Liquid container and liquid supplying system

• US 8,382,265 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2008
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Haruyuki, Watanabe, Kenjiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier, Stephen D
• Assistant Examiner(s): AL HASHIMI, SARAH
• Application Number:
  US12/076,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20080204529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 347 84- 86
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17526 Electrical contacts to the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17543 Cartridge presence detection or type identification
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically

Abstract

A liquid container detachably mountable to a recording apparatus to which a plurality of liquid containers are detachably mountable, wherein the recording apparatus includes apparatus electrical contacts corresponding to the liquid containers, respectively, photoreceptor means for receiving light, and an electric circuit connected with a line which is commonly connected with the apparatus electrical contacts, the liquid container includes a container electrical contact electrically connectable with one of the apparatus contacts; an information storing portion capable of storing at least individual information of the liquid container; a light emitting portion; a controller for controlling emission of light of the light emitting portion in response to a correspondence between a signal indicative of individual information supplied through the container electrical contact and the information stored in the information storing means.

Claims

1. A liquid container detachably mountable to a main assembly of a recording apparatus, wherein the main assembly includes (a) a carriage which is movable in a moving direction and to which a plurality of liquid containers containing liquid of different colors, respectively, are detachably mountable, (b) a data line commonly electrically connectable with the liquid containers mounted to the carriage to send, color information and a light-emitting command to the liquid containers, (c) an electrical power line commonly electrically connectable with the liquid containers mounted in the carriage to supply electrical power to the liquid containers, (d) a light receptor and (e) a discriminator configured to discriminate properness of positions of the liquid containers in the carriage on the basis of light reception information of the light receptor provided by light emitted from the liquid containers, said liquid container comprising:

a data contact electrically connectable with the data line;

a memory storing container discrimination information that indicates a color of the liquid in the said liquid container;

a light emitter positioned to emit the light toward the light receptor;

a controller (A) configured to receive, the color information and the light-emitting command from the data line through said data contact and (B) configured to control said light emitter, based on the received color information and the received light-emitting command and the container discrimination information stored in said memory; and

an electrical power contact electrically connectable with the electrical power line to receive electrical power for performing light emitting of said light emitter from the electrical power line.

2. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the main assembly further includes a clock signal line commonly electrically connectable with the liquid containers mounted in the carriage to send a clock signal, and

wherein said liquid container further comprises a clock signal contact electrically connectable with the clock signal line to receive the clock signal from the clock signal line.

3. A liquid container according to claim 2, wherein said controller is configured to control light-emitting timing of said light emitter based on the clock signal received through said clock signal contact.

4. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control said light emitter to emit light based on the received light-emitting command, if the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information stored in said memory.

5. A liquid container according to claim 4, wherein said controller is configured:

to receive an extinction command associated with the color information, and

to extinguishes said light emitter based on the received extinction command, if the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information stored in said memory.

6. A liquid container according to claim 1, further comprising:

a casing having a chamber containing the liquid;

a substrate provided with said light emitter, said data contact and said electrical power contact, the substrate being provided on an outer surface of said casing.

7. A liquid container according to claim 6, wherein said substrate has a first surface directed toward said chamber, and a second surface opposite said first surface, and wherein said light emitter is provided on said first surface, and said data contact and said electrical power contact are provided on said second surface.

8. A liquid container according to Claim 6, wherein said light emitter is provided at a position where the emitted light is capable of reaching to the light receptor without passing through said chamber.

9. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the light emitted from said light emitter includes a visible light.

10. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein said light emitter includes a light emitting diode.

11. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein said electrical power contact is configured to receive electrical power for operating said controller.

12. A liquid container for an inkjet recording apparatus including (a) a carriage including a plurality of mounting positions to which a plurality of liquid containers containing liquids of different colors, respectively, are detachably mountable, (b) apparatus contacts corresponding to the mounting positions, respectively, (c) a common line commonly electrically connected with the apparatus contacts, (d) a light receptor and (e) a discriminator configured to discriminate, for each of the liquid containers, whether the liquid container is mounted at a correct one of the mounting positions in the carriage, on the basis of light reception information of the light receptor provided by light emitted from the liquid container when the correct mounting position faces the light receptor, said liquid container comprising:

an electrical contact electrically connectable with one of the apparatus contacts;

a memory storing container discrimination information indicative of the color of the liquid in the liquid container;

a light emitter positioned to emit the light toward the light receptor; and

a controller configured;

(A) to receive color information and a command from the common electrical line via said electrical contact and one of the apparatus contacts,

(B) to cause the said light emitter to emit the light, if (i) the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information and (ii) the received command is a first command for causing said light emitter to emit the light, and

(C) to cause the said light emitter to stop emitting the light, if (i) the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information and (ii) the received command is a second command for causing said light emitter to stop emitting the light.

13. A liquid container according to claim 12, wherein the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information if the received color information has a same code as the liquid container discrimination information.

14. A liquid container according to claim 12, wherein said controller is configured to cause said light emitter to emit the light so that the discriminator is capable of discriminating whether said liquid container is mounted at the correct mounting position, on the basis of the light reception information provided by the light emitted from said light emitter when the correct mounting position faces the light receptor.

15. A liquid container for an inkjet recording apparatus including (a) a carriage which is movable in a moving direction and to which a plurality of liquid containers containing liquids of different colors, respectively, are detachably mountable, (b) apparatus contacts provided in the carriage, (c) a common line commonly electrically connected with the apparatus contacts to send, to the apparatus contacts, data including a piece of color information selected from a plurality of pieces of color information corresponding to respective ones of the colors, (d) a light receptor and (e) a discriminator configured to discriminate whether the liquid containers are mounted at correct positions in the carriage, on the basis of light reception information of the light receptor provided by light emitted from the liquid containers containing the liquids of colors predetermined correspondingly to positions of the carriage with respect to the moving direction, said liquid container comprising:

an electrical contact electrically connectable with one of the apparatus contacts;

a memory storing container discrimination information indicative of the color of the liquid in the liquid container;

a light emitter positioned to emit the light toward the light receptor; and

a controller (A) configured to receive, from the common line through said electrical contact and one of the apparatus contacts, the data including the color information selected correspondingly to positions of the carriage with respect to the moving direction, and (B) configured to (B1) control, when the received data includes an actuation command for actuating said light emitter, actuation of said light emitter based on the container discrimination information stored in the memory and the color information included in the received data and (B2) control, when the received data includes a deactuation command for deactuating said light emitter, deactuation of said light emitter based on the container discrimination information stored in the memory and the color information included in the received data.

16. A liquid container for an inkjet recording apparatus including (a) a carriage which is movable in a moving direction and to which a plurality of liquid containers containing liquids of different colors, respectively, are detachably mountable, (b) apparatus contacts provided in the carriage, (c) a common line commonly electrically connected with the apparatus contacts to send, to the apparatus contacts, a piece of color information selected from a plurality of pieces of color information corresponding to respective ones of the colors and a command associated with the piece of color information, (d) a light receptor and (e) a discriminator configured to discriminate whether the liquid containers are mounted at correct positions in the carriage, on the basis of light reception information of the light receptor provided by light emitted from the liquid containers containing the liquids of colors predetermined correspondingly to positions of the carriage with respect to the moving direction, said liquid container comprising:

an electrical contact electrically connectable with one of the apparatus contacts;

a memory storing container discrimination information indicative of the color of the liquid in the liquid container;

a light emitter positioned to emit the light toward the light receptor;

a controller (A) configured to receive the color information and the command from the common line through said electrical contact and one of the apparatus contacts, and (B) configured (B1) to actuate said light emitter, if (i) the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information stored in the memory and (ii) the received command is an actuation command for actuating said light emitter, and (B2) to deactuate said light emitter, if (i) the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information stored in the memory and (ii) the received command is a deactuation command for deactuating said light emitter.

17. A liquid container according to claim 16, wherein the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information if the received color information has a same code as the liquid container discrimination information.

18. A liquid container according to claim 16, wherein said controller is configured to actuate said light emitter to emit the light so that the discriminator is capable of discriminating whether said liquid container is mounted at the correct mounting position, on the basis of the light reception information provided by the light emitted from said light emitter when the correct mounting position faces the light receptor.

19. A liquid container for an inkjet recording apparatus including (a) a mounting unit having a plurality of mounting positions to which said liquid container is detachably mountable, wherein one of the mounting positions is a correct mounting position for said liquid container, (b) apparatus contacts corresponding to the mounting positions, respectively, (c) a common line commonly electrically connected with the apparatus contacts to send color information and a command associated with the color information to the apparatus contacts, (d) a light receptor and (e) a discriminator configured to discriminate whether said liquid container is mounted at the correct mounting position, on the basis of light reception information of the light receptor provided by light emitted from said liquid container when the correct mounting position faces the light receptor, said liquid container comprising:

an electrical contact electrically connectable with one of the apparatus contacts;

a memory storing container discrimination information indicative of the color of the liquid in the liquid container;

a light emitter positioned to emit the light toward the light receptor; and

a controller (A) configured to receive, from the common line through said electrical contact and one of the apparatus contacts, the color information and the command and (B) configured (B1) to actuate said light emitter, if (i) the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information stored in said memory and (ii) the received command is an actuation command for actuating said light emitter, and (B2) to deactuate said light emitter, if (i) the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information and (ii) the received command is a deactuation command for deactuating said light emitter.

20. A liquid container according to claim 19, wherein the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information if the received color information has a same code as the container discrimination information.

21. A liquid container according to claim 19, wherein said controller is configured to actuate said light emitter to emit the light so that the discriminator is capable of discriminating whether said liquid container is mounted at the correct mounting position, on the basis of the light reception information provided by the light emitted from said light emitter when the correct mounting position faces the light receptor.

22. A liquid container for an inkjet printing apparatus including (a) a mounting unit including a plurality of mounting positions to which said liquid container is detachably mountable, wherein one of the mounting positions is a correct mounting position for said liquid container, (b) apparatus contacts corresponding to the mounting positions, respectively, (c) a common electrical line commonly electrically connected with the apparatus contacts, (d) a light receptor and (e) a discriminator configured to discriminate whether said liquid container is mounted at the correct mounting position, on the basis of light reception information of the light receptor provided by light emitted from said liquid container, comprising:

a memory portion storing container discrimination information that indicates a color of a liquid in the liquid container;

an electrical contact electrically connectable with one of the apparatus contacts;

a light emitter positioned to emit the light toward the light receptor;

a controller configured;

(A) to receive color information and a command from the common electrical line via said electrical contact and one of the apparatus contacts,

(B) to cause the said light emitter to emit the light, if (i) the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information and (ii) the received command is a first command for causing said light emitter to emit the light, and

(C) to cause the said light emitter to stop emitting the light, if (i) the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information and (ii) the received command is a second command for causing said light emitter to stop emitting the light.

23. A liquid container according to claim 22, wherein the received color information corresponds to the container discrimination information if the received color information has a same code as the container discrimination information.

24. A liquid container according to claim 22, wherein said controller is configured to cause said light emitter so that the discriminator is capable of discriminating whether said liquid container is mounted at the correct mounting position, on the basis of the light reception information provided by the light emitted from said light emitter when the correct mounting position faces the light receptor.