Printing material container, and board mounted on printing material container

• US 8,454,116 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Asauchi, Noboru
• Primary Examiner(s): ZARROLI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US13/608,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20130027483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 347/19
• 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 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17579 Measuring electrical impedance for ink level indication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/9241 Contacts arranged for sequential connection

Abstract

A printing material container detachably attachable to a printing apparatus having apparatus-side terminals. The container can comprise an electrical device, a memory device and a plurality of terminals. First and second terminals can be coupled to the electrical device and a plurality of memory terminals can be coupled to the memory device. Terminal contact portions are present where the terminals contact a respective apparatus side contact forming member. A short detection contact portion can be positioned to contact a contact forming member that itself is coupled to a short detection circuit of the printing apparatus. The terminals can be arranged with the memory terminal contact portions located to the left of the second terminal contact portion and to the right of the first terminal contact portion. The contact portion that is second farthest to the right can be the third contact portion.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge for mounting on an ink jet printing apparatus, the ink jet printing apparatus having a print head and a plurality of apparatus-side contact forming members, the ink cartridge comprising:

a body;

an ink supply opening having an exit on an exterior portion of the body, adapted to supply ink from the ink cartridge to the printing apparatus;

a memory device adapted to be driven by a memory driving voltage;

an electronic device adapted to receive a voltage higher than the memory driving voltage; and

a plurality of terminals having contact portions adapted and positioned to contact corresponding apparatus-side contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the ink jet printing apparatus, the contact portions of the terminals including a plurality of memory contact portions electrically coupled to the memory device, a first electronic device contact portion electrically coupled to the electronic device, a second electronic device contact portion electrically coupled to the electronic device, and a short detection contact portion positioned and arranged to electrically contact a contact forming member that itself is electrically coupled to a short detection circuit of the printing apparatus, wherein;

the contact portions are arranged so that, when the terminal arrangement is viewed from the vantage of the contact forming members, with the terminals oriented as if in contact with the contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the ink jet printing apparatus, and with the ink cartridge oriented with the exit of the ink supply opening facing downwards, the contact portion farthest to the left is the first electronic device contact portion, the contact portion that is farthest to the right is the second electronic device contact portion, the contact portion that is second farthest to the right is the short detection contact portion, and the memory contact portions are located to the left of the short detection contact portion and to the right of the first electronic device contact portion.

2. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the short detection contact portion is positioned and adapted for detecting a short between the short detection contact portion and at least the second electronic device contact portion, the short detection contact portion being adjacent to the second electronic device contact portion, with no other contact portion therebetween.

3. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is adapted to receive a first voltage and output a voltage lower than the first voltage.

4. The ink cartridge of claim 1, and including a second short detection contact portion arranged so that the second short detection contact portion is the second farthest of the contact portions to the left.

5. The ink cartridge of claim 4, wherein the memory contact portions are to the left of the short detection contact portion and the second electronic device contact portion and to the right of the second short detection contact portion and the first electronic device contact portion.

6. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the number of contact portions adjacent to the second electronic device contact portion is smaller than the number of contact portions adjacent to the short detection contact portion.

7. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein

the contact portions are arranged in a first row of contact portions and in a second row of contact portions such that the first row of contact portions is below the second row of contact portions, and

the first electronic device contact portion and the second electronic device contact portion are located at the ends of the first row of contact portions.

8. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein:

the contact portions are arranged in a first row of contact portions and in a second row of contact portions,

the first row of contact portions and the second row of contact portions extend in a row direction which is generally orthogonal to an insertion direction in which the ink cartridge is mounted into the ink jet printing apparatus,

the first row of contact portions is disposed at a location that is further in the insertion direction than the second row of contact portions, and

the first electronic device contact portion and the second electronic device contact portion are located at the ends of the first row of contact portions.

9. An ink cartridge for mounting on an ink jet printing apparatus, the ink jet printing apparatus having a print head and a plurality of apparatus-side contact forming members, the ink cartridge comprising:

a body;

an ink supply opening having an exit on an exterior portion of the body, adapted to supply ink from the ink cartridge to the printing apparatus;

a low voltage electronic device;

a high voltage electronic device; and

a plurality of terminals having contact portions adapted and positioned to contact corresponding apparatus-side contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the ink jet printing apparatus, the contact portions of the terminals including a plurality of low voltage electronic device contact portions electrically coupled to the low voltage electronic device, a first high voltage electronic device contact portion electrically coupled to the high voltage electronic device, a second high voltage electronic device contact portion electrically coupled to the high voltage electronic device and arranged to have applied thereto a higher voltage than the low voltage electronic device contact portions, and a short detection contact portion positioned and arranged to electrically contact a contact forming member that itself is electrically coupled to a short detection circuit of the printing apparatus, wherein;

the contact portions are arranged so that, when the terminal arrangement is viewed from the vantage of the contact forming members, with the terminals oriented as if in contact with the contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the ink jet printing apparatus, and from the perspective with the ink cartridge oriented with the exit of the ink supply opening facing downwards, the contact portion farthest to the left is the first high voltage electronic device contact portion, the contact portion that is farthest to the right is the second high voltage electronic device contact portion, the contact portion that is second farthest to the right is the short detection contact portion, and the low voltage electronic device contact portions are located to the left of the short detection contact portion and to the right of the first high voltage electronic device contact portion.

10. The ink cartridge of claim 9, wherein the low voltage electronic device is a memory.

11. The ink cartridge of claim 9, wherein the short detection contact portion is positioned and adapted for detecting a short between the short detection contact portion and at least the second electronic device contact portion, the short detection contact portion being adjacent to the second electronic device contact portion, with no other contact portion therebetween.

12. The ink cartridge of claim 9, wherein the high voltage electronic device is adapted to receive a first voltage and output a voltage lower than the first voltage.

13. The ink cartridge of claim 9, and including a second short detection contact portion arranged so that the second short detection contact portion is the second farthest of the contact portions to the left.

14. The ink cartridge of claim 13, wherein the low voltage electronic device contact portions are to the left of the short detection contact portion and the second high voltage electronic device contact portion and to the right of the second short detection contact portion and the first high voltage electronic device contact portion.

15. The ink cartridge of claim 9, wherein the number of contact portions adjacent to the second high voltage electronic device contact portion is smaller than the number of contact portions adjacent to the short detection contact portion.

16. The ink cartridge of claim 9, wherein

the contact portions are arranged in a first row of contact portions and in a second row of contact portions such that the first row of contact portions is below the second row of contact portions, and

the first high voltage electronic device contact portion and the second high voltage electronic device contact portion are located at the ends of the first row of contact portions.

17. The ink cartridge of claim 9, wherein:

the contact portions are arranged in a first row of contact portions and in a second row of contact portions,

the first row of contact portions and the second row of contact portions extend in a row direction which is generally orthogonal to an insertion direction in which the ink cartridge is mounted into the ink jet printing apparatus,

the first row of contact portions is disposed at a location that is further in the insertion direction than the second row of contact portions, and

the first high voltage electronic device contact portion and the second high voltage electronic device contact portion are located at the ends of the first row of contact portions.

18. A circuit board mountable on a printing material container that is used in an ink jet printing apparatus, the ink jet printing apparatus having a print head and a plurality of apparatus-side contact forming members, the printing material container having a body and an ink supply opening, the ink supply opening having an exit on an exterior portion of the body and being adapted to supply ink from the printing material container to the printing apparatus, the circuit board comprising:

a memory device adapted to be driven by a memory driving voltage;

an electronic device adapted to receive a voltage higher than the memory driving voltage; and

a plurality of terminals having contact portions adapted and positioned to contact corresponding apparatus-side contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the ink jet printing apparatus, the contact portions of the terminals including a plurality of memory contact portions electrically coupled to the memory device, a first electronic device contact portion electrically coupled to the electronic device, a second electronic device contact portion electrically coupled to the electronic device, and a short detection contact portion positioned and arranged to electrically contact a contact forming member that itself is electrically coupled to a short detection circuit of the printing apparatus, wherein;

the contact portions are arranged so that, when the terminal arrangement is viewed from the vantage of the contact forming members, with the terminals oriented as if in contact with the contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the ink jet printing apparatus, and with the ink cartridge oriented with the exit of the ink supply opening facing downwards, the contact portion farthest to the left is the first electronic device contact portion, the contact portion that is farthest to the right is the second electronic device contact portion, the contact portion that is second farthest to the right is the short detection contact portion, and the memory contact portions are located to the left of the short detection contact portion and to the right of the first electronic device contact portion.

19. The circuit board of claim 18, wherein the electronic device is adapted to receive a first voltage and output a voltage lower than the first voltage.

20. The circuit board of claim 18, and including a second short detection contact portion arranged so that when the circuit board is mounted on the printing material the second short detection contact portion is the second farthest of the contact portions to the left.

21. The circuit board of claim 20, wherein the memory contact portions are to the left of the short detection contact portion and the second electronic device contact portion and to the right of the second short detection contact portion and the first electronic device contact portion.

22. The circuit board of claim 18, wherein the short detection contact portion is positioned and adapted for detecting a short between he short detection contact portion and at least the second electronic device contact portion, the short detection contact portion being adjacent to the second electronic device contact portion, with no other contact portion therebetween.

23. The circuit board of claim 18, wherein

the contact portions are arranged in a first row of contact portions and in a second row of contact portions such that, when the circuit board is mounted on the printing material container and the terminal arrangement is viewed with the printing material container oriented with the exit of the ink supply opening at the bottom, the first row of contact portions is below the second row of contact portions, and

the first electronic device contact portion and the second electronic device contact portion are located at the ends of the first row of contact portions.

24. The circuit board of claim 18, wherein:

the contact portions are arranged in a first row of contact portions and in a second row of contact portions,

the first row of contact portions and the second row of contact portions extend in a row direction that is, with respect to a condition in which the circuit board is mounted on the printing material container, generally orthogonal to an insertion direction in which the printing material container is mounted into the ink jet printing apparatus,

the first row of contact portions is disposed at a location that is, with respect to a condition in which the circuit board is mounted on the printing material container, further in the insertion direction than the second row of contact portions, and

the first electronic device contact portion and the second electronic device contact portion are located at the ends of the first row of contact portions.

25. An ink supply system connectable to an ink jet printing apparatus, the ink jet printing apparatus having a print head and a plurality of apparatus-side contact forming members, the ink supply system comprising:

an ink supply structure having an exit opening adapted to supply ink to the printing apparatus;

a circuit board comprising;

a memory device adapted to be driven by a memory driving voltage;

an electronic device adapted to receive a voltage higher than the memory driving voltage; and

a plurality of terminals having contact portions adapted and positioned to contact corresponding apparatus-side contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the ink jet printing apparatus, the contact portions of the terminals including a plurality of memory contact portions electrically coupled to the memory device, a first electronic device contact portion electrically coupled to the electronic device, a second electronic device contact portion electrically coupled to the electronic device, and a short detection contact portion positioned and arranged to electrically contact a contact forming member that itself is electrically coupled to a short detection circuit of the printing apparatus, wherein;

the contact portions are arranged so that, when the terminal arrangement is viewed from the vantage of the contact forming members, with the terminals oriented as if in contact with the contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the ink jet printing apparatus, and with the ink cartridge oriented with the exit opening of the ink supply structure facing downwards, the contact portion farthest to the left is the first electronic device contact portion, the contact portion that is farthest to the right is the second electronic device contact portion, the contact portion that is second farthest to the right is the short detection contact portion, and the memory contact portions are located to the left of the short detection contact portion and to the right of the first electronic device contact portion.

26. The ink supply system of claim 25, wherein the electronic device is adapted to receive a first voltage and output a voltage lower than the first voltage.

27. The ink supply system of claim 25, and including a second short detection contact portion arranged so that the second short detection contact portion is the second farthest of the contact portions to the left.

28. The ink supply system of claim 27, wherein the memory contact portions are to the left of the short detection contact portion and the second electronic device contact portion and to the right of the second short detection contact portion and the first electronic device contact portion.

29. The ink supply system of claim 25, wherein the short detection contact portion is positioned and adapted for detecting a short between the short detection contact portion and at least the second electronic device contact portion, the short detection contact portion being adjacent to the second electronic device contact portion, with no other contact portion therebetween.

30. The ink supply system of claim 25, wherein

the contact portions are arranged in a first row of contact portions and in a second row of contact portions such that, when the ink supply system is connected to the ink jet printing apparatus , the first row of contact portions is below the second row of contact portions, and

the first electronic device contact portion and the second electronic device contact portion are located at the ends of the first row of contact portions.