Ink cartridge having positioning structure and recording apparatus for receiving the ink cartridge

• US 7,237,883 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Shinada, Satoshi, Sakai, Yasuto, Hashii, Kazuhiro, Aoki, Kazuaki, Harada, Kazumasa
• Primary Examiner(s): JACKSON, JUANITA DIONNE
• Application Number:
  US11/122,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20050200670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/56, 347 61- 65, 347/67, 347 84- 87, 400/124.1
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• 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 2/1755 mechanically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure

Abstract

The ink cartridge includes an ink supply port formed at a position, offset to one side, of a wall configuring an ink container body; a positioning projecting portion, formed on one wall out of two opposing walls adjacent the wall, whose upper surface and side portion are regulated in position when the cartridge has been mounted on a recording apparatus; a lever, formed on the other wall out of the two walls, maintaining a normal hinged-open state and having a projection that is forcibly displaced outward when the cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus; and electrodes that are connected to a memory unit storing information on the ink in an ink container and formed on the positioning projecting portion.

Claims

1. A recording apparatus, which receives an ink cartridge including an ink supply port formed at a position, offset to one side, of a bottom wall defining in part an ink container;

a projecting portion, formed on a lower portion of a first wall out of two opposing walls adjacent to the bottom wall, the projecting portion having an upper surface and a plurality of side portions that have specific and predetermined positions when the cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus, wherein the first wall is located further from the ink supply port than the other of the two opposing walls is located;

a retaining member disposed on the other wall and having an engaging portion located on the retaining member, which said engaging portion engages a corresponding part of the recording apparatus when the ink cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus; and

a plurality of electrodes formed on the projecting portion and which are electrically connected to a memory unit disposed on the ink container, the recording apparatus comprising;

a flow path forming member communicating with a recording head, and located at a position which opposes the ink supply port of the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is received by the recording apparatus,

a width direction regulating projecting portion that abuts the side portions of the projecting portion when the ink cartridge is received by the recording apparatus, and

a position regulating elastic piece that abuts the upper surface of the projecting portion when the ink cartridge is received by the recording apparatus.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the ink cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus, the position regulating elastic piece is pressed and elastically deformed by a lower portion of the ink cartridge'"'"'s projecting portion, and thereafter, when mounting of the ink cartridge is completed, the elastic piece returns to its original position and abuts the upper surface of the projecting portion.

3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a projecting portion formed at a position of the width direction regulating projecting portion corresponding to a rotation assisting recessed portion formed in the ink cartridge.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of contacts that are in electrical communication with respective said electrodes when said ink cartridge is mounted on said recording apparatus.

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink container further includes a container body and a lid body, the lever has one end fixed to the container body and a projection disposed on a side surface of the lever, and the apparatus further comprises a guide groove that engages the projection of the lever to guide an upper portion of the lever outward as the ink cartridge is mounted.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus satisfies the equation:

L>

H/tan θ

+Δ

L

where L is a distance from the upper surface of the projecting portion to a center of the ink supply port, wherein the upper surface of the projecting portion serves as a rotation center when the ink cartridge is removed from the recording apparatus, θ

is a rotation angle of the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is removed from the recording apparatus, H is an entering length of the flow path forming member and Δ

L is a positional displacement allowable range of an elastic sealing member housed in the ink supply port.

7. A recording apparatus, which receive an ink cartridge including an ink container having a first wall surface, a second wall surface and a third wall surface, the second and third wall surfaces being adjacent to the first wall surface and opposing each other;

an ink supply port disposed on the first wall surface;

a retaining member disposed on the second wall surface, the retaining member having an engagement portion that engages a part of the recording apparatus as the ink cartridge is mounted thereon;

a lever-pressed portion disposed on the third wall surface and which is pressed by a cartridge holding mounting lever of the recording apparatus as the ink cartridge is mounted thereon;

a plurality of electrodes which are disposed closer to the ink supply port than the lever-pressed portion, and which are electrically connected to a memory unit disposed on the ink container, the recording apparatus comprising;

a flow path forming member communicating with a recording head, and located at a position which opposes the ink supply port of the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus; and

the cartridge-holding mounting lever, the cartridge-holding mounting lever having a rotation fulcrum on a side of the lever-pressed portion of the ink cartridge, when mounted, wherein when the engagement portion of the retaining member engages with the part of the recording apparatus, the cartridge-holding mounting lever rotates about the rotation fulcrum, presses the lever-pressed portion to a predetermined position and is retained in the mounting lever'"'"'s predetermined position.

8. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the ink cartridge is not mounted properly, the mounting lever is inhibited from moving to the mounting lever'"'"'s predetermined position.

9. An ink cartridge that, when used, is mounted on a recording apparatus having a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion, said ink cartridge comprising:

an ink container having a first side, a second side, a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, and a rear wall;

an ink supply port located on the bottom wall;

the ink supply port being located closer to the front wall than the rear wall;

an outwardly-extending first positioning member having a face and a top surface, the face and the top surface lying in intersecting planes, and which said first positioning member is located on the rear wall proximate to the bottom wall;

an outwardly-extending second positioning member shaped to cooperate with the first receiving portion of the recording apparatus, and which is located on the front wall proximate to the bottom wall;

a third positioning member having an elongated member pivotally mounted on the front wall at a position between a first point where the front wall meets the top wall and a second point where the front wall meets the bottom wall;

the elongated member having a projection shaped to cooperate with the second receiving portion of the recording apparatus; and

a plurality of electrodes located on the face of the first positioning member and lying in a plane parallel to the rear wall.

10. An ink cartridge according to claim 9, wherein said first positioning member has a width that is not greater than a distance between the first and the second sides of the ink container.

11. An ink cartridge according to claim 9, wherein the elongated member further comprises a guide projection, the guide projection extending outward in a generally widthwise direction, a width of the elongated member, including the guide projection, not being greater than a distance between the first and the second sides of the ink container.

12. An ink cartridge according to claim 9, wherein the ink container has an elongated and flaring notch formed at an edge where one said side meets the rear wall.

13. An ink cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the notch flares outward from the bottom wall toward the top wall.

14. An ink cartridge according to claim 9, further comprising an elastic sealing material, housed in the ink supply port, that engages a flow path forming member of the recording apparatus when the ink cartridge is mounted on the recording apparatus.

15. A recording apparatus which receives an ink cartridge having an ink container having a first side, a second side, a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, and a rear wall;

an ink supply port located on the bottom wall;

the ink supply port being located closer to the front wall than the rear wall;

an outwardly-extending first positioning member having a face and a top surface, the face and the top surface lying in intersecting planes, and which said first positioning member is located on the rear wall proximate to the bottom wall;

an outwardly-extending second positioning member which is located on the front wall proximate to the bottom wall;

a third positioning member having an elongated member pivotally mounted on the front wall at a position between a first point where the front wall meets the top wall and a second point where the front wall meets the bottom wall;

the elongated member having a projection shaped to cooperate with a corresponding receiving portion of the recording apparatus; and

a plurality of electrodes located on the face of the first positioning member and lying in a plane parallel to the rear wall, the recording apparatus comprising;

a carriage having

an engaging portion that receives the projection of the elongated member,

a receptacle that accommodates the first positioning member, the receptacle having a downwardly projecting cantilever having a free end and being dimensioned and disposed so that when the ink cartridge is mounted on the carriage the free end of the cantilever contacts the top surface of the first positioning member, and

a receiving portion dimensioned and disposed to accommodate the second positioning member; and

a plurality of contacts disposed in the receptacle, the contacts being arranged so that, when the ink cartridge is mounted in the carriage, the contacts are in electrical communication with respective said electrodes.

16. A recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said carriage receives a plurality of the ink cartridges.

17. An ink cartridge, comprising:

an ink container having a front, a back and a bottom, the front and the back both intersecting the bottom;

an ink supply port formed in the bottom, the ink supply port having an ink supply port axis;

an identification block disposed on the back and having a pair of parallel sides, a face lying in a plane parallel to the ink supply port axis, the parallel sides being perpendicular to the face, a plurality of electrical contacts lying on the face, and at least one projection having a tip and extending outward from the identification block away from the back toward the face, the tip of the projection being disposed further from the back than the face is disposed from the back.

18. An ink cartridge according to claim 17, wherein the identification block includes at least a first said projection and a second said projection.

19. An ink cartridge according to claim 18, wherein the first and the second projections lie in parallel planes.

20. An ink cartridge according to claim 18, wherein the first and second projections and the parallel sides all lie in parallel planes.

21. Air ink cartridge according to claim 17, wherein the position of the projection corresponds to a color of an ink in the ink reservoir.

22. An ink cartridge, comprising:

an ink container having a front, a back, a top and a bottom;

an ink supply port formed in the bottom, the ink supply port having an axis;

a retaining member extending from the front toward the top, the retaining member having a protruding engagement portion;

a projection located where a plane of the back and a plane of the bottom intersect, and extending away from the front, the projection having a surface lying in a plane that is parallel to the axis;

a memory unit disposed on the ink cartridge; and

a plurality of electrodes disposed on the surface and which are in electrical communication with the memory unit.

23. An ink cartridge according to claim 22, further comprising:

a flat surface lying in a plane that is parallel to the bottom,

wherein the flat surface is positioned so that when the ink cartridge is mounted in a printer, a structure of the printer contacts the flat surface and presses the flat surface toward the bottom.

24. An ink cartridge according to claim 23, wherein the flat surface is located on the projection.

25. An ink cartridge according to claim 23, further comprising:

a protuberance extending from the back, the protuberance being located closer to the top than is the projection,

wherein the flat surface is located on the protuberance.

26. An ink cartridge, comprising:

an ink container having a front, a back, a top and a bottom;

an ink supply port formed in the bottom, the ink supply port having an axis;

a retaining member extending from the front toward the top, the retaining member having a protruding engagement portion;

a projection located where a plane of the back and a plane of the bottom intersect, and extending away from the front, the projection having a surface lying in a plane that is parallel to the axis;

a memory unit disposed on the ink cartridge;

a plurality of electrodes disposed on the surface and which are in electrical communication with the memory unit; and

an identification protrusion extending outward from the back at a position located between the top and the projection.

27. An ink cartridge according to claim 26, further comprising:

a flat surface lying in a plane that is parallel to the bottom,

wherein the flat surface is positioned so that when the ink cartridge is mounted in a printer, a structure of the printer contacts the flat surface and presses the flat surface toward the bottom.

28. An ink cartridge according to claim 27, wherein the flat surface is located on the projection.

29. An ink cartridge according to claim 27, further comprising:

a protuberance extending from the back, the protuberance being located closer to the top than is the projection,

wherein the flat surface is located on the protuberance.

30. An ink cartridge according to any one of claims 26 to 29, wherein the protrusion extends outward past the plane in which the surface lies.

31. An ink cartridge according to any one of claims 26 to 29, wherein at least one of a shape, a width and a length of the protrusion corresponds to a property of an ink carried in the ink container.

32. An ink cartridge that, when used, is mounted on a recording apparatus having a contact structure, said ink cartridge comprising:

an ink container having a front, a back, a top and a bottom, the front intersecting the bottom at a first edge, the back intersecting the bottom at a second edge, the top intersecting the front at a third edge, and the top intersecting the back at a fourth edge;

an ink supply port formed in the bottom, the ink supply port having an axis;

a retaining member extending from the front at a position between the first edge and the third edge toward the top, the retaining member having a protruding engagement portion;

a raised rib disposed on the front, the rib extending in a direction parallel to the axis from the first edge toward the top;

a projection located at the second edge and extending away from the front, the projection having a surface lying in a plane that is parallel to the axis;

a memory unit disposed on the ink cartridge;

a plurality of electrodes disposed on the surface and which are in electrical communication with the memory unit;

a protuberance extending from the back, the protuberance being located between the fourth edge and the projection, the protuberance having a flat surface positioned so that when the ink cartridge is mounted in the recording apparatus, the contact structure of the recording apparatus contacts the flat surface and presses the flat surface toward the bottom; and

an identification protrusion extending outward from the back at a position located between the second edge and the fourth edge.

33. An ink cartridge according to claim 32, wherein the identification protrusion extends outward past the plane in which the surface lies.

34. An ink cartridge according to claim 32 or 33, wherein at least one of a shape, a width and a length of the identification protrusion corresponds to a property of an ink carried in the ink container.