Liquid container and recording apparatus

• US 20040150705A1
• Filed: 12/16/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Anma, Hiromasa, Yamamoto, Hajime, Kitabatake, Kenji, Matsuo, Keisuke
• Granted Patent: US 6,994,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/134
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control

Abstract

A liquid container containing ink, which is detachably mountable to a carriage, the improvement residing in the provision of an optical medium to which information is writable using visible light and from which the information is readable.

Claims

1. A liquid container containing ink, which is detachably mountable to a carriage, the improvement residing in the provision of an optical medium to which information is writable using visible light and from which the information is readable.

2. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein said optical medium is placed in a recess or opening formed in an outer surface of a casing of said liquid container.

3. A liquid container according to claim 2, wherein the information is written along at least one array.

4. A liquid container according to claim 3, wherein said liquid container is mountable to the carriage in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of movement of the carriage, and wherein the array extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of mounting of said liquid container.

5. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the visible light is semi-conductor laser beam.

7. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein said optical medium includes a substrate and a coloring matter layer laminated thereon, and said substrate is integral with said liquid container.

8. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein said liquid container is made of amorphous cyclic polyolefin resin material.

9. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein said optical medium includes a plurality of the areas on which the same information is written, respectively.

10. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein said optical medium includes a first area in which a main part of the information is written and the second area in which a subordinate part of the information indicative of a position at which the main information is written.

11. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein further comprising a prism in a liquid accommodating portion for accommodating the liquid, and wherein are reflecting surface of the prism is deviated from said optical medium with respect to a direction of height of said liquid container.

12. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein said optical medium has information relating to an amount of the liquid accommodated in said liquid container, the information having been written before start of use of said liquid container, and formation relating to a remaining among of the liquid or a used amount of liquid is additionally written in.

13. A recording apparatus comprising a liquid container as defined in claim 1, and writing and reading means for the optical medium of said liquid container.

6. A liquid container according to claim, wherein at least a part of the information written in the optical medium is visible as information corresponding to the written information.