Ink cartridge for use with recording apparatus and ink jet recording apparatus

• US 20060028517A1
• Filed: 03/28/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Atsushi, Ishizawa, Taku, Kimura, Hitotoshi, Aruga, Yoshiharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,380,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17509 Whilst mounted in the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17526 Electrical contacts to the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17556 Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17566 Ink level or ink residue control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17573 using optical means for ink level indication
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/17576 using a floater for ink level indication

Abstract

An ink cartridge in which on one surface of a cartridge case, there are provided a positioning means used in case that the ink cartridge is attached to a recording apparatus, an ink outlet port from an ink pack, an inlet port of the pressurized air and a connection terminal of a circuit board having a data storage means that stores ink information of the cartridge therein, and an ink jet recording apparatus provided with its ink cartridge are provided. According to the ink cartridge of this mode, since the cartridge is exactly positioned and fixed to a holder three-dimentionally by the positioning means, mechanical positional adjustment and electrical connection can be exactly performed, so that operation reliability of the recording apparatus can be improved. Further, in the recording apparatus of this mode, in a state where the cartridge has been mounted on the recording apparatus by the positioning means, the connection terminal of the board is located at the upper portion of the ink outlet port. Hereby, even if ink leaks from the ink outlet port, the connection terminal can be prevented from being stained with the ink.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. An ink cartridge attachable to a connection mechanism of a recording apparatus by inserting the ink cartridge into a cartridge holder in an insertion direction, the connection mechanism including an ink inlet tube extending in parallel to the insertion direction, a pair of positioning pins that are located opposite from each other with respect to the ink inlet tube, and that extend in parallel to the insertion direction, an apparatus side compatibility detection mechanism, a terminal mechanism located opposite from the apparatus side compatibility detection mechanism with respect to the ink inlet tube, and a pressurized air outlet port disposed between the apparatus side compatibility detection mechanism and the terminal mechanism, the ink cartridge comprising:

an ink cartridge case;

a flexible sheet material that separates an interior of the ink cartridge case into an ink chamber and a pressure chamber;

an ink outlet port that is in fluid communication with the ink chamber and that is exposed outside the ink cartridge case for connection to the ink inlet tube when the ink cartridge is inserted into the cartridge holder;

a pair of positioning openings for connection to the pair of the positioning pins prior to the connection of the ink outlet port to the ink inlet tube when the ink cartridge is inserted into the cartridge holder;

a cartridge side compatibility detection mechanism that fits to the apparatus side compatibility detection mechanism to permit the insertion of the ink cartridge into the cartridge holder in a case in which the ink cartridge is compatible with the cartridge holder, and that inhibits the insertion of the ink cartridge into the cartridge holder in cooperation with the apparatus side compatibility detection mechanism prior to the connection of the ink outlet port to the ink inlet tube in a case in which the ink cartridge is incompatible with the cartridge holder;

a circuit board that electrically connects to the terminal mechanism to data transfer from the ink cartridge to the recording apparatus when the ink cartridge is inserted into the cartridge holder; and

a pressurized air inlet port that is in fluid communication with the pressure chamber and that connects to the pressurized air outlet port when the ink cartridge is inserted into the cartridge holder.

3. An ink cartridge comprising:

an ink cartridge case;

a flexible sheet material that separates an interior of the ink cartridge case into an ink chamber and a pressure chamber;

an ink outlet port that is in fluid communication with the ink chamber and that is disposed at a substantially center of a front end portion of the ink cartridge case in a longitudinal direction of the front end portion;

a pair of positioning openings disposed on the front end portion of the ink cartridge to be substantially opposite from each other with respect to the ink outlet port in the longitudinal direction of the front end portion;

a cartridge side compatibility detection mechanism formed by a plurality of protuberances or a plurality of recesses that extend substantially from the front end portion of the ink cartridge case to a rear end portion of the ink cartridge case and that have predetermined shapes for identifying a kind of ink stored in the ink chamber;

a circuit board that is disposed substantially opposite from the cartridge side compatibility detection mechanism with respect to the ink outlet port in the longitudinal direction of the front end portion, that has a surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the front end portion, and that further has electrode contacts on the surface; and

a pressurized air inlet port that is in fluid communication with the pressure chamber and that is disposed between the cartridge side compatibility detection mechanism and the circuit board in the longitudinal direction of the front end portion.