Inkjet recording apparatus and ink cartridge

• US 7,438,401 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Seino, Takeo, Kimura, Hitotoshi, Hashii, Kazuhiro, Harada, Kazumasa, Takeuchi, Atsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Do; An H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hashimi; Sarah Al
• Application Number:
  US11/026,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 347/86, 347/85
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer

Abstract

There is disclosed a liquid container that can be removably held in a liquid container accommodation portion by pushing the container in an insertion direction. The liquid container is mounted on a carriage having a container accommodation region. A one-push type fixing member in a position facing a surface parallel to an insertion direction in which the container is inserted into the container accommodation region is engaged with a fixing protrusion forming another one-push type fixing member and cooperating with the first-mentioned one-push type fixing member, so that the container is held in a predetermined position in a state in which the container is resiliently urged by a spring in a direction opposite to the insertion direction.

Claims

1. A liquid container, comprising:

a container body having a first wall and a second wall, the first wall lying in a first plane and the second wall lying in a second plane that intersects the first plane, the container body having an interior;

a liquid supply port formed in the second wall;

a recess formed in the first wall, the recess including a floor lying in a plane parallel to the first plane and a perimeter wall;

a guide structure disposed within the recess, at least a portion of said guide structure extending from the floor of the recess toward the first wall; and

a first slanted surface that is inclined from a first part of the floor of the recess toward the first wall, the first slanted surface being located between the guide structure and the perimeter wall,

wherein the perimeter wall has two straight side portions and a generally M-shaped portion having side legs, the side legs of the M-shaped portion meeting, respectively, the straight side portions.

2. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein the side legs of the M-shaped portion are not parallel to the straight side portions.

3. A liquid container, composing:

a container body having a first wall and a second wall, the first wall lying in a first plane and the second wall lying in a second plane that intersects the first plane, the container body having an interior;

a liquid supply port formed in the second wall;

a recess formed in the first wall, the recess including a floor lying in a plane parallel to the first plane and a perimeter wall;

a guide structure disposed within the recess, at least a portion of said guide structure extending from the floor of the recess toward the first wall;

a first slanted surface that is inclined from a first part of the floor of the recess toward the first wall, the first slanted surface being located between the guide structure and the perimeter wall; and

a supplemental guide structure disposed within the recess, the supplemental guide structure having a third slanted surface that is inclined from a third part of the floor of the recess toward the first wall,

wherein the supplemental guide structure is located opposite from the second wall with respect to the guide structure, as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first plane,

wherein the recess, the guide structure and the supplemental guide structure are dimensioned so that a path of at least a minimum width exists between the guide structure and the perimeter wall, and

wherein the path is generally M-shaped.

4. The liquid container of claim 3, wherein the side legs of the M-shaped path are at least in part parallel.

5. A liquid container, comprising:

a container body having a first wall and a second wall, the first wall lying in a first plane and the second wall lying in a second plane that intersects the first plane, the container body having an interior;

a liquid supply port formed in the second wall;

a recess formed in the first wall, the recess including a floor lying in a plane parallel to the first plane and a perimeter wall; and

a guide structure disposed within and occupying a portion of the recess, at least a portion of the guide structure extending from the floor of the recess toward the first wall, the guide structure having a first side wall, a second side wall leading from the first side wall and a third side wall leading from the second side wall, the guide structure being sized so that there is a path of at least a minimum width between the perimeter wall and the first side wall, the second side wall and the third side wall,

wherein the path is generally M-shaped.

6. The liquid container of claim 5, wherein the side legs of the M-shaped path are at least in part parallel.