Printing material storage container and method for remanufacturing printing material storage container

Abstract

To provide technologies for allowing reuse of a print material storage container including a liquid cartridge.SOLUTION: A print material storage container has: a substrate on which an electric circuit having terminals is provided; a fixing portion on which the substrate can be mounted by re-fixing; and a fixing member that fixes together the fixing portion and a non-terminal portion of the substrate excluding the terminals. The non-terminal portion includes a re-fixed portion, which can be re-fixed to the fixing portion by the fixing member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing material storage container technology. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in a liquid cartridge having an IC chip fixed to an attachment portion, a technology is known in which a blade member is pressed into a wall portion that forms the outer edge of the attachment portion to cut the wall, and the blade member is inserted into the back side of the IC chip, thereby removing the IC chip in a reusable state (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-82313 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional technology, the liquid cartridge after the IC chip is removed is recycled, for example, by using it as a combustion improver. In addition, in conventional technology, when the IC chip is removed, a part of the attachment part is cut off, so it is difficult to reattach the removed IC chip and reuse the liquid cartridge. This problem is not limited to the technology of liquid cartridges, but is common to printing material storage containers that store printing materials such as toner in addition to liquid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a printing material storage container comprising: a substrate provided with an electric circuit having a terminal, a fixing part to which the substrate can be attached by re-fixing, and a fixing member for fixing a non-terminal part of the substrate excluding the terminal and the fixing part, the non-terminal part including a re-fixing part capable of being re-fixed to the fixing part by the fixing member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing an example of a printing material storage container. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a top view showing a state in which the substrate is attached to a fixing portion in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a substrate attached to a fixing portion. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a top view showing a state in which the substrate is attached to a fixing portion in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a substrate attached to a fixing portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a top view showing a state in which the substrate is attached to a fixing portion in the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a substrate attached to a fixing portion. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate attached to a fixing portion in the first alternative embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate attached to a fixing portion in another embodiment 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] A. First embodiment: FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of a printing material storage container 100. FIG. 1 also shows a case 120 of a printing device in which the printing material storage container 100 is stored. The printing material storage container 100 supplies printing material to an ejection head of the printing device (not shown). In this embodiment, the printing device is an inkjet printer that ejects ink. In this embodiment, the printing material storage container 100 is an ink cartridge that stores ink as a printing material. In another embodiment, the printing device may be a printer that performs printing using, for example, a powder such as toner as a printing material. In this case, the printing material storage container 100 is a toner cartridge that stores a powder as a printing material. In addition, the printing material storage container 100 may be used to collect and store printing material that has been discharged from a printing device and not used, instead of storing printing material to be supplied to the printing device for printing. For example, the printing material storage container 100 may be a waste liquid tank that collects ink that has not been used for printing due to a cleaning operation of the ejection head or the like.

[0008] The printing device has an apparatus-side mounting part (not shown) for detachably mounting the printing material storage container 100. The apparatus-side mounting part has a removable case 120, and the printing material storage container 100 is housed in this case 120. The case 120 housing the printing material storage container 100 is pushed in, whereby the printing material storage container 100 is mounted on the printing device.

[0009] The printing material storage container 100 is reusable. For example, when the remaining amount of printing material in the printing material storage container 100 is zero or low, the printing material storage container 100 can be reused by removing it from the case 120 and injecting the printing material again. In this case, the substrate 5, which will be described later, of the printing material storage container 100 is removed and a new substrate 5 is attached to the printing material storage container 100 to be reused, or a predetermined process such as initialization is performed on the memory of the removed substrate 5, and then the substrate 5 is attached to the printing material storage container 100 to be reused. In this embodiment, the printing material storage container 100 after reuse is shown.

[0010] The printing material storage container 100 includes a printing material storage section 110 and a connection member 130. The printing material storage section 110 stores ink as the printing material. The printing material storage section 110 is a so-called ink pack, and is formed of a bag-shaped film having flexibility. The material and shape of the printing material storage section 110 are not limited to those described above, and it is sufficient if it can store the printing material. When the printing material storage container 100 is attached to the printing device, the printing material storage container 100 is stored in the pulled-out case 120, and the case 120 is pushed into the printing device. This causes the printing material storage container 100 to be attached to the printing device. In the following, the part of the printing device that receives the printing material storage container 100 attached to the device-side attachment section is referred to as the device-side receiving section. In the following, the state in which the printing material storage container 100 is attached to the device-side receiving section of the printing device is referred to as the attached state.

[0011] The connection member 130 is formed of, for example, resin etc. The connection member 130 includes a handle 170, a supply port 131, a substrate 5, a fixing portion 7, and a fixing member 8.

[0012] The handle 170 is gripped when moving the printing material storage container 100, etc. The handle 170 is provided with a gripping portion 171 that is gripped by a user. The handle 170 is provided in a position exposed to the outside of the case 120 when the printing material storage unit 110 is placed in the case 120. The handle 170 rotates about an axis along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the printing material storage container 100. In other words, when the printing material storage unit 110 is attached to or detached from the case 120, the handle 170 changes from a first position to a second position by being rotated. The handle 170 is formed, for example, from a resin such as polypropylene.

[0013] The supply port 131 is an opening that ejects the ink in the printing material storage section 110 to the outside. The supply port 131 is provided in the center of the side surface 130a of the connection member 130 that fits with the device-side receiving section side (not shown). The supply port 131 communicates with the printing material storage section 110 through a supply port member attached to the side surface 130a of the connection member 130 and a tubular member connected to the supply port member (not shown). Here, the device-side receiving section is provided with a supply needle (not shown) to communicate with the ejection head, and the ink stored in the printing material storage section 110 is supplied to the ejection head side by inserting the supply needle into the supply port 131. Note that the supply port 131 is preferably structured to maintain a closed state before the supply needle is inserted into the supply port 131 and to open when the supply needle is inserted in order to prevent leakage of the printing material in the printing material storage section 110. For example, the supply port 131 includes a seal member, a supply valve that closes an insertion port of the seal member, and a biasing member that biases the supply valve toward the seal member.

[0014] The substrate 5 is an electrical connection part on the printing material storage container 100 side for electrically connecting the printing material storage container 100 and the printing device in the above-mentioned mounted state. An electric circuit is provided on the substrate 5, not shown. The substrate 5 is provided with a terminal 50, which will be described later. In contrast, an apparatus-side electrical connection part for electrically connecting with the printing material storage container 100 is provided on the apparatus-side receiving part of the printing device, not shown. In the above-mentioned mounted state, the terminal 50 of the substrate 5 comes into contact with a terminal of the apparatus-side electrical connection part, not shown, so that the printing device and the printing material storage container 100 are electrically connected. The terminal of the apparatus-side electrical connection part here is, for example, a conductive elastic member. Note that the connection member 130 may be provided with a positioning member for improving the connection between the apparatus-side electrical connection part and the terminal 50 in the mounted state. The positioning member is, for example, a groove, a hole, or a protrusion, and is fitted into a positioning member provided in the apparatus-side receiving part to facilitate positioning. Details of the substrate 5 will be described later.

[0015] The fixing portion 7 is a portion of the connecting member 130 that fixes the substrate 5. In other words, the fixing portion 7 is a portion to which the substrate 5 can be attached. The fixing portion 7 is formed by the main body of the connecting member 130. In this embodiment, the fixing portion 7 is a recess formed in the main body of the connecting member 130. The bottom surface of this recess is inclined obliquely with respect to the mounting direction of the printing material storage container 100. The fixing portion 7 is not limited to the above, and may be, for example, a portion that is vertical or horizontal with respect to the mounting direction of the printing material storage container 100. Details of the fixing portion 7 will be described later.

[0016] The fixing member 8 fixes the non-terminal portion NT of the substrate 5 excluding the terminals 50 to the fixing portion 7. The fixing member 8 is a rib 78 and a pin 81, which will be described later. In contrast, in this embodiment, the fixing member used for fixing in an initial fixing portion 910, which is the portion that is fixed initially, is referred to as the initial fixing member. Also, the fixing member that has already been used to fix the substrate 5 to the fixing portion 7 before the substrate 5 is re-fixed by the fixing member 8, which will be described later, is referred to as the existing fixing member. The details of the fixing member 8 will be described later.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the surface 5a of the substrate 5. The substrate 5 has a rectangular shape. The substrate 5 has a plurality of terminals 50 for electrically connecting the printing device and the printing material storage container 100, and a non-terminal portion NT which is a portion excluding the terminals 50. The terminals 50 are arranged on the surface 5a of the substrate 5 at positions corresponding to the terminals of the device-side electrical connection portion of the printing device. Each terminal 50 has a rectangular shape. In addition, each terminal 50 is arranged along a straight line on the upper and lower stages of the surface 5a of the substrate 5. In the substrate 5, the upper stage is composed of four terminals 50, and the lower stage is composed of five terminals 50. The number and arrangement pattern of the terminals 50 are not limited to the above, and can be formed arbitrarily.

[0018] The substrate 5 further includes a through hole 53 and a notch 55 for positioning. The through hole 53 and the notch 55 are provided in the non-terminal portion NT. The through hole 53 is a hole for receiving a protrusion 79 as an initial fixing member provided in the fixing portion 7, which will be described later. The notch 55 receives a rib 78 provided in the fixing portion 7, which will be described later. The through hole 53 is formed on the one end portion 5c side of the terminal forming portion of the substrate 5 where the terminal 50 is formed. The notch 55 is formed on the other end portion 5d side of the terminal forming portion of the substrate 5. The positions at which the through hole 53 and the notch 55 are formed are not limited to the above. The through hole 53 may be located at a position corresponding to the protrusion 79, which will be described later. The notch 55 may be located at a position corresponding to the rib 78, which will be described later. The fitting manner between the through hole 53 and the protrusion 79 and the fitting manner between the notch 55 and the rib 78 will be described later.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a side surface of the substrate 5. A memory device 57 is provided on the back surface 5b of the substrate 5. The memory device 57 is electrically connected to each terminal 50 via wiring (not shown). The memory device 57 stores information about the printing material, etc. The information about the printing material is, for example, the manufacturing date of the printing material storage container 100, the durable years of use, and the type and color of the printing material stored in the printing material storage container 100. The memory device 57 transfers various information stored in the memory device 57 between the storage medium ejection device and the storage medium ejection device via the multiple terminals 50. Note that the memory device 57 on the back surface 5b of the substrate 5 is not essential, and a circuit for detecting the connection of the device-side electrical connection portion may be provided on the back surface 5b.

[0020] Fig. 4 is a top view showing a state in which the substrate 5 is attached to the fixing part 7 in the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the substrate 5 is attached to the fixing part 7 in the first embodiment. Note that Figs. 4 and 5 show the state in which the substrate 5 is re-fixed, which will be described later, but the components and the positions in which they are formed are the same, so the description will be given using these.

[0021] 5, the fixing part 7 includes a recessed part 701 for accommodating the substrate 5, abutting parts 705 that abut against one end 5c and the other end 5d of the rear surface 5b of the substrate 5, a rib 78, and a protrusion 79. The recessed part 701 is composed of a bottom part 702 that faces the storage device 57, and a wall part 703 that forms the inner wall of the recessed part 701. The rib 78 and the protrusion 79 function as existing fixing members that have already been used to fix the substrate 5 to the fixing part 7 before the substrate 5 is re-fixed by the fixing member 8 described later.

[0022] The rib 78 positions the substrate 5 by sliding the substrate 5 in a direction from one end 5c to the other end 5d relative to a notch 55 formed in the substrate 5, and the notch 55 and the rib 78 fit together. In this embodiment, the shape of the rib 78 is polyhedral, and when fitted into the notch 55, the rib 78 protrudes from the upper surface side of the notch 55, i.e., from the surface 5a of the substrate 5. Note that the position and shape of the rib 78 are not limited thereto, and it is sufficient that the position and shape correspond to the notch 55. The shape of the rib 78 may be, for example, cylindrical.

[0023] The protrusion 79 is a member provided to stand from the wall portion 703, and is inserted into the through hole 53 provided in the substrate 5 to position the substrate 5. As described above, the protrusion 79 functions as a previously fixed member. In contrast, the protrusion 79 also functions as an initial fixing member that initially fixes the substrate 5 to the fixing portion 7. That is, the protrusion 79 is both a previously fixed member and an initial fixing member. In this embodiment, the protrusion 79 has a cylindrical shape. When the protrusion 79 is initially fixed, the protrusion 79 is inserted into the through hole 53 and protrudes from the upper surface side of the through hole 53, that is, the surface 5a of the substrate 5. The formation position and shape of the protrusion 79 are not limited to this, and may be any position and shape that corresponds to the through hole 53.

[0024] The rib 78 and the protrusion 79 are members that can be deformed by heating or pressure, and are formed of the same material as the connection member 130. In this embodiment, when the substrate 5 is fixed to the fixing part 7 for the first time, the tip of the protrusion 79 protruding from the through hole 53 is heat-crimped to fix the substrate 5. Specifically, in a state where the rib 78 is fitted into the notch 55 and the protrusion 79 is inserted into the through hole 53, that is, in a state where the substrate 5 is placed and positioned on the fixing part 7, the tip of the protrusion 79 is softened by heat and pressed toward the substrate 5 to fix the substrate 5 to the fixing part 7. Hereinafter, the through hole 53 formed in the substrate 5 and its surrounding area are referred to as the initial fixing part 910. That is, the initial fixing part 910 includes the heat-crimped protrusion 79. When the substrate 5 is refixed to the fixing part 7, the initial fixing part 910 is scraped off, and therefore the initial fixing part 910 is indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. Note that the protrusions 79 may be fixed to the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 by crushing and deforming the tips of the protrusions 79 by applying pressure. Also, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and for example, the protrusions 79 may be positioned only by being inserted into the through-holes 53, without needing to be fixed by heating or applying pressure.

[0025] Similarly, in this embodiment, when the substrate 5 is initially fixed to the fixing part 7 in the printing material storage container 100, the tip of the rib 78 fitted into the notch 55 is thermally crimped to fix the substrate 5 to the fixing part 7. At this time, the rib 78 may fix the substrate 5 to the fixing part 7 by crushing and deforming the tip of the rib 78 by applying pressure. Note that, when the substrate 5 is re-fixed to the fixing part 7, at least a part of the portion of the rib 78 that was deformed by thermal crimping is scraped off. Furthermore, this embodiment is not limited to this, and for example, the rib 78 may be merely fitted into the notch 55 to position it, without needing to be fixed by heating or applying pressure.

[0026] Next, a manner in which the initially fixed substrate 5 is removed from the fixing part 7 will be described. First, on the one end 5c side of the substrate 5, the portion of the protrusion 79 that is heat-crimped at the initially fixed portion 910 is removed, thereby making it possible to remove the substrate 5 from the fixing part 7. The heat-crimped portion is removed by, for example, cutting or scraping. In this way, both the substrate 5 and the fixing part 7 can be reused by re-fixing as described below.

[0027] Furthermore, on the other end 5d side of the substrate 5, the rib 78 is removed from the notch 55 by sliding the substrate 5 in a direction from the other end 5d of the substrate 5 toward the one end 5c. In this manner, both the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 can be reused by re-fixing as described below. If a part of the heat-crimped rib 78 is welded to the surface 5a of the substrate 5, the welded part can be removed, for example, by cutting or scraping, in the same manner as the protrusion 79.

[0028] Next, a mode of re-fixing the substrate 5 to the fixing portion 7 in this embodiment will be described.

[0029] As described above, the printing material storage container 100 allows the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 to be reused. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the substrate 5 includes a refixing portion 920 that can be refixed by the fixing member 8. The refixing portion 920 includes an unused portion 922 in the non-terminal portion NT that is different from the already fixed portion 921 that has already been used to fix the substrate 5 to the fixing portion 7. In this embodiment, the already fixed portion 921 is the periphery of the notch 55 and the periphery of the through hole 53 as the initial fixing portion 910. The refixing portion 920 includes a reusable portion 923 that can be refixed by removing at least a part of the rib 78 as the already fixed member that has already been used for fixing. The fixing member 8 may be integral with the fixing portion 7 like the rib 78 or the protrusion 79, or may be a separate member from the fixing portion 7 like the pin 81 described later.

[0030] In addition, the printing material storage container 100 may be such that one of the objects to be re-fixed is unused, that is, the substrate 5 or the fixing part 7 used for fixing for the first time. For example, the combination of objects to be re-fixed may be an unused substrate 5 and a reusable fixing part 7, or a reusable substrate 5 and an unused fixing part 7. The reusable substrate 5 and the reusable fixing part 7 may be re-fixed. Here, when the unused substrate 5 or the unused fixing part 7 is used for re-fixing, it is preferable to remove the already-fixed part 921, for example, to remove the protrusion 79 provided on the fixing part 7 in advance so that a part of the remaining protrusion 79 does not interfere with re-fixing. Also, the fixing hole 71 described later may be provided in the unused fixing part 7 in advance.

[0031] 4 and 5 show an example in which the substrate 5 is re-fixed to the fixing portion 7 using a pin 81 and a rib 78 as the fixing member 8. The pin 81 is made of, for example, a metal such as iron or a resin. The pin 81 re-fixes the unused portion 922 of the terminal 50. The rib 78 re-fixes the reused portion 923 of the terminal 50.

[0032] First, the reusable portion 923 is re-fixed as follows. First, the substrate 5 is slid relative to the rib 78 of the fixing portion 7 in a direction from one end 5c of the substrate 5 toward the other end 5d, and the notch 55 of the substrate 5 fits into the rib 78, thereby positioning the substrate 5. Next, in a state in which the rib 78 fits into the notch 55, the tip of the rib 78 is deformed by heat crimping or the like, thereby fixing the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 to the fixing portion 7. Note that if heat crimping or the like is performed when fixing for the first time and the tip of the rib 78 provided on the fixing portion 7 is deformed, the deformed tip of the rib 78 can prevent the substrate 5 from floating up, so fixing by heat crimping or the like does not need to be performed again.

[0033] Next, the substrate 5 is re-fixed at the unused portion 922 of the substrate 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the fixing portion 7 further includes a fixing hole 71 through which a pin 81 serving as a fixing member 8 is inserted. The fixing hole 71 is provided around the substrate 5 in the fixing portion 7. The pin 81 includes a shaft portion 81a that is inserted into the fixing hole 71 of the fixing portion 7, and a top portion 81b that is provided on the base end portion 81s side of the shaft portion 81a and fixes the non-terminal portion NT of the substrate 5 to the fixing portion 7. The shaft portion 81a of the pin 81 is provided to be inserted into the fixing hole 71. The top portion 81b is provided to have an outer shape larger than the size of the fixing hole 71. In this way, when the shaft portion 81a of the pin 81 is inserted into the fixing hole 71 from above the substrate 5 and the pin 81 is further pressed downward in a state in which the substrate 5 is placed on the fixing portion 7, the top portion 81b of the pin 81 abuts against the surface 5a of the substrate 5. As a result, one end 5c side of the substrate 5 is re-fixed to the fixing part 7 by the pin 81 serving as the fixing member 8. Note that the shapes of the pin 81 and the fixing hole 71 are not limited to these, and may be, for example, like a bolt and nut shape.

[0034] In addition, the substrate 5 of the present disclosure includes a protrusion 79 on one end 5c side of the substrate 5, and when initially fixed, the protrusion 79 is fixed by heat crimping as an initial fixing portion 910. The protrusion 79 included in this initial fixing portion 910 is broken and removed by cutting or the like, and therefore cannot be used as a positioning or refixing portion 920 in later refixing. For this reason, it is preferable that the refixing portion 920 is provided on the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 where the initial fixing portion 910 is located, among the unused portion 922. In this way, positioning and refixing can be performed well on the one end 5c side of the substrate 5. In addition, it is not essential to provide the refixing portion 920 on the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 where the initial fixing portion 910 is located.

[0035] Here, a mode in which the refixed substrate 5 in this embodiment is removed from the fixing portion 7 and further refixing of the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 will be described.

[0036] First, the one end 5c of the substrate 5 can be removed from the fixing part 7 by pulling the pin 81 inserted in the re-fixing upward and removing it from the fixing hole 71. In this case, the one end 5c of the substrate 5 may be fixed with a reusable part 923 that can be further re-fixed by removing the pin 81 as the fixing member 8. Also, the other end 5d of the substrate 5 can be removed from the notch 55 by sliding the substrate 5 in the direction from the other end 5d of the substrate 5 toward the one end 5c, as described above. In this way, both the substrate 5 and the fixing part 7 can be repeatedly reused by further re-fixing. Note that, if the rib 78 is heat-crimped at the other end 5d of the substrate 5, the heat-crimped part may be removed by scraping it off or the like.

[0037] According to the above embodiment, by replacing the pin 81 as the fixing member 8, the substrate 5 can be repeatedly attached and detached to the fixing part 7 without damaging the fixing part 7. That is, the substrate 5 has a re-fixing part 920. Therefore, by re-fixing the substrate 5 to the fixing part 7 with the fixing member 8, the printing material storage container 100 can be reused. This makes it possible to reduce the environmental impact.

[0038] Also, according to the above embodiment, the fixing member 8 can be used for re-fixing without being damaged, unlike the rib 78 or the pin 81. Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 have a common structure before and after re-fixing, so that the substrate 5 is easily positioned. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the terminal 50 of the substrate 5 and the terminal of the device-side electrical connection portion will not be electrically connected.

[0039] Here, if the fixing part is a separate body that is detachably attached to the printing material storage container 100, it is necessary to provide a part for fixing the fixing part in the printing material storage container 100. On the other hand, according to the above embodiment, the fixing part 7 is formed integrally with the connecting member 130 as part of the printing material storage container 100. This eliminates the need to ensure space in the printing material storage container 100 for attaching a separate fixing part, making it possible to increase the printing material storage capacity of the printing material storage unit 110 and to make the printing material storage container 100 more compact.

[0040] B. Second embodiment: FIG. 6 is a top view showing a state in which the substrate 5 is attached to the fixing part 7 in the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the substrate 5 attached to the fixing part 7 in the second embodiment. FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show an example in which the substrate 5 is re-fixed to the fixing part 7 using a film member 85 as the fixing member 8. The film member 85 is formed of, for example, a resin, and is thermally welded or bonded by heating or pressure. Here, in this embodiment, the other end 5d of the substrate 5 re-fixes a reusable portion 923 that can be re-fixed by removing the rib 78 as a previously fixed member. Also, the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 re-fixes an unused portion 922 different from the previously fixed portion 921. Note that the positioning and re-fixing at the other end 5d side of the substrate 5 are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and therefore will not be described.

[0041] The embodiment of the re-fixing at the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 of the present invention is shown below. The other end 5d side of the substrate 5 is in a state where the notch 55 and the rib 78 are fitted, that is, the substrate 5 is positioned. Here, the non-terminal portion NT at the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 and the periphery of the fixing portion 7 at the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 are covered with the film member 85 from the surface 5a side of the substrate 5. Similarly, the non-terminal portion NT at the other end 5d side of the substrate 5 and the periphery of the fixing portion 7 at the other end 5d side of the substrate 5 are covered with the film member 85 from the surface 5a side of the substrate 5. At this time, the film member 85 may be placed so as to cover the other end 5d side of the fixing portion 7 from above the rib 78. In this state, the surface 5a side of the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 are thermally welded by, for example, heat sealing. Specifically, the front surface 5a side of the substrate 5 on which the film member 85 is placed and the fixing portion 7 are heated and then pressurized, thereby thermally welding the film member 85 to the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7. As a result, the substrate 5 is re-fixed to the fixing portion 7 by the film member 85 as the fixing member 8. The range in which the film member 85 is thermally welded by heat sealing or the like may be a part or the entirety of the film member 85, as long as the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 can be re-fixed.

[0042] Here, a mode in which the refixed substrate 5 in this embodiment is removed from the fixing portion 7 and further refixing of the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 will be described.

[0043] First, the film member 85 is removed by cutting or scraping. In removing the film member 85, the boundary portion between the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 of the heat-welded film member 85 may be cut off by cutting or the like. That is, after removing the film member 85, the heat-welded film member 85 may remain on the non-terminal portion NT and the fixing portion 7. Furthermore, the rib 78 fitted in the notch 55 is removed. At this time, the rib 78 may be broken and removed, or may be slid in the direction from the other end 5d of the substrate 5 toward the one end 5c and removed. As a result, the substrate 5 is removed from the fixing portion 7. In this case, at least one of the reusable portion 923 that can be further re-fixed by removing the film member 85 as the fixing member 8 and the unused portion 922 different from the already-fixed portion 921 as the portion that has been fixed so far can be used for further re-fixing.

[0044] As an example of further re-fixing, for example, a strip-shaped film member 85 is placed on the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 so as to connect the periphery of the left end side and the periphery of the right end side of the substrate 5 of the fixing part 7. Here, when further re-fixing is performed after removing the film member 85 by cutting or scraping off the boundary portion as described above, the following may be performed. For example, the re-fixing part 920 for further re-fixing may be provided at a position moved parallel to either the one end 5c side or the other end 5d side of the substrate 5 with respect to the previous re-fixing part 920. In addition, since the film member 85 at the boundary portion of the previous re-fixing part 920 is removed, the re-fixing part 920 for further re-fixing may be provided at a position overlapping the previous re-fixing part 920. In this way, both the substrate 5 and the fixing part 7 can be repeatedly reused by further re-fixing.

[0045] The position and number of the refixing portion 920 are not limited to those described above. For example, if the rib 78 is stored without being damaged, the positioning and refixing of the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 can be performed by fitting the notch 55 with the rib 78. In this case, one location on the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 may be refixed by the film member 85. The refixing portion 920 as the portion where refixing is performed may be a non-terminal portion NT, for example, a corner or a corner portion on the surface 5a of the substrate 5. In this case, it is preferable that the refixing portion 920 is provided diagonally with respect to the outer shape of the substrate 5, and for example, the left end side of the one end 5c of the substrate 5 and the right end side of the other end 5d of the substrate 5 are refixed by the film member 85.

[0046] Even in the above embodiment, the substrate 5 can be repeatedly attached and detached to the fixing part 7 by changing the position of the welding surface or adhesive surface of the film member 85. That is, the substrate 5 has a re-fixing portion 920. Therefore, by re-fixing the substrate 5 to the fixing part 7 with the fixing member 8, the printing material storage container 100 can be reused. This makes it possible to reduce the environmental impact.

[0047] C. Third embodiment: FIG. 8 is a top view showing a state in which the substrate 5 is attached to the fixing part 7 in the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the substrate 5 attached to the fixing part 7 in the third embodiment. FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show an example in which the substrate 5 is re-fixed to the fixing part 7 using an adhesive 87 as the fixing member 8. The adhesive 87 is preferably non-conductive in order to prevent electrical defects such as a short circuit of the terminal 50, and for example, a resin-based adhesive is used. Here, in this embodiment, the other end 5d side of the substrate 5 re-fixes the reusable part 923 that can be re-fixed by removing the rib 78 as the fixing member 8. Also, at least one of the unused part 922 and the reusable part 923 is re-fixed at at least one place on the one end 5c side of the substrate 5. The positioning and re-fixing on the other end 5d side of the substrate 5 are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0048] The embodiment of re-fixing at the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 of the present invention is shown below. At the other end 5d side of the substrate 5, the notch 55 and the rib 78 are engaged, that is, the substrate 5 is positioned. Here, the adhesive 87 is applied from the front surface 5a side of the substrate 5 so as to cover the non-terminal portion NT at the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 and the outer peripheral edge portion O at the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 of the fixing portion 7. At this time, if the adhesive 87 is, for example, a solvent volatilization type adhesive that hardens by volatilization of the solvent contained in the adhesive 87 or a moisture curing type adhesive that hardens by reacting with moisture in the air, the adhesive 87 is cured by air drying over time after application. Also, if the adhesive 87 is, for example, an ultraviolet curing type adhesive that hardens by irradiation with ultraviolet light, the adhesive 87 is hardened by an ultraviolet light irradiation device (not shown). As a result, the substrate 5 is re-fixed to the fixing portion 7 by the adhesive 87 as the fixing member 8.

[0049] It is preferable that the adhesive 87 is applied to the front surface 5a of the substrate 5, not to the contact portion 705 located on the back surface 5b of the substrate 5. If the adhesive 87 is applied to the contact portion 705 where the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 contact each other, hardened, and then re-fixed, the one end portion 5c of the substrate 5 will be raised from the fixing portion 7 by the thickness of the adhesive 87. In this case, there is a possibility that poor contact will occur between the terminals of the device-side electrical connection portion and each terminal 50 of the substrate 5 in the attached state. Therefore, when the adhesive 87 is applied to the outer peripheral portion O of the substrate 5 and re-fixed, it is preferable that the adhesive 87 is applied to the front surface 5a of the substrate 5.

[0050] Here, a mode in which the refixed substrate 5 in this embodiment is removed from the fixing portion 7 and further refixing of the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 will be described.

[0051] First, the adhesive 87 is removed by scraping or dissolving. Specifically, if the adhesive 87 has thermoplasticity, the temperature of the adhesive 87 is changed by heating or the like to dissolve the adhesive 87, and the substrate 5 is removed from the fixing part 7. If the adhesive 87 has a property of being dissolved by a specific solvent, the adhesive 87 is dissolved using a solvent that dissolves the adhesive 87, for example, an organic solvent such as toluene, to dissolve the adhesive 87, and the substrate 5 is removed from the fixing part 7. Furthermore, if there is a meltable part of the fixing part 7 while the re-fixing part 920 remains, the meltable part of the fixing part 7 is melted by heating or the like to remove the substrate 5 from the fixing part 7. Next, the rib 78 engaged with the notch 55 is removed. At this time, the rib 78 may be broken and removed, or may be slid in a direction from the other end 5d of the substrate 5 toward the one end 5c to remove it. This allows the substrate 5 to be removed from the fixing part 7. In this case, after removing the adhesive 87 as the fixing member 8, an unused portion 922 different from the already-fixed portion 921 can be used for further re-fixing. That is, the re-fixing portion 920 for further re-fixing is the non-terminal portion NT, and can be formed at any position as long as it is the unused portion 922.

[0052] The location and number of the refixing parts 920 are not limited to the above. For example, if the rib 78 is stored without being damaged, the positioning and refixing of the substrate 5 and the fixing part 7 can be performed by fitting the notch 55 and the rib 78. In this case, one of the refixing parts 920 on the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 may be refixed with the adhesive 87. At this time, the refixing part 920 may be a non-terminal part NT, and may be, for example, a corner or a corner part on the outer periphery O of the substrate 5. In this case, it is preferable that the refixing part 920 is provided diagonally with respect to the outer shape of the substrate 5, and for example, the left end side of the one end 5c of the substrate 5 and the right end side of the other end 5d of the substrate 5 are refixed with the adhesive 87.

[0053] Even in the above embodiment, by removing the adhesive 87, the substrate 5 can be repeatedly attached to and detached from the fixing part 7. That is, the substrate 5 has a re-fixing part 920. Therefore, by re-fixing the substrate 5 to the fixing part 7 with the fixing member 8, the printing material storage container 100 can be reused. This makes it possible to reduce the environmental impact.

[0054] D-1. Other embodiment 1: 5, the fixing member 8 was a pin 81 having an axis portion 81a inserted into the fixing hole 71 of the fixing portion 7 and a top portion 81b provided on the base end portion 81s side of the axis portion 81a and fixing the non-terminal portion NT to the fixing portion 7. However, the fixing member 8 is not limited to the above, and may be a barbed pin 82 having a barb member 82a on the pin 81. This will be described below with reference to FIG. 10.

[0055] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the substrate 5 attached to the fixing part 7 in another embodiment 1. The same components as those of the printing material storage container 100 shown in FIG. 5 are given the same reference numerals, and the same components are not described as appropriate. The barbed pin 82 shown in FIG. 10 includes a barbed member 82a at the tip 81t side opposite to the top 81b in addition to the components of the pin 81. The barbed member 82a is provided with an outer shape larger than the size of the fixing hole 71. Here, it is assumed that the shaft 81a of the barbed pin 82 is inserted into the fixing hole 71 from above the substrate 5 when the substrate 5 is placed on the fixing part 7. At this time, when the barbed pin 82 is further pressed downward with a predetermined force, the barbed member 82a passes through the end 71a of the fixing hole 71 and reaches the hollow part 709. The hollow portion 709 referred to here refers to a space that is provided in the connecting member main body (not shown) of the connecting member 130 below the fixing hole 71 in the insertion direction, and that accommodates the tip portion 81t side of the shaft portion 81a. When the barbed member 82a reaches the hollow portion 709, the outer shape of the barbed member 82a is larger than the outer shape of the fixing hole 71, so that the barbed member 82a becomes an obstacle when a force is applied in the direction to remove the barbed pin 82 from the fixing hole 71. This allows the barbed pin 82 to fix the substrate 5 to the fixing portion 7 more firmly than the pin 81.

[0056] The barb member 82a is formed of, for example, an elastic material. In this way, when the barb pin 82 is removed and the substrate 5 and the fixing part 7 are to be reused by further re-fixing, the barb pin 82 can be easily removed from the fixing part 7 by pulling it out with a predetermined force. Note that the barb member 82a does not have to be an elastic material and can be formed of any material. When the barb member 82a is not an elastic material, for example, the barb pin 82 can be removed from the fixing part 7 by cutting the barb member 82a at the hollow portion 709.

[0057] Even in this form, the substrate 5 has a re-fixing portion 920. Therefore, by re-fixing the substrate 5 to the fixing portion 7 with the fixing member 8, the printing material storage container 100 can be reused.

[0058] D-2. Other embodiment 2: In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the fixing member 8 is a pin 81, but it may be a screw instead. The screw has a thread on the shaft 81a, and a recess on the top 81b into which a tool such as a screwdriver is inserted when rotating the screw. In this case, the fixing hole 71 may be formed with a screw hole into which the screw fits. This allows the substrate 5 and the fixing part 7 to be re-fixed and detached by changing the rotation direction of the screw. Even in this form, the substrate 5 has a re-fixing part 920. Therefore, the printing material storage container 100 can be reused by re-fixing the substrate 5 to the fixing part 7 with the fixing member 8.

[0059] D-3. Other embodiment 3: As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the refixing portion 920 of the third embodiment is formed by applying the adhesive 87 from the front surface 5a side of the substrate 5 so as to cover both the non-terminal portion NT at the one end 5c side of the substrate 5 and the outer peripheral edge portion O of the fixing portion 7 at the one end 5c side of the substrate 5. This allows the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 to be refixed. In contrast, the refixing portion 920 may be on the back surface 5b side of the substrate 5. That is, the adhesive 87 of this embodiment is the same as the adhesive 87 of the third embodiment, and the position of the refixing portion 920 is different between this embodiment and the third embodiment. Hereinafter, this will be described with reference to Fig. 11.

[0060] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the substrate 5 attached to the fixed part 7 in another embodiment 3. The same components as those in the printing material storage container 100 shown in FIG. 9 are given the same reference numerals, and the same components are not described as appropriate. First, the adhesive 87 is applied to the bottom 702 of the fixed part 7. Furthermore, the substrate 5 is slid in a direction from one end 5c of the substrate 5 toward the other end 5d, and the substrate 5 is placed on the fixed part 7 in a state in which the notch 55 and the rib 78 are engaged. At this time, the printing material storage container 100 of this embodiment is provided in a shape in which the memory device 57 protrudes from the back surface 5b of the substrate 5. Therefore, the memory device 57 abuts against the adhesive 87 applied to the bottom 702 of the fixed part 7. Here, the adhesive 87 is cured in the same manner as in the third embodiment described above, and the substrate 5 is re-fixed to the fixed part 7 by the adhesive 87 as the fixing member 8. When the adhesive 87 used for re-fixing is removed and the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 are to be reused by further re-fixing, the adhesive 87 may be removed in the same manner as in the third embodiment described above.

[0061] Even in this form, the substrate 5 has a re-fixing portion 920. Therefore, by re-fixing the substrate 5 to the fixing portion 7 with the fixing member 8, the printing material storage container 100 can be reused.

[0062] D-4. Other embodiment 4: In the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the fixing portion 7 is formed integrally with the connecting member 130. In contrast, the fixing portion 7 may be detachably provided on a part of the surface of the connecting member 130. Even in this embodiment, the substrate 5 has a re-fixing portion 920. Therefore, by re-fixing the substrate 5 to the fixing portion 7 with the fixing member 8, both the substrate 5 and the fixing portion 7 can be reused.

[0063] According to all the embodiments described above, there are a plurality of fixing modes for fixing the substrate 5 to the fixing portion 7. That is, when the substrate 5 or the fixing portion 7 is reused and the substrate 5 is re-fixed to the fixing portion 7, a fixing mode according to the application can be selected. Furthermore, according to all the embodiments described above, the substrate 5 includes an unused portion and a reusable portion as the re-fixing portion 920 that can be re-fixed to the fixing portion 7 by the fixing member 8. That is, when the substrate 5 or the fixing portion 7 is reused and the substrate 5 is re-fixed to the fixing portion 7, any portion of the re-fixing portion 920 can be selected and re-fixed. This makes it possible to provide a printing material storage container 100 that is highly convenient and reusable.

[0064] It is more preferable that the printing material storage container 100 uses a fixing member 8 that is already on the market. In this case, the shape of the fixing hole 71 may be provided so as to fit with the fixing member 8 that is already on the market. In this way, the substrate 5 can be easily attached to and detached from the fixing part 7 without using a dedicated part as the fixing member 8.

[0065] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems or to achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0066] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a printing material storage container is provided. The printing material storage container includes a substrate provided with an electric circuit having a terminal, a fixing portion to which the substrate can be attached by re-fixing, and a fixing member that fixes a non-terminal portion of the substrate excluding the terminal and the fixing portion, and the non-terminal portion includes a re-fixing portion that can be re-fixed to the fixing portion by the fixing member. According to this aspect, the substrate has a re-fixing portion. Therefore, the printing material storage container can be reused by re-fixing the substrate to the fixing portion by the fixing member.

[0067] (2) In the above embodiment, the re-fixing portion may include at least one of an unused portion that is different from an already-fixed portion that has already been used to fix the substrate to the fixing portion, and a re-used portion that can be re-fixed by removing at least a part of the already-fixed member that is the fixing member that has already been used for the fixing. According to this embodiment, the substrate has an unused portion and a re-used portion as the re-fixing portion. Therefore, when re-fixing the substrate to the fixing portion by reusing the substrate and the fixing portion, it is possible to increase the number of portions that can be candidates for re-fixing.

[0068] (3) In the above embodiment, the substrate may have an initially fixed portion at one end that is initially fixed by an initial fixing member, and the unused portion that has been re-fixed by the fixing member may be located at the one end. According to this embodiment, the unused portion at the one end of the substrate is re-fixed. This allows the printing material storage container to be reused by re-fixing the substrate to the fixing portion with the fixing member.

[0069] (4) In the above embodiment, the initial fixing portion may be formed by a through hole formed in the substrate and its surrounding portion, and the initial fixing member may be inserted into the through hole. According to this embodiment, the initial fixing member of the fixing portion is inserted into the through hole of the substrate in the initial fixing portion, whereby the substrate is initially fixed to the fixing portion. Therefore, positioning and re-fixing can be performed satisfactorily on the one end side of the substrate where the initial fixing portion is located.

[0070] (5) In the above embodiment, the fixing portion may have a fixing hole through which the fixing member is inserted, and the fixing member may include a shaft portion inserted into the fixing hole of the fixing portion, and a top portion provided on a base end side of the shaft portion and fixing the non-terminal portion to the fixing portion. According to this embodiment, the substrate is re-fixed to the fixing portion by inserting the fixing member into the fixing hole of the fixing portion. Therefore, when reusing the substrate and the fixing portion and re-fixing the substrate to the fixing portion, the fixing member inserted into the fixing hole is pulled upward and removed from the fixing hole, and the fixing member is removed from the fixing portion, so that the fixing hole and the fixing member can be reused.

[0071] (6) In the above embodiment, the fixing member may further include a barb provided on the tip side opposite to the top, the barb having an outer shape larger than the size of the fixing hole. According to this embodiment, since the outer shape of the barb is larger than the outer shape of the fixing hole, when a force is applied in a direction to remove the fixing member from the fixing hole, the barb acts as an obstacle. This allows the substrate to be firmly fixed to the fixing part.

[0072] (7) In the above embodiment, the fixing member may be a film member that covers the fixing portion and the non-terminal portion to fix the fixing portion and the non-terminal portion. According to this embodiment, the fixing member can be formed of a film. This allows the substrate to be repeatedly attached to and detached from the fixing portion by changing the position of the welding surface or adhesive surface of the film member.

[0073] (8) In the above embodiment, the fixing member may be an adhesive, and the re-fixing portion may include at least one of the outer peripheral edge portion of the substrate and the rear surface of the substrate. According to this embodiment, the adhesive may be used as the fixing member. This allows the substrate to be repeatedly attached to and detached from the fixing portion by changing the position where the adhesive is applied.

[0074] Not all of the multiple components of each embodiment of the present disclosure described above are essential, and in order to solve some or all of the above problems or to achieve some or all of the effects described in this specification, some of the multiple components may be modified, deleted, replaced with new other components, or some of the limitations may be deleted as appropriate. In addition, in order to solve some or all of the above problems or to achieve some or all of the effects described in this specification, some or all of the technical features included in one embodiment of the present disclosure described above may be combined with some or all of the technical features included in the other embodiments of the present disclosure described above to form an independent embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] The present disclosure can also be realized in various forms other than the printing material storage container, for example, in the form of a printing device or a method for manufacturing a printing material storage container, a method for manufacturing a printing device, a method for attaching and detaching a substrate in a printing material storage container, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 5...substrate, 5a...surface, 5b...backside, 5c...one end, 5d...other end, 7...fixing portion, 8...fixing member, 50...terminal, 53...through hole, 55...notch, 57...storage device, 71...fixing hole, 71a...end, 78...rib, 79...projection, 81...pin, 81a...shaft, 81b...top, 81s...base end, 81t...tip, 82...returned pin, 82a...return member, 85...film member, 87...adhesive, 100 ...printing material storage container, 110...printing material storage section, 120...case, 130...connecting member, 130a...side surface, 131...supply port, 170...handle, 171...grip section, 701...recessed section, 702...bottom section, 703...wall section, 705...contact section, 709...hollow section, 910...initial fixing section, 920...refixing section, 921...already fixed section, 922...unused section, 923...reused section, NT...non-terminal section, O...outer periphery

Claims

1. A printing material storage container, a substrate provided with an electric circuit having a terminal and having a through hole; a fixing portion to which the substrate can be attached by re-fixing; The fixing portion has a protrusion with a tip removed and a fixing hole through which a fixing member can be inserted, The fixing member has a shaft portion that is inserted into the fixing hole and a top portion that is provided on a base end side of the shaft portion, The substrate is The through hole has a back surface facing the fixing portion and a front surface facing in a direction opposite to the fixing portion, and the protrusion is inserted into the through hole from the back surface side. In a state where the shaft portion of the fixing member is inserted into the fixing hole and the top portion of the fixing member is positioned in a non-terminal portion excluding the terminals on the front surface side of the board, re-fixed to the fixing part; Printing material storage container.

2. The printing material storage container according to claim 1, The fixing member further includes a barb member provided on a tip end side opposite to the top portion, The substrate is re-fixed to the fixing portion in a state in which the return member of the fixing member has an outer shape larger than the size of the fixing hole. Printing material storage container.

3. A method for remanufacturing a printing material storage container, in which a substrate having an electric circuit, a through hole, and a notch disposed at a position different from the through hole is fixed to a fixing part, comprising: a first step of preparing a printing material storage container in which the notch of the substrate is fitted into a rib arranged on the fixing portion, and a protrusion protruding from the fixing portion is inserted into the through hole from the back surface of the substrate to the front surface of the substrate, and a tip of the protrusion is thermally crimped on the front surface of the substrate; a second step of removing the heat-crimped tip portion of the protrusion from the front side; a third step of removing the substrate from the fixing portion by removing the through hole of the substrate from the protrusion and removing the engagement between the notch and the rib; A fourth step of applying an adhesive to the fixing portion; a fifth step of re-fixing the substrate to the fixing part by fitting the notch and the rib together, inserting the protrusion into the through hole of the substrate from the rear surface of the substrate, and fixing the rear surface of the substrate to the fixing part via the adhesive; A method for remanufacturing a printing material storage container comprising the steps of:

4. A method for remanufacturing the printing material storage container according to claim 3, comprising: In the first step, the printing material storage container is further prepared by thermally crimping the printing material storage container in a state in which the rib is fitted into the notch, In the second step, at least a part of the rib that has been deformed by the thermal crimping is removed from the front side of the substrate. A method for remanufacturing a printing material storage container.

5. A method for remanufacturing a printing material storage container according to claim 3 or claim 4, comprising: In the first step, the through hole is disposed on one end side of the substrate, and the notch is disposed on the other end side opposite to the one end side of the substrate, and the printing material storage container is prepared; In the fifth step, the substrate is slid in a direction from the one end side to the other end side to be fitted into the rib, and then the substrate is placed on the fixing portion, and the substrate is re-fixed to the fixing portion via the adhesive. A method for remanufacturing the printing material storage container.

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