranged so as to be positioned above the k liquid containers so that the k circuit side connection portions are arranged. According to the liquid consuming apparatus of this aspect, variation in the information detection accuracy for each liquid container due to the difference in the distance of the conductive path from the circuit side connection portion to the liquid container is suppressed.

[5] In the liquid consuming device according to the above aspect, each of the circuit-side connecting portions located from the first to the (k−1) th in the predetermined direction has the wiring from the first direction intersecting the predetermined direction. A member is connected to the circuit-side connecting portion located at the k-th position in the predetermined direction from the second direction opposite to the predetermined direction at the end of the circuit board in the predetermined direction. A wiring member may be connected. According to this liquid consuming apparatus, it is possible to route the wiring member connected to the kth circuit-side connecting portion while suppressing interference with other wiring members.

[6] The liquid consuming device of the above aspect may further include a wiring cable that electrically connects the control unit and the circuit board, and the circuit board is connected to the cable connecting part to which the wiring cable is connected. May be provided between the board terminal located at the kth and the circuit side connection located at the (k-1) th. According to this liquid consuming apparatus, the wiring cable and the wiring member connected to the k-th circuit side connecting portion are prevented from interfering with each other.

[7] The liquid consuming device according to the above aspect further includes a housing that accommodates the k liquid containers and the circuit board, and the housing is configured to move in the first direction so that the circuit board can be seen from the outside. The wiring cable may be drawn into the housing through the opening and connected to the cable connection portion. According to the liquid consumption device of this aspect, the wiring cable can be easily connected to the cable connection portion of the circuit board that is housed in the housing.

[8] In the liquid consuming device according to the above aspect, a substrate holding member for holding the circuit substrate is disposed between the circuit substrate and the k liquid containers, and the wiring cable and the kth position are arranged. The wiring member connected to the circuit connection portion may be routed in parallel with each other across the wall portion provided on the substrate holding member on the substrate holding member. According to the liquid consuming apparatus of this embodiment, the wiring cable and the wiring member connected to the circuit connecting portion located at the k-th position are suppressed and wired in a compact manner while suppressing electrical interference. be able to.

[9] In the liquid consumption device of the above aspect, the circuit board may be provided with at least part of an AC generation circuit that generates an AC voltage applied to the pair of conductive members. According to the liquid consuming apparatus of this aspect, it is possible to apply an alternating voltage for detecting information about the liquid to the liquid in each liquid container with a simple configuration.

[10] In the liquid consumption device of the above aspect, the AC generation circuit includes a first resistor having one end connected to a first conductive member of the pair of conductive members, and the other end of the first resistor. A reference potential supply unit configured to include at least one electric element connected to a reference potential and connecting the first conductive member to the reference potential via the first resistor; and the pair of conductive members And at least one capacitor connected between the second conductive member and the reference potential. The circuit board includes at least the first resistor, the reference potential supply unit, and the capacitor. And may be provided. According to the liquid consuming apparatus of this form, the configuration of the AC generation circuit can be simplified.

[11] In the liquid consumption device of the above aspect, the AC generation circuit is further connected to a periodic signal generation unit that generates a predetermined periodic signal and the other end of the first resistor of the AC generation circuit. A predetermined potential supply unit, wherein the predetermined potential supply unit is configured to connect the first conductive member to the reference potential via at least the first resistor in a first period within one cycle of the predetermined periodic signal. It may be connected to a higher predetermined potential, and the connection between the first conductive member and the predetermined potential may be interrupted in the second period within the one cycle. According to the liquid consuming apparatus of this form, the configuration of the AC generation circuit can be simplified.

[12] In the liquid consumption device of the above aspect, the circuit board generates a determination voltage for detecting the liquid based on a detection voltage based on a potential of one conductive member of the pair of conductive members. A voltage generation unit for determination may be included. According to the liquid consuming apparatus of this aspect, the liquid in each liquid container can be detected with a simple configuration.

[13] In the liquid consuming device according to the above aspect, the determination voltage generation unit switches a smoothing circuit that smoothes the detection voltage, and an on / off switch for outputting the detection voltage to the smoothing circuit. A circuit. According to the liquid consumption device of this aspect, it is possible to improve the liquid detection accuracy in each liquid container.

[14] In the liquid consumption device of the above aspect, the control unit may detect information on the amount of the liquid contained in the liquid container based on the determination voltage. According to the liquid consumption device of this aspect, the amount of liquid stored in each liquid container can be detected.

[15] In the liquid consumption device according to the above aspect, the selection circuit may be configured such that the selection circuit is attached to a liquid container selected from the k liquid containers based on a selection signal received from the control unit. The AC voltage may be applied to one conductive member of the conductive member. According to the liquid consumption apparatus of this form, an alternating voltage can be applied to each liquid container.

[16] In the liquid consumption device of the above aspect, the selection circuit may be an analog switch. According to the liquid consumption device of this aspect, the configuration of the selection circuit can be simplified.

  A plurality of constituent elements of each aspect of the present invention described above are not indispensable, and some or all of the effects described in the present specification are to be solved to solve part or all of the above-described problems. In order to achieve the above, it is possible to appropriately change, delete, replace with another new component, and partially delete the limited contents of some of the plurality of components. In order to solve part or all of the above-described problems or to achieve part or all of the effects described in this specification, technical features included in one embodiment of the present invention described above. A part or all of the technical features included in the other aspects of the present invention described above may be combined to form an independent form of the present invention.

  The present invention can also be realized in various forms other than the liquid consuming device. For example, a detection device that electrically detects information about a liquid, a method for assembling the detection device, a liquid storage unit including a plurality of liquid containers, a circuit board attached to a plurality of liquid containers, a method for assembling a liquid consumption device, It can be realized in the form of an assembly method of the liquid storage unit, a connecting member electrically connected to the liquid container, a manufacturing method and mounting method of the connecting member, a manufacturing method of the liquid consumption device, a wiring method in the liquid consumption device, and the like. it can.

1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment. The schematic perspective view when a tank unit is seen from the front side. The schematic perspective view when a tank unit is seen from the back side. The schematic perspective view when the internal unit of a tank unit is seen from the back side. The schematic exploded perspective view of an internal unit. FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an ink tank. FIG. 2 is a schematic right side view of an ink tank. FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of an ink tank. The schematic perspective view which shows a circuit board. The schematic diagram showing the composition of a circuit board typically. The schematic perspective view of a board | substrate holding member. Process drawing which shows the flow of an assembly and connection process of a tank unit. The 1st schematic which shows the attachment process of the connection member with respect to a harness. The 2nd schematic diagram which shows the attachment process of the connection member with respect to a harness. Schematic which shows the attachment process of the fixing member with respect to a harness, and the attachment process of a pair of terminal pin with respect to a harness. Schematic which shows the attachment process of the terminal assembly with respect to an ink tank. Schematic which shows the attachment process of the ink tank with respect to a board | substrate holding member, and the attachment process of the circuit board with respect to a board | substrate holding member. The 1st schematic which shows the connection process of the harness with respect to a circuit board. The 2nd schematic diagram which shows the connection process of the harness with respect to a circuit board. The 3rd schematic diagram which shows the connection process of the harness with respect to a circuit board. Schematic for demonstrating the connection process of the wiring cable with respect to a circuit board. Process drawing which shows the flow of the manufacturing process of a connection member. Schematic which shows the cutting process of a connection member, and the bending process of a connection member. Schematic which shows a 1st plating process and a 2nd plating process. FIG. 1 is a first schematic diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a printer. FIG. 3 is a second schematic diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a printer. 5 is a timing chart showing changes in various voltages in ink detection processing. The schematic perspective view which shows the connection member of 2nd Embodiment. The schematic perspective view which shows the state in which the connection member of 2nd Embodiment was attached. The schematic perspective view which shows the connection member of 3rd Embodiment. The schematic perspective view which shows the state in which the connection member of 3rd Embodiment was attached. Schematic which shows the circuit structure of the printer in 4th Embodiment.

A. First embodiment:
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in the following order.
A1. General printer configuration:
A2. Schematic configuration of tank unit:
A3. Ink tank configuration:
A4. Schematic configuration of circuit board:
A5. Schematic configuration of substrate holding member:
A6. Tank unit assembly and connection with printing section:
A7. Manufacturing method of connecting member:
A8. Circuit configuration and ink detection method for ink detection:
A9. Summary of the first embodiment:

A1. General printer configuration:
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the printer 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an arrow G indicating the direction of gravity when the printer 10 is in a normal use state. In this specification, “upper” or “lower” means the vertical direction based on the direction of gravity unless otherwise specified. FIG. 1 also shows arrows X, Y, and Z that indicate three directions orthogonal to each other. An arrow X is provided with an operation unit (not shown) for the user, and indicates a horizontal direction from the front side of the printer 10 from which the printing paper PP is discharged to the opposite back side. The direction parallel to the arrow X is the front-rear direction of the printer 10. An arrow Y indicates a horizontal direction from the left side to the right side when facing the front of the printer 10. The direction parallel to the arrow Y is the lateral direction (width direction) of the printer 10. An arrow Z indicates a direction opposite to the direction of gravity, and indicates the height direction of the printer 10. In this specification, the directions of arrows X, Y, and Z (forward directions) mean the directions indicated by the tips of the arrows X, Y, and Z, and the reverse direction of the arrows X, Y, and Z Mean the opposite direction. The four arrows G, X, Y, and Z are also illustrated as appropriate on the basis of the installation posture of the printer 10 in the normal use state in each drawing referred to in this specification.

  The printer 10 is an ink jet printer, and ejects ink droplets onto a printing paper PP that is a printing medium to form an image on the printing surface of the printing paper PP. The printer 10 is an aspect of a liquid consuming device that consumes ink that is liquid. The printer 10 includes a tank unit 20 and a printing unit 30. The tank unit 20 is detachably attached to the right side surface of the printing unit 30 by screwing or the like. The tank unit 20 contains a plurality of ink tanks 22 inside the casing portion 21, and supplies ink used for the printing process from each ink tank 22 to the printing unit 30. In the present embodiment, the tank unit 20 includes four ink tanks 22, each of which stores cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) color inks. . The ink tank 22 corresponds to a subordinate concept of the liquid container in the present invention. The configuration of the tank unit 20 will be described later.

  The printing unit 30 includes a control unit 32, a print head unit 33, and a transport mechanism 34 inside a casing unit 31 that is a resin hollow box. The control unit 32 is configured by a microcomputer including at least a central processing unit and a main storage device. The control unit 32 exhibits various functions when the central processing unit reads and executes various programs in the main storage device. In the present embodiment, the control unit 32 functions as a print processing unit that controls each component of the printing unit 30 based on print data input from the outside of the control unit 32 and executes print processing. The control unit 32 has a function of exchanging electrical signals with a circuit unit (not shown) of the tank unit 20 to detect information related to ink stored in each ink tank 22 (details will be described later).

  The print head unit 33 includes an ink chamber that stores ink, and a nozzle that communicates with the ink chamber and opens downward (not shown). Under the control of the control unit 32, the print head unit 33 ejects ink in the ink chamber from the nozzles by a known method such as application of pressure to the ink by a piezo element. Further, the print head unit 33 reciprocates linearly in the forward and reverse directions of the arrow Y under the control of the control unit 32. In the present embodiment, the direction parallel to the arrow Y is the main scanning direction of the printer 10. The printing unit 30 includes, as a drive mechanism for moving the print head unit 33, a rail for moving the print head unit 33, a motor that generates a driving force, and a pulley that transmits the driving force ( The illustration and detailed description are omitted). The print head unit 33 receives ink supplied from each ink tank 22 of the tank unit 20 via a plurality of flexible resin tubes (not shown).

  The transport mechanism 34 includes a transport roller that transports the print paper PP and a drive motor that drives the transport roller, and transports the print paper PP at a predetermined transport speed under the control of the control unit 32. When the printer 10 performs the printing process, the printing paper PP is conveyed in the direction opposite to the arrow X from the area below the print head unit 33 toward the opening 35 provided in front of the casing unit 31. In the present embodiment, the direction parallel to the arrow X is the sub-scanning direction of the printer 10. When executing the printing process, the control unit 32 moves the print head unit 33 back and forth in the main scanning direction while conveying the printing paper PP in the sub scanning direction, and at the timing determined based on the print data, the printing head unit 33. Then, ink droplets are ejected toward the printing surface of the printing paper PP.

A2. Schematic configuration of tank unit:
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the tank unit 20 as viewed from the front side. FIG. 2 illustrates a state in which the lid portion 21c of the casing portion 21 is opened and the cap member 59c of the ink tank 22 is removed. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the tank unit 20 in a state in which the lid portion 21c is closed as viewed from the back side. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the internal unit 25 of the tank unit 20 as viewed from the back side. FIG. 5 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the internal unit 25. Here, the front surface of the tank unit 20 is a surface on the opposite side of the arrow Y and is a surface constituting the right side surface of the printer 10. Further, the rear surface of the tank unit 20 is a surface in the direction of the arrow Y, and is a surface that faces the printing unit 30 when attached to the printer 10. In the tank unit 20, the direction parallel to the arrow Y is the front-rear direction, and the direction parallel to the arrow X is the width direction.

  As described above, the casing unit 21 of the tank unit 20 contains a plurality of ink tanks 22 (FIG. 2). The casing part 21 is comprised by the resin-made hollow boxes, and the whole back side is open (FIG. 3). The plurality of ink tanks 22 are arranged in a line in the direction of arrow X in the casing portion 21 (FIG. 2).

  A plurality of window portions 21 w are provided on the front wall portion of the casing portion 21. The plurality of window portions 21w are provided as through holes arranged in the direction of the arrow X. One window portion 21 w is provided corresponding to each ink tank 22 so that a part of each ink tank 22 can be seen from the outside of the casing portion 21. In the printer 10 of the present embodiment, the user can visually recognize the position of the liquid level of the ink stored in each ink tank 22 through the window portion 21w (details will be described later).

  A lid portion 21c is provided on the upper surface portion of the casing portion 21 (FIG. 2). The lid 21c is opened and closed by a hinge mechanism 21h. The tank unit 20 is configured such that the upper end portion of the cylindrical ink injection portion 59 protruding upward in each ink tank 22 is exposed to the outside of the casing portion 21 when the lid portion 21c is opened. . The user of the printer 10 can inject ink into each ink tank 22 from the outside of the tank unit 20 by opening the lid 21 c and removing the cap member 59 c from the ink injection unit 59. Details of the configuration of the ink tank 22 will be described later.

  In the tank unit 20, each ink tank 22, the circuit board 23, and the board holding member 24 are integrated to form an internal unit 25 (FIGS. 4 and 5). In the internal unit 25, the ink tanks 22 are arranged in a line in the direction of the arrow X in a state of being substantially adjacent to each other. Each ink tank 22 is provided with a pair of terminal pins 64a and 64b for electrically detecting internal ink, and the terminal pins 64a and 64b are electrically connected to the circuit board 23. A wire harness 65 (hereinafter simply referred to as “harness 65”) is attached. Details of the terminal pins 64a and 64b and the harness 65 will be described later.

  The circuit board 23 is disposed on the board holding member 24. The substrate holding member 24 is constructed over each ink tank 22 and is screwed to each ink tank 22. As a result, the ink tanks 22 are integrally connected. In the internal unit 25, the circuit board 23 is disposed on each ink tank 22 with the board holding member 24 interposed therebetween. The circuit board 23 extends in the direction of the arrow X across the ink tanks 22 on the board holding member 24. In this specification, “extends” means a state in which the lines extend continuously in a certain direction.

  The harness 65 attached to each ink tank 22 is routed to the circuit board 23 through the through hole 81 provided in the board holding member 24 and connected to the circuit board 23 (FIG. 4). Details of the wiring method of the harness will be described later. A wiring cable 26 is separately connected to the circuit board 23 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The circuit board 23 is also electrically connected to the control unit 32 of the printing unit 30 via the wiring cable 26. In the present embodiment, the wiring cable 26 is configured by a flexible flat cable (FFC).

A3. Ink tank configuration:
The configuration of the ink tank 22 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the ink tank 22 when viewed from the back side. FIG. 7 is a schematic right side view of the ink tank 22. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the ink tank 22 taken along the line AA shown in FIG. 7 and 8 schematically show the state in which the ink IK is stored in the ink tank 22.

  The ink tank 22 is configured as a hollow container having six surface portions 41 to 46 (FIGS. 6 and 7). The first surface portion 41 constitutes a bottom surface portion facing downward, and the second surface portion 42 constitutes an upper surface portion facing upward. The third surface portion 43 intersects the first surface portion 41 and the second surface portion 42 and constitutes a front portion located on the front side of the tank unit 20. The fourth surface portion 44 intersects the first surface portion 41 and the second surface portion 42 and constitutes a back surface portion facing in the opposite direction to the third surface portion 43, and faces the printing portion 30 in the printer 10. The fifth surface portion 45 intersects each of the four surface portions 41 to 44 and constitutes a left side surface portion located on the left side when facing the third surface portion 43. The sixth surface portion 46 intersects each of the four surface portions 41 to 44 and constitutes a right side surface portion located on the right side when facing the third surface portion 43. In this specification, two surface portions “intersect” means that two surface portions actually intersect each other, a state in which an extended surface of one surface portion intersects the other surface portion, and two surface portions. It means that it is in any of the state where the extended surfaces of the crossing. Therefore, for example, a chamfered portion that forms a curved surface or a slope may be interposed between two surface portions that intersect each other at a corner portion where the two surface portions intersect.

  The ink tank 22 includes a case member 50 and a sheet member 51 to form a main body (FIG. 6). The case member 50 is a hollow box that constitutes the main body of the ink tank 22. The case member 50 is entirely open on the sixth surface portion 46 side in the direction of the arrow X, and the outer wall portion 47 surrounding the internal space 50 s of the case member 50 has five surface portions 41 to 45 other than the sixth surface portion 46, respectively. Is configured. The case member 50 is produced by integral molding of synthetic resin such as nylon or polypropylene, for example.

  The sheet member 51 is a thin film member having flexibility, and is joined so as to seal the entire opening of the case member 50 to form the sixth surface portion 46 of the ink tank 22 (FIG. 6). The sheet member 51 is configured by a film member formed of a synthetic resin such as nylon or polypropylene, for example. The sheet member 51 is joined to the case member 50 by welding, for example. In FIG. 7, for the sake of convenience, the sheet member 51 is not shown, and a region where the sheet member 51 is welded is indicated by hatching.

  In the ink tank 22, an ink storage portion 54 and an air introduction portion 55 are formed in an internal space 50s between the case member 50 and the sheet member 51 (FIG. 6). The ink storage portion 54 is a hollow portion capable of storing the ink IK, and has the largest space volume in the ink tank 22 (FIG. 7). The air introduction part 55 constitutes a flow path for introducing air (air) from the outside of the ink tank 22 to the ink storage part 54. In the present embodiment, the air introduction part 55 is formed in an area above the ink storage part 54 and an area on the back side.

  The atmosphere introduction unit 55 includes a plurality of atmosphere channels 56 and a plurality of atmosphere chambers 57. The plurality of atmospheric flow paths 56 are tubular flow paths configured by covering the flow path grooves provided to face the sheet member 51 in the case member 50 with the sheet member 51 (FIG. 7). . Each atmospheric flow path 56 is folded back and forth in the direction of the arrow Y and the direction of the arrow Z so that the ink IK does not leak to the outside via the atmospheric air introduction portion 55 when the ink tank 22 rotates. It is configured. Each of the plurality of atmospheric chambers 57 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped hollow portion communicating with each atmospheric flow path 56. Each atmospheric chamber 57 has a volume larger than that of each atmospheric flow path 56 so that the ink IK that has flowed in from the ink containing portion 54 can be stored.

  The air introduction part 55 communicates with the outside of the ink tank 22 via the air intake part 58. In the present embodiment, the air intake portion 58 is formed as a cylindrical pipe projecting in the direction opposite to the arrow Y at the upper end portion of the ink tank 22 (FIGS. 6 and 7). The air taken in from the air intake part 58 flows into the ink containing part 54 through a path indicated by an arrow AR in FIG.

  The ink tank 22 is provided with an ink injection part 59 for injecting the ink IK into the ink storage part 54. In the present embodiment, the ink injection part 59 is configured as a cylindrical part having a through hole 59 h communicating with the ink storage part 54. The ink injection portion 59 protrudes upward at a position close to the third surface portion 43 side in the second surface portion 42 so that the user can easily access it.

  As described above, in the tank unit 20, when the lid portion 21c of the casing portion 21 is opened, the upper end opening of the ink injection portion 59 is exposed to the outside (FIG. 2). A cap member 59c is normally attached to the upper end opening of the ink injection portion 59 in an airtight manner. The cap member 59c is made of, for example, a synthetic resin such as nylon or polypropylene. The user of the printer 10 can replenish the ink storage portion 54 with the ink IK by removing the cap member 59c from the ink injection portion 59.

  An ink outlet portion 60 is formed at the lower end of the fourth surface portion 44 of the ink tank 22 (FIGS. 6 and 7). The ink outlet portion 60 is configured as a cylindrical pipe portion having a through hole communicating with the lower end portion of the ink containing portion 54, and the arrow X extends from the outer wall portion 47 of the case member 50 at the lower end portion of the fourth surface portion 44. It protrudes in the opposite direction. The ink outlet 60 is connected to the print head unit 33 (FIG. 1) via a tube (not shown). The ink IK in the ink containing portion 54 is supplied from the ink outlet portion 60 to the print head portion 33.

  The ink tank 22 is transparent or translucent so that at least a part or all of the outer wall portion 47 of the case member 50 constituting the third surface portion 43 can be visually recognized from the outside of the liquid surface of the ink IK in the ink containing portion 54. (Fig. 6). The casing portion 21 of the tank unit 20 is provided with a window portion 21w so that the portion of the third surface portion 43 can be seen from the outside of the casing portion 21 (FIG. 2). The user can visually recognize the amount of ink stored in the ink tank 22 through the window portion 21w when the ink tank 22 is replenished with the ink IK.

  A mark portion 61 is provided on the wall surface of the third surface portion 43 (FIGS. 2 and 7). The mark portion 61 indicates the upper limit position of the liquid level of the ink IK in the ink containing portion 54. The mark part 61 may be formed as a convex part or a concave part on the wall surface of the third surface part 43, for example, or may be formed by printing or sticking a seal. The window part 21w of the tank unit 20 is formed so that the mark part 61 is visible from the outside of the tank unit 20 (FIG. 2).

  A terminal assembly 63 is attached to the ink tank 22 (FIG. 6). The terminal assembly 63 includes a first terminal pin 64a, a second terminal pin 64b, a harness 65, two connection members 68, and a fixing member 69. A pair of terminal pins 64 a and 64 b included in the terminal assembly 63 are inserted in the direction of the arrow Z from the upper end of the ink tank 22 into the ink containing portion 54 to electrically detect the ink IK in the ink containing portion 54. Used (details will be described later). In the present embodiment, the two terminal pins 64a and 64b are constituted by columnar conductive members that extend straight in an axial shape. Each terminal pin 64a, 64b is made of, for example, stainless steel. One end of each of the terminal pins 64a and 64b is disposed in the ink containing portion 54, and the other end of each of the terminal pins 64a and 64b is disposed outside the ink tank 22 (FIGS. 7 and 8). Hereinafter, of the two ends of each of the terminal pins 64 a and 64 b, the end opposite to the arrow Z arranged in the ink containing portion 54 is referred to as a “tip portion” and is arranged outside the ink tank 22. An end portion on the direction side of the arrow Z is referred to as a “rear end portion”. In the present embodiment, the first terminal pin 64a is longer than the second terminal pin 64b (FIGS. 6 and 8).

  The harness 65 includes a first wiring 66a, a second wiring 66b, and a connector portion 67 (FIG. 6). The first wiring 66a and the second wiring 66b have a conducting wire made of copper or the like at the center. The outer periphery of the conducting wire is covered with an insulating member such as vinyl. One end of the first wiring 66 a is connected to the rear end of the first terminal pin 64 a through the connection member 68. Similarly, one end portion of the second wiring 66b is also connected to the end portion of the second terminal pin 64b through the connection member 68. The connection member 68 will be described later. The other end of each of the first wiring 66a and the second wiring 66b is connected to a connector section 67 that is a terminal section. The connector portion 67 is connected to a circuit side connection portion 75 (described later) included in the circuit board 23.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the circuit board 23 and the terminal pins 64a and 64b used for ink detection are connected via the connection member 68 and the wirings 66a and 66b of the harness 65. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the electrical connection from being released due to an impact such as vibration generated in the printer 10. Also, the electrical resistance at the electrical contacts to the terminal pins 64a and 64b is reduced. As described above, the connection configuration using the harness 65 and the connection member 68 of the present embodiment is electrically connected using the elasticity of the spring without being joined to the terminal pins 64a and 64b, for example. It exhibits superior advantages over configurations that use spring contacts. In the present embodiment, the connection member 68 is disposed below the substrate holding member 24, and the connection structure between the harness 65 and the pair of terminal pins 64 a and 64 b is protected by the substrate holding member 24.

  The fixing member 69 is a resin plate member, and is an auxiliary member used for fixing the terminal assembly 63 to the ink tank 22 with the two screws S1. The fixing member 69 is provided with a first through hole 69a and a second through hole 69b arranged in the direction of the arrow X. When the tank unit 20 is assembled, the first wiring 66a of the harness 65 is passed through the first through hole 69a, and the second wiring 66b of the harness 65 is passed through the second through hole 69b (details will be described later). The fixing member 69 is provided with a third through hole 69c and a fourth through hole 69d through which the screw S1 is passed, on both sides of the first through hole 69a and the second through hole 69b. A method for assembling the terminal assembly 63 will be described later.

  The case member 50 of the ink tank 22 has a substantially cylindrical first cylindrical portion 48 a and a second cylindrical portion protruding upward at end positions of the outer wall portion 47 constituting the second surface portion 42 that are close to the fourth surface portion 44. A portion 48b is provided (FIG. 6). A cylindrical hole passing through the centers of the first cylindrical portion 48a and the second cylindrical portion 48b communicates with the ink containing portion 54 (FIG. 8). The distal end portion of the first terminal pin 64a is inserted into the ink containing portion 54 through the cylindrical hole of the first cylindrical portion 48a. The distal end portion of the second terminal pin 64b is inserted into the ink containing portion 54 through the cylindrical hole of the second cylindrical portion 48b.

  In the ink tank 22 of the present embodiment, an annular seal member 70 is disposed at the bottom of the cylindrical hole of the first cylindrical portion 48a and the bottom of the cylindrical hole of the second cylindrical portion 48b (FIGS. 6 and 8). ). Each terminal pin 64a, 64b is inserted into the ink containing portion 54 through a through hole provided in the center of each seal member 70. The inner peripheral surface of each seal member 70 is in airtight contact with the outer peripheral surface of each terminal pin 64a, 64b, and the lower end portion of each seal member 70 seals the ink containing portion 54 (FIG. 8). In the ink tank 22 of the present embodiment, the airtightness of the ink storage portion 54 is enhanced by the seal members 70, and the fixability of the terminal pins 64a and 64b is enhanced.

  Further, in the ink tank 22 of the present embodiment, the terminal assembly 63 is attached to the case member 50 with the pedestal member 71 interposed therebetween (FIG. 6). The pedestal member 71 is a resin auxiliary member for fixing the terminal assembly 63, and has four through holes 71 a to 71 d at positions corresponding to the four through holes 69 a to 69 b of the fixing member 69 of the terminal assembly 63. Have When the terminal assembly 63 is attached to the case member 50, the two protrusions having the through holes 71a and 71b of the base member 71 are fitted into the cylindrical holes of the first cylindrical portion 48a and the second cylindrical portion 48b, respectively. (FIG. 8). Then, the fixing member 69 is stacked on the pedestal member 71, and the screw S <b> 1 is inserted into the through hole 71 c of the pedestal member 71 and the through hole 69 c of the fixing member 69. Similarly, the screw S <b> 1 is inserted into the through hole 71 d of the base member 71 and the through hole 69 d of the fixing member 69.

  Each terminal pin 64a, 64b of the present embodiment is provided with a flange portion 72 protruding in a hook shape in the radial direction orthogonal to the central axis direction (FIG. 6). The collar part 72 is comprised by the E ring and C ring attached to the main body of each terminal pin 64a, 64b, for example. In the ink tank 22, the terminal portions 64a and 64b are positioned in the height direction by locking the flange portions 72 of the terminal pins 64a and 64b to the peripheral portions of the through holes 71a and 71b of the base member 71. (FIG. 8). In the present embodiment, the height positions of the rear end portions of the terminal pins 64a and 64b protruding from the case member 50 are substantially the same. On the other hand, the tip of the first terminal pin 64a is positioned lower than the tip of the second terminal pin 64b. The height position of the tip of each terminal pin 64a, 64b in the ink containing portion 54 is determined according to a position where it can be detected that the amount of ink contained in the ink containing portion 54 has reached a predetermined amount. Is desirable. The predetermined amount may be set according to the timing of notifying the user of ink replenishment.

A4. Schematic configuration of circuit board:
A schematic configuration of the circuit board 23 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the external configuration of the circuit board 23. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the configuration of the circuit board 23. In FIG. 10, each connector portion 67 and the wiring cable 26 connected to the circuit board 23 are schematically illustrated, and an electrical connection path in the circuit board 23 is schematically illustrated by a one-dot chain line.

  The circuit board 23 has a substantially rectangular outer peripheral contour in which the direction of the arrow X is long and the direction of the arrow Y is short, the first surface 23a facing upward in the tank unit 20, and the second surface on the opposite side. 23b. The circuit board 23 is constituted by a resin printed board having insulating properties. The circuit board 23 may be constituted by a rigid rigid board or a flexible printed board having flexibility. A plurality of circuit side connection portions 75, a cable connection portion 76, and a circuit portion 77 are arranged on the first surface 23 a of the circuit board 23.

  The plurality of circuit side connection portions 75 are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of ink tanks 22 included in the tank unit 20. In the present embodiment, four circuit side connection portions 75 are provided for the four ink tanks 22. Below, each of the four circuit side connection parts 75 is distinguished and called the 1st circuit side connection part 75a, the 2nd circuit side connection part 75b, the 3rd circuit side connection part 75c, and the 4th circuit side connection part 75d. A connector portion 67 of a harness 65 attached to the corresponding ink tank 22 is connected to each of the circuit side connection portions 75a to 75d.

  In the tank unit 20, each of the circuit side connection portions 75a to 75d is disposed above the ink tank 22 connected to itself (FIG. 4). When viewed in the direction opposite to the arrow X, the connector portion 67 of the ink tank 22 located at the first position is connected to the first circuit side connection portion 75a. The connector portion 67 of the ink tank 22 located second from the front is connected to the second circuit side connection portion 75b. The connector portion 67 of the ink tank 22 located third from the front is connected to the third circuit side connection portion 75c. The connector portion 67 of the ink tank 22 located fourth from the front is connected to the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d.

  In the circuit board 23 of the present embodiment, the first circuit side connection portion 75a and the second circuit side connection portion 75b are provided at positions close to the end portion in the direction of the arrow X (FIGS. 9 and 10). ). On the other hand, the third circuit side connection portion 75c and the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d are provided at positions close to the end portion on the opposite direction side of the arrow X. A cable connection portion 76 is provided between the third circuit side connection portion 75c and the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d. A wiring cable 26 for exchanging electric signals with the control unit 32 of the printing unit 30 is connected to the cable connection unit 76.

  In the circuit board 23 of the present embodiment, the first circuit side connection portion 75a, the second circuit side connection portion 75b, and the third circuit side connection portion 75c are respectively connected to the connector portion 67 from the direction of the arrow Y. It opens in the direction opposite to the arrow Y. Similarly, the cable connecting portion 76 opens in the opposite direction of the arrow Y so that the wiring cable 26 is connected from the direction of the arrow Y. On the other hand, the fourth circuit side connecting portion 75d opens in the reverse direction of the arrow X so that the connector portion 67 is connected from the direction of the arrow X at the end on the reverse side of the arrow X. . The reason for this will be described later.

  In the circuit board 23 of the present embodiment, in the direction of the arrow X, the distance between the first circuit side connection portion 75a and the second circuit side connection portion 75b, and the third circuit side connection portion 75c and the fourth circuit side. The distance between the second circuit side connection part 75b and the third circuit side connection part 75c is larger than the distance between the connection part 75d. A circuit portion 77 is provided in a central region between the second circuit side connection portion 75b and the third circuit side connection portion 75c.

  In the circuit unit 77, a plurality of circuits having various functions are configured by a plurality of electronic elements arranged together in the central region. The circuit unit 77 includes an AC generation circuit 78. The AC generation circuit 78 generates an AC voltage used for ink detection in each ink tank 22. Each of the circuit side connection portions 75a to 75b and the cable connection portion 76 is electrically connected to the AC generation circuit 78 of the circuit portion 77 via wiring printed on the surface layer or the internal layer of the main body substrate. The AC generation circuit 78 includes a selection circuit 79, and the AC voltage generated in the AC generation circuit 78 is selectively applied one by one from the circuit side connection portions 75a to 75d in order by the selection circuit 79. The Details of a circuit configuration for ink detection in the circuit unit 77 and details of an ink detection method in the printer 10 will be described later.

  Here, as described above, in the circuit board 23 of the present embodiment, the selection circuit 79 is disposed between the second circuit side connection portion 75b and the third circuit side connection portion 75c. It is provided in a central region in the longitudinal direction. As a result, variations in the wiring distances between the circuit side connection portions 75a to 75d are reduced, and the occurrence of ink IK detection errors due to the installation positions of the circuit side connection portions 75a to 75d is suppressed. Yes. In the present embodiment, since the same number of circuit side connection portions 75 are provided on both sides of the selection circuit 79, the effect can be obtained more remarkably. In the present embodiment, the circuit side connection portions 75a to 75d are installed on the circuit board 23 so as to be positioned above the corresponding ink tanks 22 (FIG. 4). Therefore, the occurrence of variations in distance between the circuit side connection portions 75a to 75d and the corresponding ink tanks 22 is suppressed, and the occurrence of ink IK detection errors due to the variations is suppressed.

  In addition, the circuit board 23 of the present embodiment is provided with a positioning portion 80 for defining the arrangement position of the circuit board 23 on the board holding member 24. The circuit board 23 is provided with two concave portions that are locally recessed in the direction of the arrow Y in the long side portion on the opposite side of the arrow Y as the positioning portion 80. Each of the two positioning portions 80 is provided at a position close to both short sides in the direction of the arrow X. Two protrusions of the substrate holding member 24 are fitted into the two positioning portions 80.

A5. Schematic configuration of substrate holding member:
FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of the substrate holding member 24 as viewed from above. The substrate holding member 24 is a plate member made of resin, and has an upper surface 24a facing upward in the tank unit 20 and a lower surface 24b facing the lower ink tank 22 side. In the substrate holding member 24, a plurality of through holes 81 are arranged in the direction of the arrow X at the center in the direction of the arrow Y. The plurality of through holes 81 are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of ink tanks 22 included in the tank unit 20. In the present embodiment, four through holes 81 are provided for the four ink tanks 22. Hereinafter, each of the four through holes 81 is distinguished and referred to as a first through hole 81a, a second through hole 81b, a third through hole 81c, and a fourth through hole 81d.

  In the tank unit 20, each of the through holes 81a to 81d is provided above the ink tank 22 connected to itself (FIGS. 4, 5, and 11). When the substrate holding member 24 is viewed in the direction opposite to the arrow X, the first through hole 81a is positioned at the first position. The second through hole 81b is located second from the front. The third through hole 81c is located third from the front. The fourth through hole 81d is located fourth from the front. In this embodiment, each through-hole 81a-81d is located on the extension line | wire of the central axis of a corresponding pair of terminal pin 64a, 64b. The pair of wirings 66a and 66b of the harness 65 attached to the corresponding ink tank 22 is routed toward the upper circuit board 23 through the through holes 81a to 81d.

  Four claw portions 82 are provided on the upper surface 24a of the substrate holding member 24 of the present embodiment. Each claw portion 82 is provided for each of the four through holes 81a to 81d, and faces each of the through holes 81a to 81d at the peripheral edge of each through hole 81a to 81d on the opposite side of the arrow Y. It protrudes like a nail so as to extend. Each claw portion 82 is engaged with the circuit board 23 by fixing the tip of the claw portion 82 on the long side of the circuit board 23 opposite to the arrow Y, and fixes the circuit board 23 on the board holding member 24. In this specification, “engage” means that the object is controlled so that the movement of the object in a certain direction is restricted.

  Two protrusions 83 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape are provided on the upper surface 24a of the substrate holding member 24 of the present embodiment. Each protrusion 83 is provided at a position corresponding to the above-described positioning portion 80 of the circuit board 23. When the circuit board 23 is fixed and held on the board holding member 24, each protrusion 83 is in the corresponding positioning portion 80. Fit into. Thereby, the movement of the circuit board 23 in the forward direction and the reverse direction of the arrow X is restricted.

  A partition wall portion 84 is provided on the upper surface 24a of the substrate holding member 24 of the present embodiment. The partition wall portion 84 is provided on the reverse side of the arrow X of the fourth through hole 81d, protrudes in the direction of the arrow Z, and extends in the reverse direction of the arrow X. The partition wall portion 84 has a function of guiding the pair of wirings 66a and 66b extending from the fourth through hole 81d and the wiring cable 26, and a function of suppressing electrical interference therebetween ( Details will be described later).

  Two plate-like portions 85a and 85b for guiding the routing of the wiring cable 26 are provided on the side opposite to the arrow X of the partition wall portion 84 (FIG. 11). The first plate-like portion 85 a is provided next to the partition wall portion 84. The first plate-like portion 85a extends in the horizontal direction in the direction of the arrow Y. One end of the first plate-like portion 85a on the opposite direction side of the arrow Y is connected and fixed to the main body of the substrate holding member 24, whereas the other end on the direction side of the arrow Y is not fixed. . Accordingly, the first plate-like portion 85a can be elastically bent and deformed in the direction of the arrow Z. A space for passing the wiring cable 26 is formed below the first plate-shaped portion 85a. When the wiring cable 26 is routed, the first plate-shaped portion 85a is connected to the wiring cable 26 from above. (Fig. 4). The second plate-like portion 85b is provided on the opposite side of the arrow X with respect to the first plate-like portion 85a, and extends horizontally in the opposite direction of the arrow X (FIG. 11). The wiring cable 26 that has been routed from the position of the first plate-like portion 85a toward the second plate-like portion 85b is folded back in the direction opposite to the arrow Y by being wound around the second plate-like portion 85b. (FIG. 4).

  A plurality of screw holes 86 that are through holes are arranged in a line in the direction of arrow X at the end of the substrate holding member 24 in the direction of arrow Y. The plurality of screw holes 86 are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of ink tanks 22 included in the tank unit 20. In the present embodiment, four screw holes 86 are provided corresponding to the four ink tanks 22. The substrate holding member 24 is screwed to each ink tank 22 by a screw S2 (shown in FIG. 17 referred later) passed through each screw hole 86. Two screw holes 87 each being a through hole are provided at both ends of the substrate holding member 24 in the direction of the arrow X. The substrate holding member 24 is screwed to the casing portion 21 of the tank unit 20 by screws (not shown) passed through the screw holes 87.

  A plurality of hanging wall portions 88 that hang in the direction opposite to the arrow Z are provided on the long side portion of the substrate holding member 24 on the side opposite to the arrow Y. The plurality of hanging wall portions 88 are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of ink tanks 22 included in the tank unit 20. In the present embodiment, four hanging wall portions 88 are provided corresponding to the four ink tanks 22. Each drooping wall portion 88 is formed at a position overlapping the corresponding ink tank 22 when the tank unit 20 is viewed in the direction of arrow Y (FIG. 3). More specifically, each drooping wall portion 88 is formed at a position that overlaps with a connection portion between the pair of terminal pins 64 a and 64 b and the harness 65 in the corresponding ink tank 22. Thereby, in the tank unit 20, the protection of the connection part is enhanced.

A6. Tank unit assembly and connection with printing section:
The assembly / connection process of the tank unit 20 included in the manufacturing process of the printer 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 12 is a process diagram showing a flow of an assembly / connection process of the tank unit 20. In step 1, the terminal assembly 63 is assembled. Specifically, first, the connection member 68 is attached to the harness 65, then the fixing member 69 is attached to the harness 65, and the pair of terminal pins 64 a and 64 b are attached to the harness 65 via the connection member 68. .

  FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are schematic views showing a process for attaching the connection member 68 to the harness 65. FIG. 13 shows a state before the connection member 68 is attached to the harness 65, and FIG. 14 shows a state after the connection member 68 is attached to each of the pair of wirings 66 a and 66 b of the harness 65. Yes.

  First, the configuration of the connection member 68 will be described with reference to FIG. The connection member 68 is configured by a metal plate having a substantially rectangular shape. The connecting member 68 is preferably made of a metal material having the same main component as the terminal pins 64a and 64b. In this specification, the “main component” means a material component occupying 50% or more by weight. In the present embodiment, the connection member 68 is made of stainless steel. The connecting member 68 includes a first part 91 located at one end in the longitudinal direction, a second part 92 located at the other end, and an intermediate located between the first part 91 and the second part 92. And a portion 93.

  The first portion 91 and the second portion 92 are substantially parallel to each other, and the intermediate portion 93 intersects both the first portion 91 and the second portion 92 at a substantially right angle. That is, the connection member 68 of the present embodiment has a shape bent in a crank shape, and a step is formed by the intermediate portion 93 interposed between the first portion 91 and the second portion 92. Yes. In addition, the 1st site | part 91 and the 2nd site | part 92 do not need to be mutually exactly | strictly parallel, and it may become the arrangement | positioning angle which a mutual extension surface cross | intersects. The intermediate part 93 only needs to intersect the first part 91 and the second part 92 so that a step is formed between the first part 91 and the second part 92. It does not have to intersect the second portion 92 exactly at a right angle.

  In the connection member 68, the terminal pins 64 a and 64 b are connected to the first part 91, and the wirings 66 a and 66 b are connected to the second part 92. As will be described later, in the present embodiment, the terminal pins 64 a and 64 b are welded to the first portion 91. In addition, each of the wirings 66a and 66b is soldered to the second portion 92 in the conductor portion 90 exposed from the insulating film at the tip.

  A through hole 94 and a plating layer 95 are formed in the second portion 92 of the connection member 68 in order to improve the connectivity of the wirings 66a and 66b. The role of the through hole 94 will be described later. The plating layer 95 is provided to improve soldering. The plating layer 95 is formed on one surface 92 s of the second portion 92. The one surface 92s is a surface facing upward when the connecting member 68 is in a horizontal arrangement posture in which the second portion 92 is located below and the first portion 91 is located above. Hereinafter, the surface 92s is also referred to as a “plated surface 92s”. In the connection member 68 of the present embodiment, the plating layer 95 is partially formed and is not formed in the first portion 91 or the intermediate portion 93. In the present embodiment, the plating layer 95 is formed by overlapping a gold (Au) plating layer on a nickel (Ni) plating layer. The connection member 68 of this embodiment is efficiently manufactured by so-called multi-cavity. The manufacturing process of the connection member 68 will be described later.

  With reference to FIG. 14, the soldering process of the wirings 66a and 66b to the connecting member 68 will be described. In this step, first, the tips of the conductive wire portions 90 of the respective wirings 66a and 66b are inserted into the through holes 94 provided in the second portion 92 of the connection member 68 from the plating surface 92s side. And the conducting wire part 90 extended to the plating surface 92s side from the through-hole 94 is bent toward the direction opposite to the 1st site | part 91. FIG. In this state, the solder 96 is disposed so as to cover the entire through hole 94.

  Thus, in this embodiment, since the plating layer 95 is formed on the surface layer of the plating surface 92s, the adhesion of the solder 96 to the connection member 68 is enhanced. In addition, since the conductors 90 of the wirings 66 a and 66 b are engaged with the through holes 94 of the connection member 68 and soldered, the bonding properties of the wirings 66 a and 66 b to the connection member 68 are improved. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since there is a step formed by the intermediate portion 93 between the plating surface 92s and the first portion 91, the solder 96 is mistakenly placed in the first portion 91 during soldering. It is suppressed that it adheres.

  FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram sequentially illustrating an attaching process of the fixing member 69 to the harness 65 and an attaching process of the pair of terminal pins 64 a and 64 b to the harness 65. In FIG. 15, as indicated by arrows, each process is illustrated in order from the left side to the right side.

  In the fixing member 69, the first wiring 66a to which the connection member 68 is attached is passed through the first through hole 69a, and the second wiring 66b to which the connection member 68 is attached is passed through the second through hole 69b. Is attached to the harness 65. In the harness 65, the terminal pins 64 a and 64 b are welded to the first portions 91 of the connection members 68, respectively, with the fixing member 69 attached. The connecting member 68 is attached straight to the rear ends of the terminal pins 64a and 64b so that the first part 91 and the second part 92 are aligned in the axial direction along the central axis of the terminal pins 64a and 64b. The connection member 68 is welded to the terminal pins 64a and 64b on the surface 91s of the first portion 91 opposite to the plating surface 92s of the second portion 92. Hereinafter, this surface 91s is also referred to as “joint surface 91s”. By welding, a melted portion in which the metal material constituting the connection member 68 and the metal material constituting each of the terminal pins 64a and 64b are melted is formed on the joining surface 91s.

  In the present embodiment, the connection member 68 is welded to the terminal pins 64a and 64b on the joint surface 91s, so that the joint portions of the wirings 66a and 66b in the second portion 92 are arranged on the axis of the terminal pins 64a and 64b. . In other words, in the present embodiment, the connection parts of the wirings 66a and 66b are arranged at positions deep in the radial direction of the terminal pins 64a and 64b. As a result, the terminal assembly 63 is made smaller and more compact. Moreover, since the junction part does not protrude in the radial direction of the terminal pins 64a and 64b, unexpected contact with the connection part is suppressed, so that high protection for the connection part is obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the terminal pins 64 a and 64 b are desirably welded to the connecting member 68 by resistance welding. At the time of resistance welding, a high current is caused to flow through the welded part in which the flat plate-like first part 91 of the connecting member 68 and the rear end side surface constituting the curved surface at the terminal pins 64a and 64b are brought into contact with each other. . With the connection member 68 of the present embodiment, a high current can be intensively applied to one welding site having a small contact area during resistance welding. Accordingly, the bonding strength between the connection member 68 and the terminal pins 64a and 64b can be increased. In addition, the welding method of each terminal pin 64a, 64b with respect to the connection member 68 is not limited to resistance welding, You may weld by another method. For example, welding may be performed by laser welding. Even in this case, the same effect can be obtained because the bonding sites are not dispersed.

  After each terminal pin 64a, 64b is attached to the harness 65, the fixing member 69 is locked to the flange 72 of each terminal pin 64a, 64b, so that it is prevented from falling off the harness 65. . As described above, after the terminal assembly 63 is assembled, in step 2, the terminal assembly 63 is attached to each ink tank 22 (FIG. 12).

  FIG. 16 is a schematic view showing a process of attaching the terminal assembly 63 to the ink tank 22 in the process 2. In step 2, first, seal members 70 are disposed in the cylindrical hole of the first cylindrical portion 48a and the cylindrical hole of the second cylindrical portion 48b of the ink tank 22, respectively, and above the first cylindrical portion 48a and the second cylindrical portion 48b. A base member 71 is attached to the base. And the 1st terminal pin 64a is inserted in the cylinder hole of the 1st cylindrical part 48a via the 1st through-hole 71a of the base member 71, and the 2nd terminal pin via the 2nd through-hole 71b of the base member 71 64b is inserted into the cylindrical hole of the second cylindrical portion 48b. Subsequently, the fixing member 69 is laminated on the pedestal member 71, and the fixing member 69 and the pedestal member 71 are screwed together by the two screws S1, and the process of attaching the terminal assembly 63 to the ink tank 22 is completed. In subsequent step 3, each ink tank 22 is attached to the substrate holding member 24, and in step 4, the circuit board 23 is attached to the substrate holding member 24 (FIG. 12).

  FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing an attachment process of each ink tank 22 to the substrate holding member 24 and an attachment process of the circuit board 23 to the substrate holding member 24. In step 3, the substrate holding member 24 is attached from above each ink tank 22. At this time, the pair of wirings 66a and 66b of the harness 65 attached to each ink tank 22 is passed through the corresponding through hole 81 of the substrate holding member 24 and pulled out from the lower surface 24b side to the upper surface 24a side. . Then, the screw S <b> 2 is passed through each screw hole 86 of the substrate holding member 24, and the substrate holding member 24 is screwed to each ink tank 22. As a result, the ink tanks 22 are connected in a line. In step 4, the circuit board 23 is attached on the board holding member 24. At this time, the circuit board 23 is positioned by fitting the projection 83 corresponding to the positioning part 80 of the circuit board 23. Further, the circuit board 23 is fixed on the board holding member 24 by the engagement of the plurality of claw portions 82 of the board holding member 24. In step 5, the harness 65 of each ink tank 22 is connected to the circuit board 23 (FIG. 12).

  With reference to FIGS. 18-20, the connection process of the harness 65 with respect to the circuit board 23 is demonstrated. FIG. 18 shows a state after the connector portion 67 of the harness 65 corresponding to each circuit side connection portion 75 of the circuit board 23 is connected. FIG. 19 shows a region A in the vicinity of the first circuit side connecting portion 75a and the second circuit side connecting portion 75b shown in FIG. FIG. 20 shows a region B in the vicinity of the third circuit side connection portion 75c and the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d shown in FIG.

  The connector portion 67 of the harness 65 passed through the first through hole 81a of the substrate holding member 24 is connected to the first circuit side connection portion 75a (FIGS. 18 and 19). The connector portion 67 of the harness 65 passed through the second through hole 81b of the substrate holding member 24 is connected to the second circuit side connection portion 75b. The connector portion 67 of the harness 65 passed through the third through hole 81c of the substrate holding member 24 is connected to the third circuit side connection portion 75c (FIGS. 18 and 20). The connector portion 67 of the harness 65 passed through the fourth through hole 81d of the substrate holding member 24 is connected to the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d.

  In the present embodiment, the wirings 66 a and 66 b of each harness 65 are routed to the circuit board 23 through the through holes 81 a to 81 d of the board holding member 24. Accordingly, since it is not necessary to route the wirings 66a and 66b around the outer peripheral edge portion of the substrate holding member 24, the wirings 66a and 66b can be routed without applying an extra load to the wirings 66a and 66b. 66b can be compactly wired. Further, since the wirings 66a and 66b can be accommodated on the substrate holding member 24, some external force is applied to the wirings 66a and 66b and their connection parts, such as the wirings 66a and 66b being caught by something. Occurrence of problems due to is suppressed.

  In the present embodiment, when viewed in the direction opposite to the arrow Z, a gap is formed in which the through holes 81a to 81d do not overlap the circuit board 23, and the wirings 66a and 66b extend from the gap. Can do. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the load applied to the wirings 66a and 66b in the connection process.

  In the present embodiment, the circuit side connection portions 75a to 75c to which the connector portion 67 is connected in the reverse direction of the arrow Y are displaced from the central axes of the terminal pins 64a and 64b when viewed in the reverse direction of the arrow Z. It is in a position, and it is provided at a position shifted in the direction of arrow X or the direction opposite to arrow X with respect to the corresponding through holes 81a to 81c. Therefore, when the harness 65 is connected, the wirings 66a and 66b are routed from positions shifted with respect to the connection direction of the circuit side connection portions 75a to 75c. More specifically, after the respective wirings 66a and 66b are drawn out from the respective through holes 81a to 81c, the wirings 66a and 66b are guided in the direction of the arrow X or in the opposite direction of the arrow X, To be routed to. As a result, it is possible to smoothly connect the connector portion 67 of the harness 65 to the corresponding circuit side connection portions 75a to 75c while giving the wirings 66a and 66b slack (play), so that the load applied to the wires 66a and 66b is increased. Reduced. The same effect can be obtained for the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d as follows.

  The connector part 67 is connected to the fourth circuit side connecting part 75d from the opposite direction of the arrow X. The fourth through hole 81d corresponding to the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d is located on the opposite side of the arrow Y of the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d, and deviated from the connection direction of the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d. Open in position. Therefore, the wirings 66a and 66b drawn out from the fourth through hole 81d are once guided in the reverse direction of the arrow X and then reversed in the direction of the arrow X toward the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d. To be drawn around. As a result, the connector portion 67 of the harness 65 can be smoothly connected to the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d with the wires 66a and 66b slackened, and the load on the wires 66a and 66b is reduced. In addition, since the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d located at the end of the circuit board 23 on the opposite side of the arrow X opens in the direction opposite to the arrow X, the circuit board 23 is surrounded around the end of the circuit board 23. This area can be effectively utilized as a space for routing the wirings 66a and 66b connected to the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d. Note that the wirings 66 a and 66 b of the harness 65 connected to the fourth circuit side connection portion 75 d are arranged along the partition wall portion 84 provided in the substrate holding member 24. Thereby, for example, the arrangement position of the wirings 66a and 66b is disturbed, and an extra external force is applied to the wirings 66a and 66b.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, in the pair of the first circuit side connection portion 75a and the second circuit side connection portion 75b that are adjacent to each other at a relatively short distance, the wirings 66a and 66b connected to each other are mutually connected. It is routed away. More specifically, the wirings 66a and 66b connected to the first circuit side connection part 75a are wired in the direction of the arrow X, and the wirings 66a and 66b connected to the second circuit side connection part 75b. Are wired in the opposite direction of the arrow X. The same applies to the set of the third circuit side connection portion 75c and the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d that are adjacent to each other at a relatively short distance. As a result, entanglement of the wirings 66a and 66b between the harnesses 65 connected to each of the pair of circuit side connection portions 75 provided at relatively close distances, and generation of electrical interference between them. Is suppressed. In the present embodiment, the wirings 66a and 66b of each harness 65 are routed while being twisted with each other. This facilitates the handling of the wirings 66a and 66b.

  The internal unit 25 of the tank unit 20 is configured by the above steps 1 to 5 (FIG. 12) (FIG. 4). In step 6, the internal unit 25 is accommodated in the casing portion 21 and screwed. Thereby, the tank unit 20 is completed (FIG. 3). Thereafter, in step 7, the circuit board 23 of the tank unit 20 and the control unit 32 (FIG. 1) of the printing unit 30 are electrically connected via the wiring cable 26.

  FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram for explaining a connection process of the wiring cable 26 to the circuit board 23. FIG. 21 illustrates a region in the vicinity of the cable connection portion 76 in the internal unit 25 before the wiring cable 26 is connected to the rear side of the arrow, and after the wiring cable 26 is connected to the front side of the arrow. The same region is shown. In step 7, the wiring cable 26 is drawn into the internal unit 25 from the opening on the back side of the casing portion 21 and connected to the cable connecting portion 76 in the direction of arrow Y. At that time, the wiring cable 26 is first wound around the second plate-shaped portion 85b from the direction of the arrow Y and is drawn toward the arrow X. And it is guide | induced to the cable connection part 76 along the partition wall part 84, being guide | induced below the 1st plate-shaped site | part 85a and being fastened by the 1st plate-shaped site | part 85a.

  In the present embodiment, the cable connecting portion 76 to which the wiring cable 26 is connected is attached to the circuit board 23 so as to open in the direction opposite to the arrow Y. Therefore, the wiring cable 26 can be easily connected to the cable connecting portion 76 even when the internal unit 25 is housed in the casing portion 21. In the present embodiment, the fourth circuit side connection portion 75 d located next to the cable connection portion 76 is opened in the direction opposite to the arrow X, unlike the cable connection portion 76. This suppresses interference between the wiring path of the wiring cable 26 and the wiring paths of the wirings 66a and 66b of the harness 65 connected to the fourth circuit side connection portion 75d.

  In the present embodiment, the wiring cable 26 and the wirings 66a and 66b of the harness 65 connected to the fourth circuit side connection part 75d sandwich the partition wall part 84 provided on the substrate holding member 24. They are arranged in parallel. As a result, electrical interference between the wiring cable 26 and the wirings 66a and 66b is suppressed. In addition, in this embodiment, since the wiring cable 26 is guided and held by the first plate-like portion 85a and the second plate-like portion 85b as described above, the wiring cable 26 is connected to the casing portion 21. Even if the cable is pulled outside, the connection with the cable connection portion 76 is prevented from being released.

  Through the above steps, the tank unit 20 is assembled and electrically connected to the printing unit 30 to complete the printer 10.

A7. Manufacturing method of connecting member:
An example of the manufacturing process of the connection member 68 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 22 is a process diagram showing a flow of a manufacturing process of the connection member 68. In this manufacturing process, a plurality of connecting members 68 are manufactured at a time by taking multiple pieces.

  With reference to FIG. 23, step 1 and step 2 shown in FIG. 22 will be described. In step 1, the connecting member 100 is cut out from the metal plate (upper side of the drawing in FIG. 23). The connecting member 100 is a flat plate-like member and includes a support portion 101, a plurality of base material portions 68s, and a plurality of connecting portions 103. The support part 101 has a substantially rectangular shape. In the support portion 101, a plurality of through holes 104 that are used when the connecting member 100 is transported are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction. A plurality of base material portions 68 s are connected to one long side of the support portion 101 via a connection portion 103 in a state where they are arranged in the longitudinal direction with a predetermined interval. Each base material portion 68 s is a part constituting the connection member 68. Each base portion 68s has a substantially rectangular shape, and is connected to the support portion 101 in a state where the longitudinal direction thereof is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the support portion 101. The connection part 103 is formed as a constriction part between the connection member 100 and the upper end part of each base-material part 68s. In step 1, a through hole 94 is further formed by punching at a position near the lower end of each base material 68s. A portion on the lower end side of each base material portion 68 s is a portion that becomes the second portion 92 of the connection member 68.

  In step 2, the base material portion 68s is bent at a time while being connected to the connecting member 100 (lower stage in FIG. 23). Thereby, each base material portion 68s is bent in a crank shape, and a first portion 91, a second portion 92, and an intermediate portion 93 are formed.

  With reference to FIG. 24, step 3 and step 4 shown in FIG. 22 will be described. In step 3, the first plating process is performed on the second portions 92 of the plurality of base material portions 68s connected to the connecting member 100 (left side in FIG. 24). In the first plating process of the present embodiment, the support portion 101 of the connecting member 100 is gripped by the gripping mechanism 110, and the second portion 92 on the lower end side of each base material portion 68s is immersed in the plating solution in the plating tank 111. At this time, it is desirable that the intermediate portion 93 of each base material portion 68 s is located above the liquid surface of the plating tank 111. The second portion 92 is covered with the first plating layer 95a by the first plating process. The 1st plating layer 95a is for improving the adhesiveness with respect to the base material part 68s of the 2nd plating layer 95b formed by a 2nd plating process. The first plating layer 95a of this embodiment is a Ni plating layer.

  In step 4, the second plating process is performed on the second portion 92 of each base material portion 68s (on the right side in FIG. 24). In the second plating process, the second plating layer 95b is formed on the first plating layer 95a by spraying the plating solution onto the plating surface 92s of the second portion 92 by the spray 112. The second plating layer 95b is formed to improve the soldering on the second portion 92. In the present embodiment, the second plating layer 95b is an Au plating layer.

  In this embodiment, before each plating process of the process 3 and the process 4, the connection member 100 is bent in the process 2, and the intermediate part 93 which comprises a level | step difference is formed in the center part of each base-material part 68s. . In each of the plating processes of Step 3 and Step 4, the intermediate portion 93 functions as a protective wall portion that suppresses the plating solution from adhering to the first portion 91. Therefore, it is suppressed that the bonding property and electrical connectivity of each terminal pin 64a and 64b with respect to the 1st site | part 91 fall by the plating solution adhering to the 1st site | part 91 falling. Further, in the present embodiment, since the through hole 94 is formed before each plating process in the step 3 and the step 4, the plated layers 95a and 95b can be formed also on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 94. . Therefore, the adhesiveness of the solder to the inner peripheral surface can be improved.

  In step 5 (FIG. 22), each base part 68 s is separated from the support part 101 by cutting each connection part 103 of the connection member 100. Thereby, the connection member 68 is completed. As described above, according to the manufacturing process of the present embodiment, the connection member 68 can be manufactured by multi-cavity, which is efficient. Further, in the present embodiment, since the plating process is partially performed only on the second portion 92, the manufacturing cost of the connection member 68 can be reduced. In addition, as described above, the plating solution is prevented from adhering to the first portion 91 in the plating process, and the performance degradation of the connection member 68 can be suppressed.

A8. Circuit configuration and ink detection method for ink detection:
With reference to FIGS. 25 to 27, a circuit configuration for detecting ink IK and a method for detecting ink IK in the printer 10 will be described. 25 and 26 are schematic diagrams illustrating the electrical configuration of the printer 10. 25 and 26 show the same configuration except that the following points are different. FIG. 25 illustrates a configuration in which the AC generation circuit 78 is electrically connected to the pair of terminal pins 64 a and 64 b of the plurality of ink tanks 22 via the selection circuit 79. 26 shows a configuration in which the AC generation circuit 78 is electrically connected only to a pair of terminal pins 64a and 64b of one ink tank 22 selected by the selection circuit 79. For convenience, FIG. The selection circuit 79 is not shown. In FIG. 25, the circuit configuration of the determination voltage generation unit 205 is not illustrated, whereas in FIG. 26, the circuit configuration of the determination voltage generation unit 205 is illustrated in detail. In FIG. 25 and FIG. 26, VDD indicates the potential on the high potential side of the power source connected to the circuit board 23. VSS indicates the potential on the low potential side, and is a reference potential (ground). The same reference numerals are used in the drawings referred to below.

  Refer to FIG. As already described, the circuit board 23 of the tank unit 20 is provided with the AC generation circuit 78, and the AC generation circuit 78 includes the selection circuit 79. The AC generation circuit 78 is electrically connected to the control unit 32 via the wiring cable 26 and receives an electrical signal from the control unit 32. The selection circuit 79 of the AC generation circuit 78 is electrically connected to the second terminal pin 64 b attached to each ink tank 22 via the harness 65. The selection circuit 79 is configured by, for example, a multiplexer circuit configured by an analog switch or the like. The selection circuit 79 receives an electrical signal from the control unit 32 via the wiring cable 26. When detecting the ink IK, the selection circuit 79 applies an alternating voltage to one selected from the plurality of ink tanks 22 in order periodically based on the electrical signal received from the control unit 32.

  The printer 10 further includes a determination voltage generation unit 205 as a circuit unit used for ink detection. In the present embodiment, the determination voltage generation unit 205 is provided on the circuit board 23 together with the AC generation circuit 78. The determination voltage generation unit 205 is electrically connected to the AC generation circuit 78 and generates the determination voltage VJ using the AC voltage generated in the AC generation circuit 78. The determination voltage generation unit 205 outputs the generated determination voltage VJ to the control unit 32 via the wiring cable 26. The control unit 32 detects the ink IK in the ink tank 22 based on the determination voltage VJ.

  Refer to FIG. The AC generation circuit 78 includes first and second resistors R1 and R2 and a capacitor C1. One end of the first resistor R1 is connected to the second terminal pin 64b, and the other end is connected to the reference potential VSS via the second resistor R2. In the present embodiment, a reference potential supply unit is configured by the second resistor R2. The capacitor C1 is connected between the first terminal pin 64a and the reference potential VSS. In the circuit board 23, one capacitor C1 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of ink tanks 22 to be connected (FIG. 25). Thereby, the detection accuracy of the ink IK in each ink tank 22 is stabilized.

  AC generation circuit 78 (FIG. 26) further includes a periodic signal generation unit 201 and a predetermined potential supply unit 203. The periodic signal generator 201 is configured by a signal generator that can generate a predetermined periodic signal at various timings based on the control of the controller 32. In the present embodiment, the periodic signal generator 201 is configured by a PWM circuit. Hereinafter, the output of the periodic signal generator 201 is also referred to as a PWM output.

  The predetermined potential supply unit 203 is configured by, for example, a p-channel FET. The gate terminal of the predetermined potential supply unit 203 is connected to the periodic signal generation unit 201, and the source terminal is connected to VDD. A first resistor R1 and a second resistor R2 are connected to the drain terminal of the predetermined potential supply unit 203. The predetermined potential supply unit 203 supplies the second terminal pin 64b from the reference potential VSS via the first resistor R1 in the first period of one cycle of the predetermined periodic signal generated by the periodic signal generation unit 201. Connected to a predetermined high potential VDD. Further, the connection between the second terminal pin 64b and the predetermined potential VDD is cut off in the second period within one cycle.

  The determination voltage generation unit 205 includes a switch circuit 213 and a smoothing circuit 214. The switch circuit 213 has a control terminal S. The control terminal S of the switch circuit 213 is connected to a connection point between the first and second resistors R1 and R2 in the AC generation circuit 78, and the switch circuit 213 is turned ON / OFF according to the potential V2 of the connection point. Is switched. The determination voltage generation unit 205 transmits the voltage V1 between the first resistor R1 and the second terminal pin 64b to the smoothing circuit 214 at a specific timing when the switch circuit 213 is turned on. Hereinafter, this voltage V1 is also referred to as a detection voltage V1.

  The smoothing circuit 214 smoothes the voltage transmitted from the switch circuit 213 and outputs it. Smoothing circuit 214 includes a resistor R4 and a capacitor C4. One end of the resistor R4 is connected to the switch circuit 213, the other end of the resistor R4 is connected to one end of the capacitor C4, and the other end of the capacitor C4 is connected to VSS. The potential at the connection point between the resistor R4 and the capacitor C4 is the output voltage of the smoothing circuit 214 and the output voltage of the determination voltage generator 205. Hereinafter, this output voltage is also referred to as a determination voltage VJ. The reference potential VSS and the predetermined potential VDD are supplied from the power supply via the wiring cable 26.

  FIG. 27 is a timing chart showing an example of changes in various voltages in the ink detection process. In the (A) column of FIG. 27, the time change of the output of the periodic signal generator 201 is shown as a PWM output. In the (B) column of FIG. 27, the range A surrounded by the two-dot chain line of the PWM output in the (A) column is enlarged. In the column (C) of FIG. 27, a change in the detection voltage V1 when the ink IK is detected is indicated by a solid line, and a change in the detection voltage V1 when the ink IK is not detected is indicated by a broken line. Has been. In the column (D) of FIG. 27, changes in the potential V2 that controls the operation of the switch circuit 213 are shown. In the column (E) of FIG. 27, a change in the detection voltage V1 when a different type of ink IK is detected is indicated by a solid line and a one-dot chain line, and a change in the detection voltage V1 when the ink IK is not detected. Is indicated by a broken line. 27 (F) column shows a change in the output of the switch circuit 213 (input to the smoothing circuit 214), and the (G) column of FIG. 27 shows the output voltage of the smoothing circuit 214 for determination. The change in voltage VJ is shown.

  The periodic signal generator 201 is controlled to start and stop the periodic signal oscillation by a control signal from the controller 32. The period signal generation unit 201 has a first period T1 in which a potential at the VSS level is output and a second period in which a potential at the VDD level is output during a period (time t1 to t2) in which an oscillation instruction is received from the control unit 32. A signal that periodically repeats T2 is output. When the periodic signal generation unit 201 receives the oscillation stop signal from the control unit 32, the periodic signal generation unit 201 stops the oscillation and outputs a VDD level signal as an output (time t2 to t3). Hereinafter, the period during which an oscillation command is received is referred to as a periodic signal section. For example, the periodic signal generator 201 periodically repeats the first period T1 and the second period T2 at the same duty ratio (50%) in the periodic signal section. The length of the periodic signal section is preferably set in advance to a time during which ink detection for one ink tank 22 can be executed.

  In the AC generation circuit 78, the predetermined potential supply unit 203 is controlled to be turned on / off based on the PWM output of the periodic signal generation unit 201. Specifically, the predetermined potential supply unit 203 is turned on during the first period T1 in which the gate terminal is at the VSS level, and is turned off in the second period T2 in which the gate terminal is at the VDD level. As a result, the drain terminal becomes VDD in the first period T1, and the drain terminal is in a high impedance state in the second period T2. Therefore, in the first period T1, the second terminal pin 64b is connected to VDD through the first resistor R1, and in the second period T2, the connection is cut off. Note that in the first period T1, since the second resistor R2 is also connected to VDD, a current flows from VDD to VSS via the second resistor R2. Since this current increases the consumption current of the AC generation circuit 78, in order to prevent an increase in the consumption current, it is desirable to increase the value of the second resistor R2 as much as possible.

  When the pair of terminal pins 64a and 64b are in contact with the ink IK, the pair of terminal pins 64a and 64b are electrically connected via the ink IK. Therefore, in the first period T1, a current flows through a path of VDD → predetermined potential supply unit 203 → first resistor R1 → second terminal pin 64b → ink IK → first terminal pin 64a → capacitor C1 → VSS. When current flows through this path, the capacitor C1 is charged, the potential of the capacitor C1 gradually approaches VDD, and the detection voltage V1 gradually approaches VDD in the first period T1 (column (C) in FIG. 27).

  In the second period T2, since the predetermined potential supply unit 203 is turned off, no current flows from VDD, and the charged capacitor C1 has the highest potential in the circuit system. As a result, a current flows through the path of the capacitor C1, the first terminal pin 64a, the ink IK, the second terminal pin 64b, the first resistor R1, the second resistor R2, and VSS, and the capacitor C1 is charged in the first period T1. The generated charge is discharged. The second resistor R2 can be interpreted as functioning as a reference potential supply unit that connects the second terminal pin 64b to VSS via the first resistor R1. Since the potential of the capacitor C1 gradually decreases with discharge, the detection voltage V1 gradually approaches VSS in the second period T2 (column (C) in FIG. 27).

  The direction of current flow is reversed between the current flowing in the ink IK in the first period T1 and the current flowing in the ink IK in the second period T2. That is, in the periodic signal section in which the PWM output periodically repeats the first period T1 and the second period T2, an alternating current flows through the ink IK.

  Next, the operation of the determination voltage generator 205 will be described. The potential V2 for controlling the switch circuit 213 changes as shown in the (D) column based on the PWM output shown in the (B) column of FIG. Specifically, when the PWM output is at the VDD level, the predetermined potential supply unit 203 is turned off, so that the potential V2 approaches VSS via the second resistor R2. On the other hand, when the PWM output is at the VSS level, the predetermined potential supply unit 203 is turned on, so that the potential V2 is VDD.

  The switch circuit 213 is configured to turn off when the potential V2 exceeds a predetermined threshold value and approaches VDD, and turns on when the potential V2 falls below the predetermined threshold value and approaches VSS. Therefore, the detection voltage V1 is transmitted from the switch circuit 213 to the smoothing circuit 214 during the second period T2 in which the potential V2 approaches VSS. On the other hand, during the first period T1 in which the potential V2 is VDD, the transmission of the detection voltage V1 is interrupted, so that the output of the switch circuit 213 becomes indefinite. Therefore, as shown in the column (F) of FIG. 27, the detection voltage V1 appears as the output V3 of the switch circuit 213 during the second period T2.

  Here, in the column (E) of FIG. 27, the solid line indicates the detection voltage V1 of the pigment-based ink having a large resistance, and the one-dot chain line indicates the detection voltage V1 of the dye-based ink having a smaller resistance than the pigment-based ink. Show. Thus, the detection voltage V1 has a different value corresponding to the type of ink IK. As described above, the output of the switch circuit 213 is transmitted to the smoothing circuit 214 and smoothed, and the determination voltage VJ is generated. As a result, as shown in the column (G) of FIG. 27, a stable determination voltage VJ having a different potential level corresponding to the type of ink IK is generated. Specifically, the dye-based ink exhibits the highest potential (dashed line), and the pigment-based ink exhibits a lower potential than the dye-based ink (solid line).

  Based on the value of the determination voltage VJ, the control unit 32 can detect whether or not the ink IK exists at the position of the tip of the second terminal pin 64b for each ink tank 22. That is, it is possible to detect whether or not a predetermined amount or more of ink IK is stored in the ink storage portion 54 of each ink tank 22. It is also possible to detect the type of ink IK by detecting a difference in potential level of the determination voltage VJ using an A / D converter. As described above, the control unit 32 applies the AC voltage to the pair of terminal pins 64 a and 64 b of the ink tank 22 to thereby determine the amount of ink IK stored in the ink tank 22 and the type of ink IK. Information about can be detected.

A9. Summary of the first embodiment:
As described above, in the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, the circuit board 23 and the pair of terminal pins 64a and 64b of the ink tank 22 are electrically connected by the harness 65, and the electrical circuit is caused by an unexpected impact or the like. The connection is prevented from being released. Further, since the harness 65 and the pair of terminal pins 64a and 64b are connected via the connecting member 68, the connectivity between the two is enhanced. In the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, the harness 65 is routed through the through hole 81 of the substrate holding member 24, thereby improving the manageability of the wirings 66 a and 66 b of the harness 65. In the printer 10 of the present embodiment, a decrease in the detection accuracy of the ink IK is suppressed by the arrangement configuration of the circuit unit 77 and the circuit side connection units 75a to 75b on the circuit board 23. In addition, according to the printer 10 of the present embodiment, various functions and effects described in the above embodiment can be achieved.

B. Second embodiment:
With reference to FIG. 28 and FIG. 29, the structure of the connection member 68A in 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 28 is a schematic perspective view showing the connection member 68A of the second embodiment in an unused state. FIG. 29 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the connecting member 68A is attached to the pair of terminal pins 64a and 64b and the pair of wirings 66a and 66b of the harness 65. The configuration of the connection member 68A of the second embodiment is the same as the configuration of the connection member 68 of the first embodiment except for the points described below. In the printer 10 described in the first embodiment, the first embodiment The connecting member 68 can be used instead.

  In the connection member 68A of the second embodiment, the surface on the same side as the plating surface 92s of the second part 92A in the first part 91A is a joint surface 91As where the terminal pins 64a and 64b are joined. The first portion 91A is provided with holding portions 115 that are curved along the side surfaces of the terminal pins 64a and 64b on both sides of the central axis CX of the connecting member 68A. In the connecting member 68A, the holding portion 115 can increase the contact area and the welding area with respect to the terminal pins 64a and 64b, so that the contact resistance between the terminal pins 64a and 64b is reduced, The retainability of the terminal pins 64a and 64b is improved.

  In the connection member 68A of the second embodiment, the intermediate part 93A does not form a step between the first part 91A and the second part 92, and the first part is located when the connection member 68A is disposed horizontally. 91A and the second portion 92 are located at the same height. Two projecting wall portions 116 are provided in the intermediate portion 93A. The two protruding wall portions 116 are formed by bending substantially rectangular plate-shaped portions provided on both sides of the intermediate portion 93A across the central axis CX of the connecting member 68A at a substantially right angle in the direction of the plating surface 92s. Is formed. When the terminal pins 64a and 64b are joined to the first part 91A, the end surfaces of the protruding wall portions 116 on the first part 91A side are in contact with the end surfaces of the terminal pins 64a and 64b. Thus, each protruding wall portion 116 functions as a positioning portion of the connecting member 68A with respect to each terminal pin 64a, 64b.

  If the connection member 68A of the second embodiment is used, the connectivity of the harness 65 to the terminal pins 64a and 64b can be improved. In addition, if it is the connection member 68A of 2nd Embodiment, there can exist the various effect demonstrated in 1st Embodiment.

C. Third embodiment:
With reference to FIG. 30, FIG. 31, the structure of the connection member 68B in 3rd Embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 30 is a schematic perspective view showing the connection member 68B of the third embodiment in an unused state. FIG. 31 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the connection member 68B is attached to the pair of terminal pins 64a and 64b and the pair of wirings 66a and 66b of the harness 65. The configuration of the connection member 68B of the third embodiment is substantially the same as the configuration of the connection member 68A of the second embodiment, except for the points described below.

  In the connection member 68B of the third embodiment, the second portion 92B is provided with a side wall portion 118 in which a part of the two protruding wall portions 116 provided in the intermediate portion 93A is extended to the second portion 92B. When the wirings 66a and 66b of the harness 65 are soldered to the second portion 92B, the solder 96 on the plating surface 92s is sandwiched between the side wall portions 118. That is, the side wall portion 118 functions as a protective wall portion that protects the connection portion of the wirings 66a and 66b. If the connection member 68A of the third embodiment is used, the connectivity of the harness 65 to the terminal pins 64a and 64b and the protection of the joint portion of the solder 96 are enhanced. In addition, if it is the connection member 68B of 3rd Embodiment, there can exist the various effect demonstrated in 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment.

D. Fourth embodiment:
FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram showing a circuit configuration of a printer for detecting ink IK in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The printer of the fourth embodiment is substantially the same as the configuration of the printer 10 of the first embodiment, except that the configuration of the AC generation circuit 78C is different as described below. In the AC generation circuit 78C of the fourth embodiment, the second resistor R2 is omitted, and in addition to the predetermined potential supply unit 203, a reference potential supply unit 204 configured by an n-channel FET is provided. The two potential supply units 203 and 204 are complementarily driven as follows. When the PWM output output from the periodic signal generation unit 201 is in the first period T1, the predetermined potential supply unit 203 is turned on and the reference potential supply unit 204 is turned off, and the capacitor C1 is connected via the first resistor R1 and the ink IK. Current flows. On the other hand, when the PWM output is in the second period T2, the predetermined potential supply unit 203 is turned off and the reference potential supply unit 204 is turned on. As a result, a current flows from the capacitor C1 charged in the first period T1 through the ink IK and the first resistor R1. Even with such a configuration, the detection voltage V <b> 1 that can detect the information related to the ink IK is generated as described in the first embodiment. With the AC generation circuit 78C of the fourth embodiment, the configuration of the AC generation circuit 78C can be simplified.

E. Variations:
E1. Modification 1:
In each of the above embodiments, the configuration example in which the printer 10 includes four ink tanks 22 has been described. However, the number of ink tanks 22 included in the printer 10 is not limited to four. The printer 10 includes k (k is an integer of 2 or more) ink tanks 22, and k circuit boards 23 are connected to k harnesses 65 corresponding to the k ink tanks 22, respectively. The circuit side connection part 75 may be provided. When k circuit side connection portions 75 are provided on the circuit board 23, the selection circuit 79 includes the circuit side connection portion 75 positioned first in the direction of the arrow X and the kth position. What is necessary is just to arrange | position between the circuit side connection parts 75 which are doing. With this configuration, the selection circuit 79 is not disposed at the end of the circuit board 23 in the direction of the arrow X, but is disposed between any pair of circuit side connection portions 75 that are adjacent in the arrangement order. Accordingly, the voltage supplied from the selection circuit 79 to each of the circuit side connection portions 75 due to the difference in distance to the selection circuit 79 is suppressed, and the ink in each ink tank 22 is suppressed. Variation in detection accuracy is suppressed. In particular, when k is an integer of 4 or more, the selection circuit 79 is positioned between the circuit side connection portion 75 located second in the direction of the arrow X and the circuit side connection portion 75 located k−1. If it does, the dispersion | variation in the detection accuracy for every ink tank 22 is further suppressed. Further, as in the first embodiment, if the selection circuit 79 is sandwiched between the same number of circuit side connection portions 75 in the direction of the arrow X, the variation in the detection accuracy is more significantly suppressed. .

E2. Modification 2:
In each of the above-described embodiments, a voltage is applied to the ink IK of the ink tank 22 by the terminal pins 64a and 64b configured by two cylindrical conductive members. On the other hand, a voltage may be applied to the ink IK in the ink tank 22 by a conductive member having a configuration different from that of the terminal pins 64a and 64b. For example, a prismatic conductive member may be used, or a plate-shaped conductive member may be used. Alternatively, it may have a configuration in which a plate-like or rod-like member is bent or a configuration wound in a coil shape. In the above embodiments, the rear ends of the terminal pins 64 a and 64 b protrude outside the ink tank 22. On the other hand, the entire conductive member for applying a voltage to the ink IK may be accommodated in the ink tank 22. In this case, the wirings 66 a and 66 b may be drawn into the ink tank 22. In each of the above embodiments, the two terminal pins 64a and 64b are inserted into the ink tank 22 from above in parallel. On the other hand, the two terminal pins 64a and 64b may be inserted into the ink tank 22 from the side thereof, or may be inserted into the ink tank 22 along a direction intersecting with each other.

E3. Modification 3:
In each of the above embodiments, each of the pair of wirings 66a and 66b included in the harness 65 is connected to each of the pair of terminal pins 64a and 64b via the connection members 68, 68A, and 68B. On the other hand, only one of the pair of wirings 66 a and 66 b may be connected to the corresponding terminal pin by the connection member 68. In each of the above embodiments, the connecting members 68, 68A, 68B are welded to the terminal pins 64a, 64b and soldered to the wirings 66a, 66b. On the other hand, the connection members 68, 68A, 68B may be welded together to the terminal pins 64a, 64b and the wirings 66a, 66b, or to the terminal pins 64a, 64b and the wirings 66a, 66b. Both may be soldered. Alternatively, the connection members 68, 68A, 68B may be connected by other joining methods as long as electrical connection can be ensured.

E4. Modification 4:
In each of the embodiments described above, an AC voltage is applied to the ink IK stored in the ink tank 22 in order to detect ink. On the other hand, not the AC voltage but a DC voltage may be applied to the ink IK stored in the ink tank 22. In this case, for example, the control unit 32 determines the presence / absence of the ink IK and the type of the ink IK based on the resistance value detected between the two terminal pins 64a and 64b when a DC voltage is applied. Information regarding ink may be detected.

E5. Modification 5:
In each of the above embodiments, the terminal pins 64a and 64b are made of stainless steel. On the other hand, each terminal pin 64a, 64b may be comprised with metal materials other than stainless steel. Each of the terminal pins 64a and 64b may be made of, for example, iron, copper, carbon, or an alloy containing them as a main component. In each of the above embodiments, the connecting members 68, 68A, 68B are made of the same stainless steel as the terminal pins 64a, 64b. On the other hand, the connection members 68, 68A, 68B may be made of the metal material as described above other than stainless steel. Further, the plating layer 95 formed on the connection members 68, 68A, 68B is not limited to the Ni plating layer and the Au plating layer, and is appropriately selected according to the type of the constituent material of the connection members 68, 68A, 68B. The type and method of plating may be selected.

E6. Modification 6:
In each of the embodiments described above, the pair of wirings 66 a and 66 b are both passed through one corresponding through hole 81 provided in the substrate holding member 24. On the other hand, the pair of wirings 66 a and 66 b may be passed through separate through holes provided in the substrate holding member 24. In each of the above embodiments, the through holes 81a to 81d of the substrate holding member 24 are provided at positions shifted from the corresponding circuit side connection portions 75a to 75d. On the other hand, the through holes 81a to 81d may be formed so as to be positioned below the corresponding circuit side connection portions 75a to 75d or in front of the opening directions of the circuit side connection portions 75a to 75d. Good. In each of the above embodiments, each of the through holes 81 a to 81 d of the substrate holding member 24 is formed such that a part of the opening region protrudes from the circuit board 23 when viewed in the direction opposite to the arrow Z. On the other hand, each of the through holes 81 a to 81 d of the substrate holding member 24 may be formed at a position where the entire opening region is covered with the circuit board 23 when viewed in the direction opposite to the arrow Z.

E7. Modification 7:
Each component described in the first embodiment may be omitted or modified as appropriate. For example, one or both of the fixing member 69 and the base member 71 may be omitted. Further, the partition wall portion 84 of the substrate holding member 24, the plate-like portions 85a and 85b, the hanging wall portion 88, and the like may be omitted. The flange 72 of each terminal pin 64a, 64b may be omitted. In each of the above embodiments, the circuit board 23 extends in the direction of the arrow X so as to be installed on each ink tank 22. On the other hand, the circuit board 23 does not have to extend in the direction of the arrow X, and the circuit board 23 divided into a plurality of parts may be arranged on the board holding member 24 in the direction of the arrow X. . In addition, the circuit board 23 and the board holding member 24 may not be disposed above the ink tank 22, and may be disposed on the back side, for example.

E8. Modification 8:
The order of assembling the tank unit 20 described in the first embodiment may be appropriately changed or omitted. For example, the terminal assembly 63 may be attached to each ink tank 22 in a state where the process 2 and the process 3 are interchanged and connected to the substrate holding member 24 via the through hole 81. Further, the order of the process 3 and the process 4 may be switched, and the substrate holding member 24 holding the circuit board 23 may be screwed to each ink tank 22. In addition, in Step 1, the fixing member 69 may be attached to the harness 65 after the connection member 68 is attached to the harness 65.

E9. Modification 9:
In each of the above embodiments, the printer 10 may have a circuit configuration other than the circuit configuration for ink detection described in the first embodiment or the fourth embodiment, with reference to FIG. Ink may be detected by methods other than those described. For example, as described above, a circuit configuration for generating a DC voltage for ink detection may be provided, and the DC voltage may be applied to the ink.

E10. Modification 10:
In each of the embodiments described above, the circuit unit 77 of the circuit board 23 is provided with the AC generation circuit 78 including the selection circuit 79 and the determination voltage generation unit 205. On the other hand, only the selection circuit 79 may be provided in the circuit portion 77 of the circuit board 23, and the other circuits may be provided in a part away from the circuit board 23. For example, the determination voltage generation unit 205 may be provided in the printing unit 30.

E11. Modification 11:
In each of the above embodiments, the configuration of the printer 10 that is an ink jet printer is described as one aspect of the liquid ejection apparatus to which the present invention is applied. On the other hand, this invention may be applied to liquid consumption apparatuses other than an ink jet printer. For example, the present invention may be applied to a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects high-pressure water.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, examples, and modifications, and can be realized with various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments, examples, and modifications corresponding to the technical features in each embodiment described in the summary section of the invention are to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or In order to achieve part or all of the above effects, replacement or combination can be performed as appropriate. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in the present specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Printer, 20 ... Tank unit, 21 ... Casing part, 21c ... Lid part, 21w ... Window part, 21h ... Hinge mechanism, 22 ... Ink tank, 23 ... Circuit board, 23a, 23b ... Surface, 24 ... Board holding member 24a, 24b ... surface, 25 ... internal unit, 26 ... wiring cable, 30 ... printing unit, 31 ... casing unit, 32 ... control unit, 33 ... print head unit, 34 ... transport mechanism, 35 ... opening, 41- 46 ... surface part, 47 ... outer wall part, 48a and 48b ... cylindrical part, 50 ... case member, 50s ... internal space, 51 ... sheet member, 54 ... ink containing part, 55 ... atmospheric introduction part, 56 ... atmospheric flow path, 57 ... Air chamber, 58 ... Air intake part, 59 ... Ink injection part, 59c ... Cap member, 59h ... Through hole, 60 ... Ink outlet part, 61 ... Mark part, 63 ... Terminal assembly, 64a, 4b ... terminal pin, 65 ... harness, 66a, 66b ... wiring, 67 ... connector part, 68, 68A, 68B ... connection member, 68s ... base material part, 69 ... fixing member, 69a-69d ... through hole, 70 ... seal 71, base member, 71a to 71d, through hole, 72, collar portion, 75 (75a to 75d), circuit side connection portion, 76, cable connection portion, 77, circuit portion, 78, 78C, AC generation circuit, 79 ... Selection circuit, 80 ... Positioning part, 81 (81a to 81d) ... Through hole, 82 ... Claw part, 83 ... Projection part, 84 ... Partition wall part, 85a, 85b ... Plate-shaped part, 86, 87 ... Screw hole , 88 ... Hanging wall part, 90 ... Conductor part, 91, 91A ... First part, 91s, 91As ... Joining surface, 92, 92A, 92B ... Second part, 92s ... Plated surface, 93 ... Intermediate part, 94 ... Penetration Hole, 95, 95a, 9 b ... plating layer, 96 ... solder, 100 ... connecting member, 101 ... support part, 103 ... connecting part, 104 ... through hole, 110 ... gripping mechanism, 111 ... plating tank, 112 ... spray, 115 ... holding part, 116 ... Projection wall, 118 ... sidewall, 201 ... periodic signal generator, 203 ... predetermined potential supply, 204 ... reference potential supply, 205 ... determination voltage generator, 213 ... switch circuit, 214 ... smoothing circuit, C1 , C4, capacitor, IK, ink, PP, printing paper, R1, R2, R4, resistance, S, control terminal, S1, S2, screw, VSS, reference potential, VDD, high potential side potential

Claims (16)

A liquid consuming device,
K (k is an integer greater than or equal to 2) liquid containers for storing liquid;
A pair of conductive members attached to each of the k liquid containers;
A circuit board electrically connected to each of the pair of conductive members;
K wiring members connecting the circuit board and each of the pair of conductive members;
A control unit that detects information about the liquid contained in each of the k liquid containers by using a voltage applied to the pair of conductive members by the circuit board;
With
The circuit board is
K circuit members connected to the k wiring members, and arranged in order in a predetermined direction;
A selection circuit that selectively applies the voltage to a part of the k circuit side connection parts;
Including
The liquid consuming device, wherein the selection circuit is disposed between the circuit-side connection portion positioned first and the circuit-side connection portion positioned kth in the predetermined direction. The liquid consuming device according to claim 1,
K is an integer of 4 or more;
In the predetermined direction, the selection circuit is disposed between the circuit-side connection portion located second and the circuit-side connection portion located k−1, the liquid consumption apparatus. The liquid consuming device according to claim 2,
The liquid consuming device, wherein the same number of the circuit side connection portions are provided on both sides of the selection circuit in the predetermined direction. The liquid consuming device according to claim 2 or 3,
The k liquid containers are arranged in a horizontal direction,
The circuit board is positioned above each of the k liquid containers such that the k circuit side connection portions are arranged along a direction in which the k liquid containers are arranged. A liquid consuming device that is installed. The liquid consuming device according to claim 4,
The wiring members are connected from the first direction intersecting the predetermined direction to each of the circuit side connection portions located from the first to the (k−1) th in the predetermined direction,
The wiring member is connected from the second direction opposite to the predetermined direction at the end of the circuit board in the predetermined direction to the circuit-side connecting portion located at the kth position in the predetermined direction. A liquid consuming device. The liquid consuming device according to claim 5, further comprising:
A wiring cable for electrically connecting the control unit and the circuit board;
In the circuit board, a cable connecting portion to which the wiring cable is connected is between the k-th circuit connecting portion and the k-1 th circuit-side connecting portion. A liquid consuming device provided. The liquid consuming device according to claim 6, further comprising:
A housing for accommodating the k liquid containers and the circuit board;
The housing has an opening that opens in the first direction so that the circuit board can be seen from the outside.
The liquid consuming device, wherein the wiring cable is drawn into the housing through the opening and connected to the cable connecting portion. The liquid consuming device according to claim 6 or 7,
A substrate holding member for holding the circuit board is disposed between the circuit board and the k liquid containers,
The wiring cable and the wiring member connected to the k-th circuit connecting portion are parallel to each other across the wall portion provided on the substrate holding member on the substrate holding member. A liquid consuming device that is being routed. The liquid consuming device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The liquid consuming device, wherein the circuit board is provided with at least a part of an AC generation circuit that generates an AC voltage applied to the pair of conductive members. The liquid consuming device according to claim 9,
The AC generation circuit includes:
A first resistor having one end connected to the first conductive member of the pair of conductive members;
A reference potential comprising at least one electric element connected between the other end of the first resistor and a reference potential, and connecting the first conductive member to the reference potential via the first resistor. A supply section;
At least one capacitor connected between a second conductive member of the pair of conductive members and the reference potential;
Including
The liquid consuming device, wherein the circuit board is provided with at least the first resistor, the reference potential supply unit, and the capacitor. The liquid consuming device according to claim 10,
The AC generation circuit further includes:
A periodic signal generator for generating a predetermined periodic signal;
A predetermined potential supply unit connected to the other end of the first resistor of the AC generation circuit;
Including
The predetermined potential supply unit connects the first conductive member to a predetermined potential higher than the reference potential through at least the first resistor in a first period within one cycle of the predetermined periodic signal. The liquid consuming device that cuts off the connection between the first conductive member and the predetermined potential in the second period within the one cycle. The liquid consuming device according to any one of claims 9 to 11,
The circuit board includes a determination voltage generation unit that generates a determination voltage for detecting the liquid based on a detection voltage based on a potential of one of the pair of conductive members. Liquid consumption device. The liquid consuming device according to claim 12,
The determination voltage generation unit includes:
A smoothing circuit for smoothing the detection voltage;
A switch circuit that switches on and off the output of the detection voltage to the smoothing circuit;
Including a liquid consuming device. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 12 or 13,
The said control part is a liquid consumption apparatus which detects the information regarding the quantity of the said liquid accommodated in the said liquid container based on the said voltage for determination. The liquid supply device according to claim 14,
The selection circuit, based on a selection signal received from the controller, for one conductive member of the pair of conductive members attached to the liquid container selected from the k liquid containers, A liquid consuming device that applies the AC voltage. The liquid consuming device according to any one of claims 1 to 15,
The liquid consuming device, wherein the selection circuit is an analog switch.

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