Printing material container, and board mounted on printing material container

• US 8,794,749 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• 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:
  US13/902,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20130258009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 2/17553 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. A printing material container adapted to be attached to a printing apparatus by being inserted into the printing apparatus in an insertion direction, the printing apparatus having a print head and a plurality of apparatus-side electrical contact members, the printing material container comprising:

an ink supply opening, having an exit, adapted to supply ink from the ink cartridge to the printing apparatus;

a low voltage electronic device adapted to receive and function with a low voltage, the low voltage electronic device comprising a memory device;

a high voltage electronic device adapted to receive and function with a high voltage, which is a higher voltage than the low voltage of the low voltage electronic device; and

a plurality of container-side terminals having contact portions adapted and positioned to contact corresponding apparatus-side contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled between the container and the 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, and a first high voltage electronic device contact portion and a second high voltage electronic device contact portion, each electrically coupled to the high voltage electronic device, 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 extending in a row direction which is generally orthogonal to the insertion direction,

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 row of contact portions has a first end position and a second end position at opposite ends thereof, the first high voltage electronic device contact portion is disposed at the first end position of the first row of contact portions and the second high voltage electronic device contact portion is disposed at the second end position of the first row of contact portions.

2. The printing material container according to claim 1, wherein the low voltage electronic device contact portions, are located between the first and second high voltage electronic device contact portions, with respect to the row direction.

3. The printing material container according to claim 1, wherein the high voltage electronic device is adapted to output an oscillating signal, in response to receiving the high voltage.

4. The printing material container according to claim 1, wherein the high voltage electronic device is an ink level sensor.

5. The printing material container according to claim 1, wherein the first row of contact portions is longer than the second row of contact portions, in the row direction.

6. The printing material container according to claim 1, wherein the number of contact portions in the first row is larger than the number of contact portions in the second row.

7. The printing material container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminals includes a first short detection terminal provided at a location and adapted to detect shorting between at least the terminal in which the first high voltage electronic device contact portion is located and the first short detection terminal.

8. The printing material container according to claim 7, wherein there are fewer low voltage electronic device contact portions adjacent to the first high voltage electronic device contact portion than are adjacent to the contact portion of the first short detection terminal.

9. The printing material container according to claim 7, wherein the first short detection terminal is the closest terminal to the terminal in which the first high voltage electronic device contact portion is located.

10. The printing material container according to claim 7, wherein the contact portion of the first short detection terminal is located between one of the low voltage electronic device contact portions and the first high voltage electronic device contact portion with respect to the row direction.

11. The printing material container according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of terminals, include a second short detection terminal, which is provided at a location and adapted to detect shorting between at least the terminal in which the second high voltage electronic device contact portion is located and the second short detection terminal.

12. The printing material container according to claim 11, wherein the low voltage electronic device contact portions are disposed in between the contact portion of the first short detection terminal and the contact portion of the second short detection terminal, with respect to the row direction.

13. The printing material container according to claim 12, wherein the contact portions of the first short detection terminal and the second short detection terminal are disposed in between the first and second high voltage electronic device contact portions, with respect to the row direction.

14. The printing material container according to claim 11, wherein the contact portions of the first short detection terminal and the second short detection terminal are disposed in between the first and second high voltage electronic device contact portions, with respect to the row direction.

15. The printing material container according to claim 11, wherein the first high voltage electronic device contact portion and contact portion of the first short detection terminal are disposed on one side of the low voltage electronic device contact portions, with respect to the row direction, and the second high voltage electronic device contact portion and the contact portion of the second short detection terminal are disposed on the other side of the low voltage electronic device contact portions, with respect to the row direction.

16. The printing material container according to claim 11, wherein the first short detection terminal and the terminal in which the first high voltage electronic device contact portion is located are disposed on one side of the terminals in which the low voltage electronic device contact portions are located, with respect to the row direction, and the second short detection terminal and the terminal in which the second high voltage electronic device contact portion is located are disposed on the other side of terminals in which the low voltage electronic device contact portions are located with respect to the row direction.

17. The printing material container according to claim 11, wherein the number of low voltage electronic device contact portions adjacent to the second high voltage electronic device contact portion is smaller than the number of low voltage electronic device contact portions adjacent to the contact portion of the second short detection terminal.

35. The printing material container according to claim 1, wherein the first row of contact portions includes at least one of the plurality of low voltage electronic device contact portions.

36. The printing material container according to claim 35, wherein the low voltage electronic device contact portions in the first row of contact portions are arranged in between the first and second high voltage electronic device contact portions.

37. The printing material container according to claim 35, wherein the first row of contact portions is the leading row of contact portions in the insertion direction.

38. The printing material container according to claim 35, wherein the first row of contact portions is the row of contact portions furthest in the insertion direction.

39. The printing material container according to claim 7, wherein the first row of contact portions includes at least one of the plurality of low voltage electronic device contact portions.

40. The printing material container according to claim 7, wherein the contact portion of the first short detection terminal and a portion of the low voltage electronic device contact portions are located in the second row of contact portions.

41. The printing material container according to claim 40, wherein the plurality of terminals include a second short detection terminal, which is provided at a location and adapted to detect shorting between at least the terminal in which the second high voltage electronic device contact portion is located and the second short detection terminal, the contact portion of the second short detection terminal being located in the second row of contact portions, the portion of the low voltage electronic device contact portions being located in between the contact portions of the first and second short detection terminal in the second row of contact portions.

42. The printing material container according to claim 41, wherein the remainder of the low voltage electronic device contact portions are located in the first row of contact portions, the remainder of the low voltage electronic device contact portions being located in between the contact portions of the first and second short detection terminals, with respect to the row direction.

43. The printing material container according to claim 40, wherein the remainder of the low voltage electronic device contact portions are located in the first row of contact portions.

44. The printing material container according to claim 43, wherein the low voltage electronic device contact portions in the first row of contact portions are arranged in between the first and second high voltage electronic device contact portions.

45. The printing material container according to claim 43, wherein the first row of contact portions is the leading row of contact portions in the insertion direction.

46. The printing material container according to claim 43, wherein the first row of contact portions is the row of contact portions that is furthest in the insertion direction.

59. The printing material container according to claim 42, wherein the first row of contact portions is the leading row of contact portions in the insertion direction.

60. The printing material container according to claim 42, wherein the first row of contact portions is the furthest row of contact portions in the insertion direction.

18. A printing material container for mounting in a printing apparatus having a print head and a plurality of apparatus-side contact forming members, the printing material container comprising:

an ink supply opening, having an exit, adapted to supply ink from the ink cartridge to the printing apparatus;

a low voltage electronic device constructed to receive and function with a low voltage;

a high voltage electronic device constructed to receive and function with a high voltage, which is a higher voltage than the low voltage; and

a plurality of terminals having contact portions adapted to contact corresponding apparatus-side contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the printing apparatus when the printing material container is mounted on the 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, and 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, 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 plurality of terminals is viewed from the vantage of the apparatus-side contact forming members, with the plurality of terminals oriented as if in contact with the apparatus-side contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the ink jet printing apparatus, and with the exit of the ink supply opening facing downward, the first row of contact portions and the second row of contact portions extend in a row direction which is generally horizontal and the first row of contact portions is disposed at a location below the second row of contact portions, and

the first high voltage electronic device contact portion is disposed at one end of the first row of contact portions and the second high voltage electronic device contact portion is disposed at the opposite end of the first row of contact portions.

19. The printing material container according to claim 18, wherein the low voltage electronic device contact portions are located between the first and second high voltage electronic device contact portions, with respect to the row direction.

20. The printing material container according to claim 18, wherein the high voltage electronic device is adapted to output an oscillating signal, in response to receiving the high voltage.

21. The printing material container according to claim 18, wherein the high voltage electronic device is an ink level sensor.

22. The printing material container according to claim 18, wherein the first row of contact portions is longer than the second row of contact portions.

23. The printing material container according to claim 18, wherein the number of contact portions in the first row is larger than the number of contact portions in the second row.

24. The printing material container according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of terminals include a first short detection terminal provided at a location and adapted to detect shorting between at least the terminal in which the first high voltage electronic device contact portion is located and the first short detection terminal.

25. The printing material container according to claim 24, wherein fewer low voltage electronic device contact portions are adjacent to the first high voltage electronic device contact portion than are adjacent to the first short detection terminal.

26. The printing material container according to claim 24, wherein the first short detection terminal is the closest terminal to the terminal in which the first high voltage electronic device contact portion is located.

27. The printing material container according to claim 24, wherein the contact portion of the first short detection terminal is located between a low voltage electronic device contact portion and the first high voltage electronic device contact portion, with respect to the row direction.

28. The printing material container according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of terminals include a second short detection terminal provided at a location and adapted to detect shorting between at least the terminal in which the second high voltage electronic device contact portion is located and the second short detection terminal.

29. The printing material container according to claim 28, wherein the low voltage electronic device contact portions are disposed in between the first short detection terminal and the second short detection terminal, with respect to the row direction.

30. The printing material container according to claim 29, wherein the contact portions of the first short detection terminal and the second short detection terminal are disposed in between the first and second high voltage electronic device contact portions, with respect to the row direction.

31. The printing material container according to claim 28, wherein the contact portions of the first short detection terminal and the second short detection terminal are disposed in between the first and second high voltage electronic device contact portion with respect to the row direction.

32. The printing material container according to claim 28, wherein the first high voltage electronic device contact portion and the contact portion of the first short detection terminal are disposed on one side of the low voltage electronic device contact portions, with respect to the row direction, and the second high voltage electronic device contact portion and the contact portion of the second short detection terminal are disposed on the other side of the low voltage electronic device contact portions, with respect to the row direction.

33. The printing material container according to claim 28, wherein the first short detection terminal and the terminal in which the first high voltage electronic device contact portion is located are disposed on one side of the terminals in which the low voltage electronic device contact portions are located, with respect to the row direction, and the second short detection terminal and the terminal in which the second high voltage electronic device contact portion is located are disposed on the other side of the terminals in which the low voltage electronic device contact portions are located, with respect to the row direction.

34. The printing material container according to claim 28, wherein the number of low voltage electronic device contact portions adjacent to the second high voltage electronic device contact portion is smaller than the number of low voltage electronic device contact portions adjacent to the contact portion of the second short detection terminal.

47. The printing material container according to claim 18, wherein the first row of contact portions includes at least one of the plurality of low voltage electronic device contact portions.

48. The printing material container according to claim 47, wherein the low voltage electronic device contact portions in the first row of contact portions are arranged in between the first and second high voltage electronic device contact portions.

49. The printing material container according to claim 47, wherein the contact portions in the first row of contact portions are the lowest row of contact portions when the plurality of terminals is viewed from the vantage of the apparatus-side contact forming members, with the plurality of terminals oriented as if in contact with the apparatus-side contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the ink jet printing apparatus, and with the exit of the ink supply opening facing downward.

50. The printing material container according to claim 47, wherein the first row of contact portions is longer than the second row of contact portions.

51. The printing material container according to claim 24, wherein the first row of contact portions includes at least one of the plurality of low voltage electronic device contact portions.

52. The printing material container according to claim 24, wherein the contact portion of the first short detection terminal and at least one of the low voltage electronic device contact portions are located in the second row of contact portions.

53. The printing material container according to claim 52, wherein the plurality of terminals include a second short detection terminal, which is provided at a location and adapted to detect shorting between at least the terminal in which the second high voltage electronic device contact portion is located and the second short detection terminal, the contact portion of the second short detection terminal being located in the second row of contact portions.

54. The printing material container according to claim 53, wherein the remainder of the low voltage electronic device contact portions are located in the first row of contact portions, the remainder of the low voltage electronic device contact portions being located in between the contact portions of the first and second short detection terminals, at least one of the low voltage electronic device contact portions being located in between the contact portions of the first and second short detection terminals in the second row of contact portions.

55. The printing material container according to claim 52 wherein the remainder of the low voltage electronic device contact portions are located in the first row of contact portions.

56. The printing material container according to claim 55, wherein the low voltage electronic device contact portions in the first row of contact portions are arranged in between the first and second high voltage electronic device contact portions.

57. The printing material container according to claim 55, wherein the contact portions in the first row of contact portions is the lowest row of contact portions when the plurality of terminals is viewed from the vantage of the apparatus-side contact forming members, with the plurality of terminals oriented as if in contact with the apparatus-side contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the ink jet printing apparatus, and with the exit of the ink supply opening facing downward.

58. The printing material container according to claim 57, wherein the first row of contact portions is longer than the second row of contact portions.

61. The printing material container according to claim 54, wherein the contact portions in the first row of contact portions is the lowest row of contact portions when the plurality of terminals is viewed from the vantage of the apparatus-side contact forming members, with the plurality of terminals oriented as if in contact with the apparatus-side contact forming members so that electrical communication is enabled with the ink jet printing apparatus, and the exit of the ink supply opening facing downward.

62. The printing material container according to claim 61, wherein the first row of contact portions is longer than the second row of contact portions.