PRINTING FLUID CARTRIDGE, PRINTING APPARATUS, AND USE OF PRINTING FLUID CARTRIDGE

• US 20130050358A1
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: KANBE, Tomohiro, TAKAGI, Yuki, NAKAMURA, Hirotake
• Granted Patent: US 8,651,639 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 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17526 Electrical contacts to the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1753 Details of contacts on the cartridge, e.g. protection of contacts
• 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 printing fluid cartridge includes at least one electrical interface configured to be electrically connected to at least one contact, and a light attenuating portion configured to attenuate light.

Claims

1. A printing fluid cartridge comprising:

at least one electrical interface configured to be electrically connected to at least one contact; and

a light attenuating portion configured to attenuate light.

2. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a chamber configured to store printing fluid therein; and

a printing fluid supply portion configured to supply the printing fluid from an interior of the chamber to an exterior of the chamber.

3. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 2, further comprising:

a front face oriented toward a first direction, wherein the printing fluid supply portion is positioned at the front face; and

a rear face positioned opposite the front face and oriented toward a second direction opposite the first direction,

wherein the at least one electrical interface is positioned between the front face and the rear face.

4. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 3, wherein the printing fluid supply portion is positioned at a lower portion of the front face and the at least one electrical interface is positioned above the printing fluid supply portion when the printing fluid cartridge is in use.

5. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 3, wherein the light attenuating portion extends in the first direction.

6. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 5, wherein the at least one electrical interface and the light attenuating portion are provided at one side of the printing fluid cartridge, and a width of the light attenuating portion in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction is less than a width of the electrical interface in the third direction.

7. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 6, wherein the light attenuating portion is positioned farther from the rear face than the at least one electrical interface is with respect to the first direction.

8. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 7, wherein the at least one electrical interface is positioned more outside than the light attenuating portion.

9. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 8, further comprising a top face connected to the front face and the rear face, wherein the top face faces upward when the printing fluid cartridge is in use, and the at least one electrical interface and the light attenuating portion are positioned at a top-face side of the printing fluid cartridge.

10. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 6, wherein the at least one electrical interface and the light attenuating portion are positioned, such that the at least one electrical interface and the light attenuating portion intersect a plane which is parallel with the first direction, the second direction, and a fourth direction which is perpendicular to the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction.

11. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 3, wherein the light attenuating portion is configured to attenuate light travelling in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and the at least one electrical interface is accessible in a fourth direction perpendicular to the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction.

15. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 1, wherein the light attenuating portion is configured to provide information as to presence of the printing fluid cartridge by attenuating the light.

16. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 15, wherein the light attenuating portion is configured to provide information as to a type of the printing fluid cartridge by attenuating the light.

17. A printing apparatus comprising:

the printing fluid cartridge of claim 1;

a cartridge mounting portion to which the printing fluid cartridge is configured to be mounted, the cartridge mounting portion comprising;

at least one contact configured to be electrically connected to the at least one electrical interface,

an optical sensor configured to detect the light attenuating portion.

18. Use of the printing fluid cartridge of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical interface is electrically connected to the at least one contact and the light attenuating portion attenuates light emitted from a light emitter of an optical sensor of a cartridge mounting portion during mounting of the printing fluid cartridge to the cartridge mounting portion.

19. Use of the printing cartridge of claim 18, wherein the at least one electrical interface contacts the at least one contact after the light attenuating portion starts to attenuate the light during the mounting of the printing fluid cartridge to the cartridge mounting portion.

12. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 12, wherein the at least one electrical interface comprises a first electrical interface, a second electrical interface, and a third electrical interface aligned and spaced apart from each other in the third direction, wherein the second electrical interface is positioned between the first electrical interface and the third electrical interface, and the at least one electrical interface and the light attenuating portion are positioned, such that the second electrical interface and the light attenuating portion intersect a plane which is parallel with the first direction, the second direction, and the fourth direction.

13. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 12, wherein a center of the second electrical interface and a center of the light attenuating portion are positioned on the plane which is parallel with the first direction, the second direction, and the fourth direction.

14. The printing fluid cartridge of claim 13, wherein the light attenuating portion has a width in the third direction and the second electrical interface has a width in the third direction, and the width of the light attenuating portion is less than the width of the second electrical interface.