Ink cartridge

• US 7,014,305 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Naka, Takahiro, Matsumoto, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THINH H
• Application Number:
  US10/710,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20040233245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 347/7, 347/19, 347/23, 347 86- 87
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17506 Refilling of the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• 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 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17569 based on the amount printed or to be printed

Abstract

An ink cartridge for an inkjet type printing apparatus having a print head, the ink cartridge including: a container having an ink chamber for containing ink therein; an ink supply port for ejecting the ink from the ink chamber to the print head; a memory device for storing data related to the ink or the ink cartridge, the memory device has an area in which the data is stored in a rewritable manner; and a contact device enabling the transmission of data between the memory device and an external device. The memory device may include data indicative of when the ink cartridge was recycled.

Claims

1. A recycled ink cartridge manufactured by recycling a used ink cartridge, the recycled ink cartridge comprising:

a container having an ink chamber for containing ink therein;

an ink supply port in fluid communication with the ink chamber;

a memory device storing therein data indicative of when the used ink cartridge was recycled,

wherein;

the memory device further stores therein data related to an exchange, by a recycling operation, of a part of the used ink cartridge, and

the part does not include ink.

2. The recycled ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the data indicative of when the used ink cartridge was recycled includes data indicative of a date when the used ink cartridge was recycled.

3. The recycled ink cartridge according to claim 1 wherein the data indicative of when the used ink cartridge was recycled includes data indicative of a date when the used ink cartridge was refilled with ink.

4. The recycled ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the memory device further stores therein data related to the ordinal number of a recycling operation carried out on the used ink cartridge.

5. The recycled ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the memory device further stores therein data related to a method of charging ink into a print head from the recycled ink cartridge.

6. The recycled ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the memory device further stores therein data related to an amount of ink drawn via a print head from the recycled ink cartridge.

7. The recycled ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the memory device is provided on a circuit board containing electrical contacts, said memory device provided on a surface of said circuit board that is opposite to a surface containing said electrical contacts.

8. The recycled ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the memory device further stores therein data indicative of a minimal amount of ink to be held in the recycled ink cartridge.