Liquid container and liquid supplying system

• US 20050219303A1
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Kenjiro, Matsumoto, Haruyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,454,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/19
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17526 Electrical contacts to the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17543 Cartridge presence detection or type identification
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically

Abstract

A liquid container detachably mountable to a recording apparatus to which a plurality of liquid containers are detachably mountable, wherein the recording apparatus includes apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively, photoreceptor means for receiving light, and an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with the apparatus electrical contacts, the liquid container includes a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of the apparatus contacts; an information storing portion capable of storing at least individual information of the liquid container; a light emitting portion; a controller for controling emission of light of the light emitting portion in response to a correspondence between a signal indicative of individual information supplied through the container electrical contact and the information stored in the information storing means.

Claims

1. A liquid container detachably mountable to a recording apparatus to which a plurality of liquid containers are detachably mountable, wherein said recording apparatus includes apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively, photoreceptor means for receiving light, and an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts, said liquid container comprising:

a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of said apparatus contacts;

an information storing portion capable of storing at least individual information of said liquid container;

a light emitting portion;

a controller for controlling emission of light of said light emitting portion in response to a correspondence between a signal indicative of individual information supplied through said container electrical contact and said information stored in said information storing means.

4. A liquid container according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts transmits the signal indicative of individual information.

5. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein said liquid container contains ink.

2. A liquid container detachably mountable to a recording apparatus to which a plurality of liquid containers are detachably mountable at different positions, wherein said recording apparatus includes apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively, photoreceptor means for receiving light, and an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts, said liquid container comprising:

a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of said apparatus contacts;

an information storing portion storing at least individual information of said liquid container;

a light emitting portion for emitting light toward said position detecting means;

a controller for controlling emission of light of said light emitting portion when information indicated by a signal indicative of individual information supplied through said container electrical contact and said information stored in said information storing means, are the same.

3. A liquid container according to claim 2, wherein said liquid container has a plurality of such electrical contacts.

6. A liquid supplying system comprising:

a recording apparatus including,

a carriage,

apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively,

photoreceptor means for receiving light,

an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts; and

a liquid container detachably mountable to said carriage, said liquid container including,

a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of said apparatus contacts,

an information storing portion storing at least individual information of said liquid container,

a light emitting portion for emitting light toward said position detecting means,

a controller for controlling emission of light of said light emitting portion when information indicated by a signal indicative of individual information supplied through said container electrical contact and said information stored in said information storing means are the same.

7. A liquid supplying system according to claim 6, wherein the line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts transmits the signal indicative of individual information.

8. A manufacturing method for manufacturing a liquid container detachably mountable to a recording apparatus to which a plurality of liquid containers are detachably mountable at different positions, wherein said recording apparatus includes apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively, photoreceptor means for receiving light, and an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts, said liquid container comprising the steps of:

preparing a liquid container including a substrate, said substrate having a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of said apparatus contacts;

an information storing portion storing at least individual information of said liquid container, a light emitting portion for emitting light toward said position detecting means, a controller for controlling emission of light of said light emitting portion when information indicated by a signal indicative of individual information supplied through said container electrical contact and said information stored in said information storing means, are the same; and

injecting ink into said liquid container.

9. A manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein the line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts transmits the signal indicative of individual information.

10. A circuit board for a liquid container which container is detachably mountable to a recording apparatus to which a plurality of liquid containers are detachably mountable at different positions, wherein said recording apparatus includes apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively, photoreceptor means for receiving light, and an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts, said circuit board comprising:

a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of said apparatus contacts;

an information storing portion storing at least individual information of said liquid container;

a connecting portion for connection to a light emitting portion for directing light to said position detecting means; and

a controller for controlling emission of light of said light emitting portion when information indicated by a signal indicative of individual information supplied through said container electrical contact and said information stored in said information storing means, are the same.

11. A circuit board according to claim 10, wherein the line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts transmits the signal indicative of individual information.

12. A circuit board according to claim 10 or 11, wherein said light emitting portion is provided on said circuit board.

15. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said carriage is movable to a position where said light receiving portion and said light emitting portion are opposed to each other.

13. A recording apparatus comprising:

apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to liquid containers, respectively, which can be detachably mounted onto the recording apparatus, a liquid container comprising;

a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of said apparatus contacts;

an information storing portion capable of storing at least individual information of said liquid container;

a light emitting portion; and

a controller for controlling emission of light of said light emitting portion in response to a correspondence between a signal indicative of individual information supplied through said container electrical contacts and said information stored in said information storing means;

photoreceptor means for receiving light;

an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts;

a carriage for carrying said liquid container; and

a light receiving portion for receiving the light from said light emitting portion.

14. A recording apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts transmits the signal indicative of individual information.

16. A liquid container cartridge detachably mountable to a recording apparatus to which a plurality of liquid containers are detachably mountable at different positions, wherein said recording apparatus includes apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively, photoreceptor means for receiving light, and an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts, said liquid container comprising:

a recording head for effecting recording by ejecting liquid;

a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of said apparatus contacts;

an information storing portion storing at least individual information of said liquid container;

a light emitting portion for emitting light toward said position detecting means;

a controller for controlling emission of light of said light emitting portion when information indicated by a signal indicative of individual information supplied through said container electrical contact and said information stored in said information storing means, are the same.

17. A liquid container cartridge according to claim 16, wherein the line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts transmits the signal indicative of individual information.

18. A liquid container detachably mountable to a recording apparatus to which a plurality of liquid containers are detachably mountable at different positions, wherein said recording apparatus includes apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively, photoreceptor means for receiving light, and an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts, said liquid container comprising:

ink contained in said accommodating container;

a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of said apparatus contacts;

an information storing portion capable of storing at least individual information of the ink contained in said liquid container;

a light emitting portion for emitting light toward said position detecting means;

a controller for controlling emission of light of said light emitting portion when information relating to ink supplied through said container electrical contact and said information relating to the ink contained in said liquid container and stored in said information storing means, are the same.

19. A liquid container according to claim 18, wherein the line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts transmits the signal indicative of individual information.

20. A recording apparatus comprising:

apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to liquid containers, which can be detachably mounted onto the recording apparatus at different positions, a liquid container comprising;

a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of said apparatus contacts;

an information storing portion storing at least individual information of said liquid container;

a light emitting portion for emitting light toward said position detecting means; and

a controller for controlling emission of light of said light emitting portion when information indicated by a signal indicative of individual information supplied through said container electrical contact and said information stored in said information storing means, are the same;

photoreceptor means for receiving light;

an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts;

a carriage for carrying the liquid container; and

a light receiving portion for receiving the light from said light emitting portion.

21. A recording apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the line which is commonly connected with said apparatus electrical contacts transmits the signal indicative of individual information.