LIQUID CONTAINERS

• US 20080239033A1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hattori, Shingo
• Granted Patent: US 8,038,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control

Abstract

A liquid container includes a case, a translucent portion, an ink supply portion, and a movable member. The case defines a liquid chamber which is configured to store a predetermined amount of liquid. The translucent portion extends away from the liquid chamber in a predetermined direction, and has an inner space formed therein. The ink supply portion has a center line which is parallel to the predetermined direction. The movable member is pivotably positioned within the liquid chamber, and includes a signal blocking portion, a float portion, and an arm portion. At least a portion of the signal blocking portion is configured to be positioned within the inner space. Moreover, when the liquid chamber stores the predetermined amount of liquid, at least a portion of the arm portion is positioned further from the center line than the signal blocking portion is positioned from the center line.

Claims

1. A liquid container comprising:

a case configured to define at least a portion of a liquid chamber therein, and the liquid chamber is configured to store a predetermined amount of liquid therein;

a translucent portion extending away from the liquid chamber in a predetermined direction, wherein the translucent portion has an inner space formed therein, and the inner space is configured to be in liquid communication with the liquid chamber;

a liquid supply portion configured to dispense liquid from an interior of the liquid chamber to an exterior of the liquid chamber, wherein the liquid supply portion has a center line which is parallel to the predetermined direction;

a movable member pivotably positioned within the liquid chamber, wherein the movable member comprises;

a signal blocking portion, wherein at least a portion of the signal blocking portion is configured to be positioned within the inner space of the translucent portion;

a float portion; and

an arm portion, wherein the signal blocking portion is connected to the float portion via the arm portion, and when the liquid chamber stores the predetermined amount of liquid, at least a portion of the arm portion is positioned further from the center line than the signal blocking portion is positioned from the center line.

2. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein the movable member further comprises a pivot center, and the movable member is configured to pivot about the pivot center, and wherein the arm portion comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion is connected to the signal blocking portion and the pivot center, and the second portion is connected to the float portion and the pivot center, wherein at least a portion of the first portion is positioned further from the center line than the signal blocking portion is positioned from the center line.

3. The liquid container of claim 2, wherein the first portion comprises a first sub-portion connected to the signal blocking portion, and a second sub-portion connected to the first sub-portion and the pivot center, wherein an angle formed between the first sub-portion and the second sub-portion is an acute angle.

4. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein the movable member is configured to pivot within the liquid chamber between a first position and a second position based on an amount of liquid in the liquid chamber, wherein when the movable member is in the first position, the signal blocking portion is positioned within the inner space, and when the movable member is in the second position, at least a portion of the signal blocking member is positioned outside the inner space.

5. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein the movable member comprises a plurality of projections extending from an outer peripheral surface of the movable member.

6. The liquid container of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of projections has a base connected to the outer peripheral surface of the movable member, and a peak, and a thickness of the base is greater than a thickness of the peak.

7. The liquid container of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of projections extend in a direction parallel to a direction in which the movable member pivots.

8. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein the movable member has a width and a length which is greater than the width of the movable member, and a distance between a first end of the movable member and a second end of the movable member corresponds to the width of the movable member, and wherein the movable member comprises a plane surface having the first end of the movable member and the second end of the movable member, and the plane surface is slanted and not perpendicular with respect to a direction in which the movable member pivots.

9. The liquid container of claim 8, wherein the movable member comprises a plurality of projections extending from the plane surface.

10. A liquid container comprising:

a case configured to define at least a portion of a liquid chamber therein, and the liquid chamber is configured to store a predetermined amount of liquid therein; and

a movable member positioned within the liquid chamber, wherein the movable member comprises;

a signal blocking portion;

a float portion;

an arm portion comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion comprises a first sub-portion and a second sub-portion; and

a pivot center, wherein the movable member is configured to pivot about the pivot center, and wherein the signal blocking portion is connected to the first sub-portion, the second sub-portion is connected to the first sub-portion and the pivot center, the second portion is connected to the pivot center, and the float portion is connected to the second portion, wherein an angle formed between the first sub-portion and the second sub-portion is an acute angle.

11. The liquid container of claim 10, further comprising a translucent portion extending away from the liquid chamber in a predetermined direction, wherein the translucent portion has an inner space formed therein, and the inner space is configured to be in liquid communication with the liquid chamber, and wherein the movable member is configured to pivot within the liquid chamber between a first position and a second position based on an amount of liquid in the liquid chamber, wherein when the movable member is in the first position, the signal blocking portion is positioned within the inner space, and when the movable member is in the second position, at least a portion of the signal blocking member is positioned outside the inner space.

12. The liquid container of claim 10, wherein the movable member comprises a plurality of projections extending from an outer peripheral surface of the movable member.

13. The liquid container of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of projections has a base connected to the outer peripheral surface of the movable member, and a peak, and a thickness of the base is greater than a thickness of the peak.

14. The liquid container of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of projections extends from the base to the peak in a direction parallel to a direction in which the movable member pivots.

15. The liquid container of claim 10, wherein the movable member has a width and a length which is greater than the width of the movable member, and a distance between a first end of the movable member and a second end of the movable member corresponds to the width of the movable member, and wherein the movable member comprises a plane surface including the first end of the movable member and the second end of the movable member, and the plane surface is slanted and not perpendicular with respect to a direction in which the movable member pivots.

16. The liquid container of claim 15, wherein the movable member comprises a plurality of projections extending from the plane surface.