Liquid cartridge and liquid consumption device

Abstract

To provide a liquid cartridge which can reduce the number of sensors and is less likely to be deformed by impact.SOLUTION: An ink cartridge 30 includes an ink supply part 34 for supplying ink stored in a storage chamber 36 to outside, an IC substrate 64 having electrodes 65 exposed upward in an attachment posture, a light-shielding plate 67 which is positioned behind the electrodes 65 in the attachment posture and extends in front and back directions 51 and 52, and a detected part 62 which is positioned above the electrodes 65 in the attachment posture and is positioned behind the light-shielding plate 67. The light-shielding plate 67 is rotatable around an axis 68, and changes its attitude to a first attitude and a second attitude. A space 66 is provided between the light-shielding plate 67 and the detected part 62 in first postures in the front and back directions 51 and 52.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid cartridge for storing liquid, and a liquid consuming device in which the liquid cartridge is attached. [Background technology]

[0002] Inkjet recording devices that record images on a recording medium by ejecting ink stored in an ink cartridge from nozzles have been known. Some inkjet recording devices are configured so that a new ink cartridge can be installed each time ink is consumed.

[0003] In the ink cartridge 30, the ink supply unit 34 is located on the front wall 140 of the main body 31. When the ink cartridge 30 is installed in the printer 10, the ink needle 102 provided in the printer 10 is inserted into the ink supply unit 34. This positions the ink cartridge 30 within the printer 10. In addition, an IC board 64 is located on the top wall 141 of the main body 31. When the ink cartridge 30 is installed in the printer 10, the IC board 64 is in electrical contact with the contacts 106. In addition, a detection target 62 and a light shielding plate 67 are located on the top wall 141 of the main body 31. When the ink cartridge 30 is installed in the printer 10, it is detected by the remaining ink sensor 103 and the installation sensor 113, respectively. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-51907 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is desirable to have as few sensors as possible in a printer in terms of design freedom and cost. It is also desirable for the ink cartridge to be resistant to deformation when it is inserted into the printer or when it is dropped.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid cartridge which can reduce the number of sensors and which is less likely to be deformed by impact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The present invention relates to a liquid cartridge that can be mounted on a printing device by being moved in a front-rear direction intersecting with the up-down direction along gravity with respect to the printing device in an attached position. The liquid cartridge includes a housing having a liquid storage chamber, a liquid supply unit protruding forward from the front of the housing and supplying the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to the outside, a circuit board having an electrode group consisting of at least three electrodes exposed upward in the attached position, a plate member located behind the electrodes in the attached position and extending along the front-rear direction, and a remaining amount detection unit located above the electrodes and behind the plate member in the attached position, having a light access unit to which light traveling in a left-right direction intersecting with the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is irradiated, and the state of the light changes depending on the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber. The plate member is rotatable around an axis along the left-right direction and changes its position between a first position located above the light access unit and a second position located behind the first position and below the light access unit. A light-transmitting region that transmits the light more than the plate member is provided between the plate member in the first position and the remaining amount detection unit in the front-rear direction.

[0008] The plate member in the first position, the light-transmitting region, and the remaining amount detection unit can be detected by the same sensor that detects light traveling in the left-right direction. When the plate member is attached to the printing device or subjected to an impact when dropped, the plate member is unlikely to deform because it rotates toward the second position.

[0009] (2) Preferably, the electrode group includes a first electrode aligned in the left-right direction, a second electrode, and a third electrode located between the first and second electrodes, each of which is electrically connectable to a printing device in the mounted position, the third electrode is a ground electrode, and the upper end of the plate member in the first position and the third electrode intersect with the same imaginary plane that is parallel to the up-down and front-to-back directions.

[0010] As a result, a novel liquid cartridge is provided. The liquid cartridge achieves at least some of the following effects. The upper end of the plate and the third electrode are in a positional relationship in which they intersect with the same imaginary plane parallel to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction, so that the sensor that optically detects the plate and the third electrode are unlikely to interfere with each other. Even if the liquid cartridge is attached in a tilted state relative to the front-rear direction as a result of rattling during the attachment process, the electrical connection of the ground electrode is stably ensured. Even if the liquid cartridge is attached in a tilted state relative to the front-rear direction as a result of rattling during the attachment process, the positional deviation in the front-rear direction of the front or rear end of the plate is small.

[0011] (3) Preferably, the upper end of the plate member in the first position is located between a left end and a right end of the remaining amount detection portion in the left-right direction.

[0012] (4) Preferably, the light-transmitting region is a space.

[0013] (5) Preferably, the liquid cartridge further includes an elastic member that urges the plate member toward the first position.

[0014] (6) Preferably, the plate member has a plate portion located above the electrode in the first position, and a weight that rotates the plate portion toward the first position.

[0015] (7) Preferably, the remaining amount detection unit includes a prism having a reflective surface that reflects differently depending on whether or not it is in contact with liquid, and the light access unit reflects the light to the prism.

[0016] (8) Preferably, the optical access portion is a pair of reflecting plates positioned apart in the left-right direction, and at least a portion of the plate member enters between the pair of reflecting plates during the process of changing position from the first position to the second position.

[0017] (9) Preferably, the plate member and the remaining amount detection portion are irradiated with the light during the process of mounting the liquid cartridge in a printing device.

[0018] (10) Preferably, an upper end of the plate member in the second position is located below the light access portion and above the electrode.

[0019] (11) A liquid consuming device according to the present invention comprises the liquid cartridge, an attachment section into which the liquid cartridge is inserted forward and from which the liquid cartridge is removed rearward, and a consuming section that consumes liquid stored in the liquid cartridge attached to the attachment section. The attachment section comprises a liquid supply pipe that is inserted into the liquid supply section when the liquid cartridge is attached to the attachment section to position the liquid supply section and supply liquid supplied from the liquid supply section to the consuming section, a contact that is electrically connected to the electrode of the liquid cartridge in the attached state, and a sensor that optically detects the remaining amount detection section of the liquid cartridge in the attached state. The sensor detects the plate member and the light-transmitting area during the process of inserting the liquid cartridge into the attachment section. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, the number of sensors in a printing device can be reduced, and a liquid cartridge that is less likely to be deformed by impact is realized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a printer 10 equipped with a cartridge mounting unit 110. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the external configuration of the cartridge mounting portion 110. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] Fig. 3(A) is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the ink cartridge 30 when viewed from above and behind, and Fig. 3(B) is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the ink cartridge 30 when viewed from below and behind. [Figure 4] Fig. 4(A) is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the ink cartridge 30 when viewed from above and in front of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 4(B) is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the ink cartridge 30 when viewed from below and in front of the ink cartridge 30. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a right side view of the ink cartridge 30. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a top view of the ink cartridge 30. As shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front view of the ink cartridge 30. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a rear view of the ink cartridge 30. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the ink cartridge 30. As shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge mounting portion 110, and shows a state in which the light blocking plate 67 is detected by the sensor 103. As shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge mounting portion 110, and shows the state in which the ink needle 102 is inserted into the ink supply port 71 of the ink supply portion 34 and the space 66 is located in the optical path of the sensor 103. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge mounting portion 110, and shows the state in which the ink cartridge 30 is positioned in the cartridge mounting portion 110. As shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a signal output by the sensor 103 during the mounting process. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge mounting portion 110, and shows the state in which the light blocking plate 67 abuts against the wall surface 107. [Figure 15] Figure 15(A) is an enlarged view showing a state in which the light-shielding plate 67 is biased by the leaf spring 47 to a first position, and Figure 15(B) is an enlarged view showing a state in which the light-shielding plate 67 is biased by the leaf spring 47 to a second position. [Figure 16] Figure 16(A) is an enlarged view showing a state in which the light-shielding plate 67 is biased by the leaf spring 49 to a first position, and Figure 16(B) is an enlarged view showing a state in which the light-shielding plate 67 is biased by the leaf spring 49 to a second position. [Figure 17] FIG. 17(A) shows prism 131 and reflector 132 in a state where the reflective surface of prism 131 reflects light, and FIG. 17(B) shows prism 131 and reflector 132 in a state where the reflective surface of prism 131 does not reflect light. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is an enlarged view showing a state in which the light blocking plate 67 rotates from the first position to the second position and enters between the reflecting plates 132 in the modified example shown in FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a top view showing a modified example of the ink cartridge 30 having a dummy electrode 65D. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the ink cartridge 30 having the housing 33. As shown in FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a top view of an ink cartridge 30 showing a modified example in which the dimension L2 of the light blocking plate 67 is larger than the dimension L1 of the ground electrode 65C. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. Note that the embodiment described below is merely an example in which the present invention is embodied, and it goes without saying that the embodiment can be appropriately modified without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0023] In the following description, the direction in which the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge mounting section 110 is defined as the forward direction 51. The direction opposite to the forward direction 51, in which the ink cartridge 30 is removed from the cartridge mounting section 110, is defined as the rearward direction 52. In this embodiment, the forward direction 51 and the rearward direction 52 are the same as the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity, but the forward direction 51 and the rearward direction 52 do not have to be the same as the horizontal direction. The direction of gravity is defined as the downward direction 53, and the direction opposite to the direction of gravity is defined as the upward direction 54. The directions perpendicular to the forward direction 51 and the downward direction 53 are defined as the rightward direction 55 and the leftward direction 56. More specifically, when the ink cartridge 30 is inserted to the mounting position of the cartridge mounting section 110, that is, when the ink cartridge 30 is in the mounting position (mounted state), the direction extending to the right when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed from the front to the rear is defined as the rightward direction 55, and the direction extending to the left is defined as the leftward direction 56.

[0024] Additionally, the forward direction 51 and the backward direction 52 are collectively defined as the front-rear direction 51, 52. Additionally, the upward direction 54 and the downward direction 53 are collectively defined as the up-down direction 53, 54. Additionally, the rightward direction 55 and the leftward direction 56 are collectively defined as the left-right direction 55, 56.

[0025] In addition, in this specification, "facing forward" includes facing a direction including a forward component, "facing rearward" includes facing a direction including a rearward component, "facing downward" includes facing a direction including a downward component, and "facing upward" includes facing a direction including an upward component. For example, "the front surface facing forward" may mean that the front surface faces forward, or the front surface faces in a direction inclined relative to the front surface.

[0026] [Printer 10 Overview] As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 records an image by selectively ejecting ink droplets onto paper based on an inkjet recording method. The printer 10 (an example of a liquid consuming device) includes a recording head 21 (an example of a consuming section), an ink supply device 100, and an ink tube 20 that connects the recording head 21 and the ink supply device 100. The ink supply device 100 is provided with a cartridge mounting section 110 (an example of a mounting section). An ink cartridge 30 (an example of a liquid cartridge) can be mounted in the cartridge mounting section 110. The cartridge mounting section 110 has an opening 112 on one surface thereof. The ink cartridge 30 is inserted forward into the cartridge mounting section 110 through the opening 112, or is removed backward from the cartridge mounting section 110.

[0027] The ink cartridge 30 stores ink (an example of liquid) that can be used in the printer 10. When the ink cartridge 30 is completely mounted in the cartridge mounting section 110, the ink cartridge 30 and the recording head 21 are connected by the ink tube 20. The recording head 21 is provided with a sub-tank 28. The sub-tank 28 temporarily stores ink supplied through the ink tube 20. The recording head 21 selectively ejects ink supplied from the sub-tank 28 from the nozzles 29 by an inkjet recording method. Specifically, a drive voltage is selectively applied from a head control board provided in the recording head 21 to a piezoelectric element 29A provided corresponding to each nozzle 29. This causes ink to be selectively ejected from the nozzles 29. In other words, the recording head 21 consumes the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 mounted in the cartridge mounting section 110.

[0028] The printer 10 includes a paper feed tray 15, a paper feed roller 23, a pair of transport rollers 25, a platen 26, a pair of discharge rollers 27, and a paper discharge tray 16. Paper fed from the paper feed tray 15 to a transport path 24 by the paper feed roller 23 is transported onto the platen 26 by the pair of transport rollers 25. The recording head 21 selectively ejects ink onto the paper passing over the platen 26. This causes an image to be recorded on the paper. The paper that has passed the platen 26 is discharged by the pair of discharge rollers 27 to the paper discharge tray 16 provided at the most downstream side of the transport path 24.

[0029] [Ink supply device 100] As shown in Fig. 1, the ink supply device 100 is provided in a printer 10. The ink supply device 100 supplies ink to a recording head 21 provided in the printer 10. The ink supply device 100 includes a cartridge mounting section 110 into which an ink cartridge 30 can be mounted. Note that Fig. 1 shows a state in which the ink cartridge 30 has been completely mounted in the cartridge mounting section 110. That is, in Fig. 1, the ink cartridge 30 is in an mounted state.

[0030] [Cartridge mounting section 110] 2 and 10, the cartridge mounting section 110 includes a case 101, an ink needle 102, a sensor 103, three contacts 106, and a locking section 145. The cartridge mounting section 110 can accommodate four ink cartridges 30 corresponding to the colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Furthermore, four ink needles 102, four sensors 103, four contacts 106, and four locking sections 145 are provided corresponding to each of the four ink cartridges 30.

[0031] [Case 101] 2 and 10, case 101 forming the housing of cartridge mounting section 110 is box-shaped and has a top surface that defines the top of the internal space of case 101, a bottom surface that defines the bottom, an end surface that connects the top and bottom, and an opening 112 provided at a position opposite the end surface in front-rear directions 51, 52. Opening 112 can be exposed to a user interface surface of printer 10, which is the surface that a user faces when using printer 10.

[0032] The ink cartridge 30 is inserted into and removed from the case 101 through the opening 112. The upper and lower ends of the ink cartridge 30 are inserted into guide grooves 109 provided on the top and bottom surfaces, whereby the ink cartridge 30 is guided in the front-rear directions 51, 52 in FIG. 10. The case 101 is provided with three plates 104 that divide the internal space into four spaces that are long in the up-down directions 53, 54. An ink cartridge 30 is housed in each of the spaces divided by the plates 104.

[0033] [Ink Needle 102] 10, the ink needle 102 (an example of a liquid supply tube) is made of tubular resin and is located at the bottom of the end surface of the case 101. The ink needle 102 is disposed at a position on the end surface of the case 101 corresponding to the ink supply section 34 (an example of a liquid supply section) of the ink cartridge 30 mounted in the cartridge mounting section 110. The ink needle 102 protrudes rearward from the end surface of the case 101.

[0034] A cylindrical guide portion 105 is provided around the ink needle 102. The guide portion 105 protrudes rearward from the end face of the case 101, and its protruding end is open. The ink needle 102 is disposed at the center of the guide portion 105. The guide portion 105 is shaped so that the ink supply portion 34 of the ink cartridge advances inwardly.

[0035] In the process of inserting the ink cartridge 30 forward into the cartridge mounting section 110, that is, in the process of moving the ink cartridge 30 to the mounting position, the ink supply section 34 of the ink cartridge 30 enters the guide section 105 (see FIG. 11). When the ink cartridge 30 is further inserted forward into the cartridge mounting section 110, the ink needle 102 is inserted into the ink supply port 71 formed in the ink supply section 34. This connects the ink needle 102 and the ink supply section 34, and the ink supply section 34 is positioned. Then, the ink stored in the storage chamber 36 formed inside the ink cartridge 30 flows out into the ink tube 20 connected to the ink needle 102 through the internal space of the cylinder wall 73 formed inside the ink supply section 34 and the internal space of the ink needle 102. The tip of the ink needle 102 may be flat or pointed.

[0036] [Lock section 145] As shown in FIG. 10, the locking portion 145 extends in the left-right directions 55, 56 of the case 101 near the top surface of the case 101 and near the opening 112. The locking portion 145 is a rod-shaped member extending along the left-right directions 55, 56. The locking portion 145 is, for example, a metal cylinder. Both ends of the locking portion 145 in the left-right directions 55, 56 are fixed to walls that define both ends of the case 101 in the left-right directions 55, 56. Therefore, the locking portion 145 does not move relative to the case 101, such as by rotating. The locking portion 145 extends in the left-right directions 55, 56 across four spaces that can accommodate four ink cartridges 30. In each space in which an ink cartridge 30 is accommodated, there is a space around the locking portion 145. Therefore, the locking portion 145 can be accessed upward and backward.

[0037] The locking portion 145 is for holding the ink cartridge 30 in the mounted position when it is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110. When the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 110 and rotated to the mounted position, it engages with the locking portion 145, and the locking portion 145 holds the ink cartridge 30 in the cartridge mounting portion 110 against the force of the coil spring 78 of the ink cartridge 30 pushing the ink cartridge 30 backward.

[0038] [Contact 106] As shown in Figs. 2 and 10, three contacts 106 are provided near the end surface on the top surface of the case 101. Although not shown in detail in each figure, the three contacts 106 are arranged separately in the left-right directions 55, 56. The arrangement of the three contacts 106 corresponds to the arrangement of the electrode group 65 (power electrode 65A, signal electrode 65B, ground electrode 65C) of the ink cartridge 30 described below (see Figs. 3 and 4). Each contact 106 is made of a conductive and elastic material and can elastically deform upward. Four sets of three contacts 106 are provided corresponding to the four ink cartridges 30 that can be housed in the case 101.

[0039] Each contact 106 is electrically connected to a control unit 130 (see FIG. 1) via an electric circuit. The control unit 130 may be composed of, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc., and may be configured as the control unit 130 of the printer 10. By electrically connecting the contact 106 to the electrode group 65, a voltage Vc is applied to the power electrode 65A, a signal is read / written through the signal electrode 65B, and the ground electrode 65C is grounded. By electrically connecting the contact 106 to the corresponding signal electrode 65B, data stored in the IC of the ink cartridge 30 can be accessed. Output from the electric circuit is input to the control unit 130.

[0040] [Sensor 103] As shown in Figures 2 and 10, a sensor 103 is disposed on the top surface of the case 101. The sensor 103 includes a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion. The light-emitting portion is disposed to the right or left of the light-receiving portion with a gap therebetween. The detectable portion 62 of the ink cartridge 30 that has been completely mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110 is disposed between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion. In other words, the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion are disposed opposite each other with the detectable portion 62 of the ink cartridge 30 that has been completely mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110 sandwiched therebetween.

[0041] Sensor 103 outputs different detection signals depending on whether or not the light output from the light-emitting unit is received by the light-receiving unit. For example, sensor 103 outputs a low-level signal (referring to a "signal whose level is below a threshold level") on the condition that the light output from the light-emitting unit cannot be received by the light-receiving unit (i.e., the received light intensity is below a predetermined intensity). On the other hand, sensor 103 outputs a high-level signal (referring to a "signal whose level is equal to or higher than a threshold level") on the condition that the light output from the light-emitting unit can be received by the light-receiving unit (i.e., the received light intensity is equal to or higher than a predetermined intensity). The output of sensor 103 is input to control unit 130.

[0042] 2 and 14, a slit 108 into which the light blocking plate 67 of the ink cartridge 30 can enter is formed behind the contact 106 and in front of the sensor 103. The slit 108 is located on the top surface side of the case 101, and is narrower in width in the left-right directions 55, 56 than the guide groove 109. A wall surface 107 facing rearward is located at the boundary between the guide groove 109 and the slit 108. The slit 108 opens in the center of the wall surface 107 in the left-right directions 55, 56.

[0043] [Ink Cartridge 30] The ink cartridge 30 shown in Figures 3 to 9 is a container in which ink is stored. The space formed inside the ink cartridge 30 is a storage chamber 36 (an example of a liquid storage chamber) that stores ink. The storage chamber 36 is formed by an internal frame 35 (an example of a housing) housed in a rear cover 31 and a front cover 32 that form the exterior of the ink cartridge 30.

[0044] The position of the ink cartridge 30 shown in Figures 3 to 5 and 9 is the position when the ink cartridge 30 is in the mounting position. That is, as described below, the ink cartridge 30 has a front surface 140, a rear surface 41, upper surfaces 39, 141, and lower surfaces 42, 142, but the position of the ink cartridge 30 shown in Figures 3 to 6 is a position in which the direction from the rear surface 41 to the front surface 140 coincides with the front direction 51, the direction from the front surface 140 to the rear surface 41 coincides with the rear direction 52, the direction from the upper surfaces 39, 141 to the lower surfaces 42, 142 coincides with the downward direction 53, and the direction from the lower surfaces 42, 142 to the upper surfaces 39, 141 coincides with the upward direction 54. Furthermore, when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110, the front surface 140 faces forward, the rear surface 41 faces rearward, the lower surfaces 42, 142 face downward, and the upper surfaces 39, 141 face upward.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 9, the ink cartridge 30 is composed of a rear cover 31 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, a front cover 32 constituting a front surface 140, and an internal frame 35 that divides the storage chamber 36. The front cover 32 is assembled to the rear cover 31 to form the outer shape of the ink cartridge 30. The internal frame 35 is housed inside the assembled rear cover 31 and front cover 32. The ink cartridge 30 has a flat shape in which the dimensions along the left-right directions 55, 56 are narrow, and the dimensions along the up-down directions 53, 54 and the front-rear directions 51, 52 are larger than the dimensions along the left-right directions 55, 56. When the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge mounting section 110, the surface of the front cover 32 facing forward is the front surface 140, and the surface of the rear cover 31 facing backward is the rear surface 41. That is, the rear surface 41 is disposed between the front surface 140 of the front cover 32 and the storage chamber 36.

[0046] [Rear cover 31] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the rear cover 31 is configured with side surfaces 37, 38 arranged at a distance from each other in the left-right direction 55, 56, an upper surface 39 located at the upper end of the rear cover 31 facing upward, and a lower surface 42 located at the lower end of the rear cover 31 facing downward, which are extended forward from the rear surface 41, and is a box-shaped opening toward the front. The internal frame 35 is inserted into the interior of the rear cover 31 through the opening. That is, the rear cover 31 covers the rear of the internal frame 35. In addition, the lower surface 42 is arranged between the upper surface 39 and the storage chamber 36 when the internal frame 35 is inserted.

[0047] 5, in the attached position, the rear cover 31 is located rearward of the front cover 32. In this embodiment, the rear end portion of the front cover 32 overlaps the front outer surface of the rear cover 31, thereby forming a boundary between the front cover 32 and the rear cover 31 on the side of the ink cartridge 30, but the boundary between the front cover 32 and the rear cover 31 may also be formed on the side of the ink cartridge 30 by the front end portion of the rear cover 31 overlapping the outer surface of the rear end portion of the front cover 32, or the boundary may be formed by the front end of the rear cover 31 and the rear end of the front cover 32 facing each other in the front-to-rear directions 51, 52.

[0048] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rear surface 41 has an upper portion 41U and a lower portion 41L. The upper portion 41U is located higher than the lower portion 41L. The lower portion 41L is located forward of the upper portion 41U. The upper portion 41U and the lower portion 41L are both flat surfaces and intersect with each other without being perpendicular to each other. The lower portion 41L is inclined with respect to the up-down directions 53, 54 so that the lower portion 41L is closer to the front surface 140 as it approaches the lower surface 42.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 5, the lower surface 42 is an inclined surface inclined in the front-rear directions 51, 52 so that the front end is located lower than the rear end. In Fig. 5, the front-rear directions 51, 52 are also shown by dashed lines to make it easier to identify the inclination of the lower surface 42 in the front-rear directions 51, 52. The front end of the lower surface 42 (inclined surface) is located at the front end of the rear cover 31. In addition, the front end of the lower surface 42 (inclined surface) is located forward of a lock surface 151, which will be described later. The rear end of the lower surface 42 (inclined surface) is connected to the lower end of the lower portion 41L of the rear surface 41.

[0050] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a protrusion 43 is provided on the upper surface 39 of the rear cover 31. The protrusion 43 extends along the front-rear directions 51, 52 at the center of the left-right directions 55, 56 on the upper surface 39. The surface of the protrusion 43 facing rearward is a lock surface 151. The lock surface 151 is located higher than the lower surface 42 of the rear cover 31. The lock surface 151 extends along the up-down directions 53, 54. The lock surface 151 is a surface that can come into contact with the lock portion 145 rearward when the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge mounting portion 110. When the lock surface 151 comes into contact with the lock portion 145 rearward, the ink cartridge 30 is held in the cartridge mounting portion 110 against the biasing force of the coil spring 78.

[0051] In the protrusion 43, a horizontal surface 154 is provided in continuity with the lock surface 151 in front of the lock surface 151. The horizontal surface 154 is a surface that extends along the left-right directions 55, 56 and the front-rear directions 51, 52. In front of the horizontal surface 154, an inclined surface 155 is provided in continuity with the horizontal surface 154. The inclined surface 155 faces upward and forward. Since the lock surface 151 and the inclined surface 155 are continuous via the horizontal surface 154, the boundary between the lock surface 151 and the inclined surface 155 does not have a sharp mountain shape. Due to the inclined surface 155 and the horizontal surface 154, the lock portion 145 is smoothly guided to the rear of the lock surface 151 while abutting against the inclined surface 155 and the horizontal surface 154 during the process of inserting the ink cartridge 30 into the cartridge mounting portion 110.

[0052] An operating unit 90 is provided on the upper surface 39 of the rear cover 31, behind the lock surface 151. A sub-upper surface 91 is formed at the rear end of the upper surface 39 of the rear cover 31, which is located below the other parts of the upper surface 39. The operating unit 90 is disposed above the sub-upper surface 91, separated by a space. The operating unit 90 has a flat plate shape that protrudes upward from the boundary between the other parts of the upper surface 39 and the sub-upper surface 91, beyond the convex portion 43, and is further bent obliquely downward and rearward. A rib 94 is provided between the operating unit 90 and the sub-upper surface 91, which is continuous with the operating unit 90 and the sub-upper surface 91 and extends rearward. As shown in FIG. 8, the dimensions of the rib 94 along the left-right directions 55 and 56 are smaller than the dimensions of the operating unit 90 and the sub-upper surface 91 along the left-right directions 55 and 56.

[0053] In the operation unit 90, the surface facing upward and backward is the operation surface 92. The operation surface 92 and the sub-top surface 91 overlap in position in the direction along the front-rear directions 51, 52. In other words, when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed downward, the operation surface 92 and the sub-top surface 91 are in overlapping positions. The operation surface 92 has a plurality of protrusions, for example, a plurality of ridges 93 extending along the left-right directions 55, 56, formed at intervals in the front-rear directions 51, 52. The ridges 93 as a plurality of protrusions make it easier for the user to recognize the operation surface 92, and also makes it less likely for the user's fingers to slip on the operation surface 92 when operating the operation surface 92 with their fingers.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 8, the operation surface 92 is visible when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed downward, and is also visible when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed forward. The operation surface 92 is a surface that is operated by the user in order to remove the ink cartridge 30 from a state in which the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110. The operation unit 90 is fixed to the rear cover 31 by being integrally molded with the rear cover 31, and is configured not to rotate or move relative to the rear cover 31. Therefore, the force applied by the user to the operation surface 92 is transmitted directly to the rear cover 31 without changing the direction. In addition, in this embodiment, the operation unit 90 is configured not to rotate or move relative to the internal frame 35 or the storage chamber 36.

[0055] [Front cover 32] 3 and 4, the front cover 32 has side surfaces 143, 144 spaced apart from each other in the left-right directions 55, 56, and an upper surface 141 and a lower surface 142 spaced apart from each other in the up-down directions 53, 54, which extend rearward from a front surface 140, and is in the shape of a box that opens toward the rear. The internal frame 35 is inserted into the inside of the front cover 32 through the opening. That is, the front cover 32 covers the front portion of the internal frame 35 that is not covered by the rear cover 31.

[0056] When the front cover 32 and the rear cover 31 are assembled, i.e., when the ink cartridge 30 is assembled, the upper surface 141 of the front cover 32, together with the upper surface 39 of the rear cover 31, constitutes the upper surface of the ink cartridge 30. The lower surface 142 of the front cover 32, together with the lower surface 42 of the rear cover 31, constitutes the lower surface of the ink cartridge 30.

[0057] In detail, when the ink cartridge 30 is in the mounted position, the bottom surface 142 of the front cover 32 extends along the front-rear directions 51, 52, and the bottom surface 42 of the rear cover 31 is inclined downward and toward the rear. The side surfaces 143, 144 of the front cover 32, together with the side surfaces 37, 38 of the rear cover 31, constitute the side surfaces of the ink cartridge 30.

[0058] In addition, when the ink cartridge 30 is assembled, the front surface 140 of the front cover 32 that constitutes the front surface of the ink cartridge 30 and the rear surface 41 of the rear cover 31 that constitutes the rear surface of the ink cartridge 30 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the front-to-rear directions 51, 52.

[0059] The front, rear, top, bottom, and side surfaces of the ink cartridge 30 do not necessarily have to form a single plane. In other words, the front surface is a surface that can be seen when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed backward in the mounted position, and is located forward of the center of the front-rear directions 51, 52 of the ink cartridge 30 in the mounted position. The rear surface is a surface that can be seen when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed forward in the mounted position, and is located rearward of the center of the front-rear directions 51, 52 of the ink cartridge 30 in the mounted position. The top surface is a surface that can be seen when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed downward in the mounted position, and is located above the center in the vertical direction of the ink cartridge 30 in the mounted position. The bottom surface is a surface that can be seen when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed upward in the mounted position, and is located below the center in the vertical directions 53, 54 of the ink cartridge 30 in the mounted position. The same applies to the side surfaces.

[0060] A hole 97 penetrating rearward is formed in the lower part of the front surface 140 of the front cover 32. The hole 97 serves to expose the ink supply unit 34 of the internal frame 35 to the outside when the internal frame 35 is inserted into the front cover 32. Therefore, the hole 97 is formed at a position, with dimensions and a shape corresponding to the ink supply unit 34 of the internal frame 35.

[0061] A first protruding portion 85 and a second protruding portion 86 are formed on a front surface 140 of the front cover 32. The first protruding portion 85 protrudes forward at an upper end of the front cover 32. The recess 96 is provided at a tip of the first protruding portion 85. The tip of the first protruding portion 85 forms a part of the front surface 140.

[0062] The second protrusion 86 (an example of a protrusion) protrudes forward from the lower end of the front surface 140 of the front cover 32, i.e., below the ink supply unit 34. The front end 86A of the second protrusion 86 is located forward of the front end 34A of the ink supply unit 34. A recess 87 that is open forward and downward is formed in the lower surface of the second protrusion 86. A part of the recess 87 protrudes downward from the lower surface 142 of the front cover 32.

[0063] A hole 98 penetrating downward is formed in the upper surface 141 of the front cover 32. The hole 98 serves to expose the detectable portion 62 of the internal frame 35 to the outside when the internal frame 35 is inserted into the front cover 32. Therefore, the hole 98 is formed at a position, with dimensions and a shape corresponding to the detectable portion 62 of the internal frame 35.

[0064] A hole 99 penetrating downward is formed in the upper surface 141 of the front cover 32. The hole 99 serves to expose the light blocking plate 67 of the internal frame 35 to the outside when the internal frame 35 is inserted into the front cover 32. Therefore, the hole 99 is formed at a position, with dimensions and a shape corresponding to the light blocking plate 67 of the internal frame 35.

[0065] An IC board 64 (an example of a circuit board) is provided on the top surface 141 of the front cover 32, above the first protrusion 85, i.e., above the ink supply unit 34. The IC board 64 is electrically connected to three contacts 106 (see FIG. 2) arranged along the left-right directions 55, 56 while the ink cartridge 30 is being mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110, and is also electrically connected to the contacts 106 when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110.

[0066] An IC (not shown in the figures) and an electrode group 65 are mounted on the IC board 64. The IC is a semiconductor integrated circuit, and stores readable data relating to the ink cartridge 30, such as the lot number, manufacturing date, and ink color. The IC is mounted on a rigid board made of glass epoxy or the like.

[0067] The electrode group 65 is exposed and accessible on the upper surface of the substrate. The electrode group 65 is electrically connected to an IC and a power source. The electrode group 65 is composed of a power electrode 65A, a signal electrode 65B, and a ground electrode 65C. The power electrode 65A, the signal electrode 65B, and the ground electrode 65C extend along the front-rear directions 51 and 52, respectively, and the power electrode 65A, the signal electrode 65B, and the ground electrode 65C are arranged spaced apart in the left-right directions 55 and 56. The ground electrode 65C is located in the center of the left-right directions 55 and 56. The power electrode 65A and the signal electrode 65B are located on the right and left sides of the left-right directions 55 and 56, respectively. Either the power electrode 65A or the signal electrode 65B may be on the right or left side. The power electrode 65A and the signal electrode 65B are electrically connected.

[0068] [Internal Frame 35] Although not shown in the drawings, the internal frame 35 is configured in an annular shape with a pair of open end faces in the left and right directions 55, 56. In the internal frame 35, the pair of open faces are sealed with a film (not shown), thereby forming a storage chamber 36 capable of storing ink therein. The front surface 40 that defines the storage chamber 36 is the surface that faces the back surface of the front surface 140 of the front cover 32 when the internal frame 35 is inserted into the front cover 32, and the ink supply unit 34 is provided thereon.

[0069] The rear cover 31 is fixed to the internal frame 35. The front cover 32 is movable relative to the internal frame 35 in front-rear directions 51, 52 and up-down directions 53, 54.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, an opening 115 is formed in the side surfaces 143, 144 of the front cover 32. A protrusion 116 protruding in the left-right directions 55, 56 is formed in the internal frame 35 at a position corresponding to the opening 115. The protrusion 116 enters the opening 115. The length of the opening 115 in the front-rear directions 51, 52 and the up-down directions 53, 54 is longer than the length of the protrusion 116 in the front-rear directions 51, 52 and the up-down directions 53, 54, respectively. When the protrusion 116 moves in the front-rear directions 51, 52 within the opening 115, the front cover 32 moves relative to the internal frame 35 in the front-rear directions 51, 52. When the protrusion 116 moves in the up-down directions 53, 54 within the opening 115, the front cover 32 moves relative to the internal frame 35 in the up-down directions 53, 54.

[0071] [Ink supply unit 34] 9, the ink supply unit 34 protrudes forward from the front surface 40 of the inner frame 35 at a lower part of the front surface 140. That is, the ink supply unit 34 extends along the front-rear directions 51, 52. The ink supply unit 34 has a cylindrical outer shape. The ink supply unit 34 protrudes outward through a hole 97 provided in the front surface 140 of the front cover 32. The ink supply unit 34 includes a cylindrical tube wall 73 having an internal space, and a seal member 76 and a cap 79 attached to the tube wall 73.

[0072] The cylindrical wall 73 extends from the inside to the outside of the storage chamber 36. The rear end of the cylindrical wall 73 opens in the storage chamber 36. The front end of the cylindrical wall 73 opens to the outside of the ink cartridge 30. As a result, the cylindrical wall 73 communicates with the storage chamber 36 and the outside of the ink cartridge 30 via the internal space. In other words, the ink supply unit 34 supplies the ink stored in the storage chamber 36 to the outside of the ink cartridge 30 through the internal space of the cylindrical wall 73. A seal member 76 and a cap 79 are attached to the front end of the cylindrical wall 73.

[0073] A valve body 77 and a coil spring 78 are housed in the internal space of the cylindrical wall 73. The valve body 77 and the coil spring 78 are used to selectively switch the state of the ink supply section 34 between a state in which ink flows out from the storage chamber 36 to the outside of the ink cartridge 30 through the internal space of the cylindrical wall 73 (see FIG. 12) and a state in which ink does not flow out from the internal space of the cylindrical wall 73 to the outside of the ink cartridge 30 (see FIG. 9).

[0074] Valve body 77 moves along front-rear directions 51, 52 to open and close ink supply port 71 that penetrates the center of seal member 76. Coil spring 78 biases valve body 77 forward. Therefore, when no external force is applied, valve body 77 closes ink supply port 71 of seal member 76.

[0075] The seal member 76 is disposed at the tip of the cylindrical wall 73. The seal member 76 is a disk-shaped member with a through hole formed in the center. The seal member 76 is formed from an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer. The center of the seal member 76 is penetrated in the front-rear directions 51, 52 to form a cylindrical inner circumferential surface, and the ink supply port 71 is formed by the inner circumferential surface. The inner diameter of the ink supply port 71 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the ink needle 102. The seal member 76 is in liquid-tight contact with the tip of the cylindrical wall 73 by a cap 79 fitted to the outside of the cylindrical wall 73.

[0076] When the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge mounting section 110 with the valve body 77 closing the ink supply port 71, the ink needle 102 enters the ink supply port 71. The ink needle 102 elastically deforms the seal member 76, and its outer circumferential surface comes into liquid-tight contact with the inner circumferential surface that defines the ink supply port 71. When the tip of the ink needle 102 passes through the seal member 76 and enters the internal space of the cylindrical wall 73, it abuts against the valve body 77. When the ink cartridge 30 is further inserted into the cartridge mounting section 110, the ink needle 102 moves the valve body 77 backward against the biasing force of the coil spring 78. This allows the ink stored in the storage chamber 36 to flow through the internal space of the cylindrical wall 73 to the tip of the ink needle 102. Although not shown in each figure, ink flows from the internal space of the cylindrical wall 73 to the internal space of the ink needle 102 through a through hole formed in the tip of the ink needle 102. This allows the ink stored in the storage chamber 36 to flow out through the internal space of the cylindrical wall 73 and the ink needle 102 to the outside.

[0077] It should be noted that the ink supply unit 34 does not necessarily need to be provided with the valve body 77 that closes the ink supply port 71. For example, the ink supply port 71 may be closed with a film or the like, and when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110, the ink needle 102 breaks through the film, causing the tip portion of the ink needle 102 to enter the internal space of the cylindrical wall 73 through the ink supply port 71. The ink supply port 71 may be closed by the elasticity of the seal member 76, and may be formed so as to be pushed open by the ink needle 102 only when the ink needle 102 is inserted.

[0078] [Detected part 62] 9, the internal frame 35 has a detectable portion 62 (an example of a remaining amount detection portion) protruding upward from the upper surface. The detectable portion 62 is a convex portion having an internal space that is continuous with the storage chamber 36, and has translucency that transmits light in the left-right directions 55, 56. The detectable portion 62 is exposed to the outside through a hole 98 in the front cover 32.

[0079] A detectable member 59 is disposed in the storage chamber 36 of the internal frame 35. The detectable member 59 is supported by a rotation shaft 61 extending along the left-right directions 55, 56, and is rotatable around the rotation shaft 61.

[0080] The detected member 59 has a float 63. The float 63 has a specific gravity smaller than that of the ink stored in the storage chamber 36. Therefore, the float 63 generates buoyancy when present in the ink within the storage chamber 36. When the storage chamber 36 is substantially filled with ink, the buoyancy of the float 63 causes the detected member 59 to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 6.

[0081] The detected member 59 has a light shielding plate 60 (an example of an optical access portion). The light shielding plate 60 enters the detected portion 62, and is positioned at a first position where the detected member 59 abuts against a wall that defines the front end of the detected portion 62, thereby maintaining the attitude of the detected member 59. The light shielding plate 60 in the first position blocks light of the sensor 103 traveling in the right direction 55 or the left direction 56 through the detected portion 62. The light shielding plate 60 in the first position is positioned above the upper surface 141 of the front cover 32. The position where the light shielding plate 60 in the first position blocks the light of the sensor 103 is located at a first distance L1 away from the electrode 65 of the IC board 64 in the upward direction 54.

[0082] More specifically, when the light output from the light emitting section of the sensor 103 reaches one of the right and left faces of the detected section 62, the intensity of the light exiting from the other of the right and left faces of the detected section 62 and reaching the light receiving section becomes less than a predetermined intensity, for example, zero, due to the light shielding plate 60. The light shielding plate 60 may completely block the light from proceeding in the right direction 55 or the left direction 56, may partially absorb the light, may bend the traveling direction of the light, or may totally reflect the light.

[0083] When the ink level drops from the position of float 63 in the attitude of detected member 59 when ink is reduced in storage chamber 36 and light shielding plate 60 blocks light traveling through detected portion 62, float 63 drops together with the ink level. This causes detected member 59 to rotate clockwise in FIG. 6. This clockwise rotation causes light shielding plate 60, which had entered detected portion 62, to reach a second position out of the optical path from the light-emitting portion to the light-receiving portion of sensor 103. This causes the intensity of light reaching the light-receiving portion of sensor 103 to be equal to or greater than a predetermined intensity.

[0084] 9, a space defined by the walls 44, 45 and the side wall 46 is formed in front of the detected portion 62 in the internal frame 35, and a shaft 68 extending along the left-right directions 55, 56 is located in this space. The shaft 68 is supported by the side walls 46 located on both sides of the walls 44, 45 in the left-right directions 55, 56.

[0085] An arm 69 extending in two directions is rotatably attached to the shaft 68. A light shielding plate 67 (an example of a plate portion) is connected to the tip of one of the arms 69 extending upward and rearward from the shaft 68. The light shielding plate 67 protrudes upward from the upper surface 141 through a hole 99 in the front cover 32. The light shielding plate 67 extends in the front-rear directions 51, 52. The light shielding plate 67 is located forward of the detected portion 62. A weight 58 is connected to the tip of the other arm 69 extending downward from the shaft 68. The weight 58 is heavier than the light shielding plate 67. When the weight 58 abuts against the wall 45, the light shielding plate 67 is in a first position in which the upper end is located above the portion of the light shielding plate 60 where light is irradiated (see the solid line in FIG. 9). When a rearward 52 external force is applied to the light shielding plate 67, the light shielding plate 67 rotates around the axis 68 in the clockwise direction in Fig. 9, the weight 58 moves upward away from the wall 45, and the light shielding plate 67 assumes a second position in which the upper end is positioned lower than the point on the light shielding plate 60 where light is irradiated (see the dashed line in Fig. 9). When the external force is removed from the light shielding plate 60 in the second position, the weight 58 moves downward due to gravity, and the light shielding plate 60 rotates around the axis 68 in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 9 to assume the first position.

[0086] Between the rear end 67R of the light shielding plate 67 in the first position and the front end 62F of the detected portion 62, there is a space 66 (an example of a light-transmitting region) along the front-rear directions 51, 52. In other words, the light shielding plate 67 in the first position and the detected portion 62 are arranged in the front-rear directions 51, 52 via the space 66. The space 66 is continuous in the left-right directions 55, 56. The light shielding plate 67 in the first position is located rearward and above each electrode 65 of the IC substrate 64. The upper end of the light shielding plate 67 in the first position is located between the left end and the right end of the detected portion 62 in the left-right directions 55, 56. The upper end of the light shielding plate 67 in the second position is located above each electrode 65 of the IC substrate 64.

[0087] The light shielding plate 67 in the first position blocks the light of the sensor 103 traveling in the left-right directions 55 and 56. The position of the light shielding plate 67 in the first position where the light of the sensor 103 is blocked is a position that is a first distance L1 away from the electrode 65 of the IC circuit 64 in the upward direction 54. More specifically, the light output from the light-emitting unit of the sensor 103 hits the light shielding plate 67 before it reaches the light-receiving unit, so that the intensity of the light that reaches the light-receiving unit becomes less than a predetermined intensity, for example, zero. The light shielding plate 67 may completely block the light from traveling in the left-right directions 55 and 56, may partially attenuate the light, may bend the traveling direction of the light, or may totally reflect the light. When the light is partially shielded or attenuated, a part of the light shielding plate 67 corresponds to the light-shielding part.

[0088] [Arrangement of the detected portion 62, the electrode group 65, and the light shielding plate 67] 6, the detected part 62, the IC board 64, and the light shielding plate 67 are located on the upper surface 141 of the front cover 32. The detected part 62 is inserted through a hole 98 of the front cover 32, and thereby protrudes upward from the upper surface 141. This state is also defined as the detected part 62 being located on the upper surface 141. The light shielding plate 67 in the first position is inserted through a hole 99 of the front cover 32, and thereby protrudes upward from the upper surface 141. This state is also defined as the light shielding plate 67 in the first position being located on the upper surface 141.

[0089] The light blocking plate 67 in the first position and the ground electrode 65C intersect with the same imaginary plane 180 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 6 ) that is parallel to the up-down directions 53, 54 and the front-rear directions 51, 52. The imaginary plane 180 is located at the center of the front cover 32 in the left-right directions 55, 56. The imaginary plane 180 is also located at the center of the light blocking plate 67 in the first position in the left-right directions 55, 56. Therefore, the center of the light blocking plate 67 in the first position in the left-right directions 55, 56 coincides with the center of the front cover 32 in the left-right directions 55, 56.

[0090] The center of the ground electrode 65C in the left-right directions 55, 56 is included in the imaginary plane 180. The dimension L1 of the ground electrode 65C in the left-right directions 55, 56 is greater than the dimension L2 of the upper surface of the light blocking plate 67 in the first position in the left-right directions 55, 56 (L1>L2).

[0091] [Operation of mounting the ink cartridge 30 into the cartridge mounting unit 110] The process of mounting the ink cartridge 30 in the cartridge mounting portion 110 will now be described.

[0092] 9, in the ink cartridge 30 before it is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110, the valve body 77 closes the ink supply port 71 of the seal member 76. This blocks the flow of ink from the storage chamber 36 to the outside of the ink cartridge 30.

[0093] Furthermore, before the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110, there are no other members between the light-emitting portion and light-receiving portion of the sensor 103, so a high-level signal is output from the sensor 103 to the control portion 130 of the printer 10. At this time, the cover (not shown) of the printer 10 is open, and the opening 112 of the cartridge mounting portion 110 is exposed to the outside.

[0094] 10, the ink cartridge 30 is inserted forward into the case 101 through the opening 112 of the cartridge mounting section 110. The upper portion 41U of the rear surface 41 of the rear cover 31 is located rearward of the lower portion 41L, i.e., is located closer to the user, so the user inserts the ink cartridge 30 forward into the cartridge mounting section 110 while pressing the upper portion 41U. The lower portions of the ink cartridge 30, i.e., the lower portions of the front cover 32 and the rear cover 31, enter the guide grooves 109 below the case 101.

[0095] When the ink cartridge 30 is inserted forward, the light shielding plate 67 in the first position is positioned between the light emitter and light receiver of the sensor 103. When the front end 67F of the light shielding plate 67 in the first position passes forward through the optical path of the sensor 103, the signal output to the control unit 130 of the printer 10 changes from high level to low level.

[0096] 11, when the ink cartridge 30 is inserted further forward, a space 66 is positioned between the light emitter and light receiver of the sensor 103. When the rear end 67R of the light shielding plate 67 in the first position passes forward through the optical path of the sensor 103, the signal output to the control unit 130 of the printer 10 changes from low to high.

[0097] 11, when the ink cartridge 30 is further inserted forward, the cap 79 of the ink supply unit 34 begins to enter the guide portion 105. Then, the cap 79 of the ink supply unit 34 enters the guide portion 105, and the ink needle 102 enters the ink supply port 71, causing the valve body 77 to move away from the seal member 76 against the biasing force of the coil spring 78. This positions the ink supply unit 34. The biasing force of the coil spring 78 is applied rearward to the ink cartridge 30.

[0098] Additionally, the lower surface 85A of the first protruding portion 85 facing downward is supported by a surface 170 facing upward and located above the guide portion 105 of the cartridge mounting portion 110. This positions the ink cartridge 30 in the up-down directions 53, 54. The lower surface 85A is disposed at a position overlapping with the IC board 64 when viewed from above.

[0099] Furthermore, the light blocking plate 67 in the first position, which passes between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the sensor 103 and moves forward, begins to enter the slit .

[0100] When the IC board 64 reaches below the contacts 106 , the contacts 106 are elastically deformed upward and each electrode of the electrode group 65 is electrically connected to the corresponding contact 106 .

[0101] Furthermore, the protrusion 43 of the rear cover 31 reaches the locking portion 145, and the inclined surface 155 slides against the locking portion 145. When the user pushes the upper portion 41U of the rear surface 41 forward, a rotational moment is applied to the ink cartridge 30 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 11. However, due to the abutment of the inclined surface 155 and the locking portion 145, the ink cartridge 30 rotates clockwise in FIG. 11 against this rotational moment, around the center of the ink supply port 71 of the seal member 76 into which the ink needle 102 is inserted, in other words, around the center of the portion of the ink needle 102 that is in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the seal member 76 that defines the ink supply port 71.

[0102] In addition, since the underside 42 of the rear cover 31 is an inclined surface inclined with respect to the front-to-rear directions 51, 52, there is space between the underside 42 of the rear cover 31 and the bottom surface of the cartridge mounting section 110 for the above-mentioned rotation (clockwise rotation in Figure 11).

[0103] 12, when the ink cartridge 30 is further inserted forward against the biasing force of the coil spring 78, the inclined surface 155 and horizontal surface 154 of the convex portion 43 of the rear cover 31 are positioned closer to the end surface of the case 101 than the locking portion 145. When the user pushes the upper portion 41U of the rear surface 41 forward, a rotational moment is applied to the ink cartridge 30 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 12. Therefore, when the inclined surface 155 and the horizontal surface 154 no longer come into contact with the locking portion 145, the ink cartridge 30 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 12 around the center of the ink supply port 71 of the seal member 76 into which the ink needle 102 is inserted.

[0104] When the ink cartridge 30 is in the position shown in FIG. 12, the lock surface 151 faces the lock portion 145 toward the rear. When the user stops pushing the ink cartridge 30 forward, the ink cartridge 30 moves backward due to the biasing force of the coil spring 78. Since the lock surface 151 faces the lock portion 145 toward the rear, when the ink cartridge 30 moves backward, the lock surface 151 abuts against the lock portion 145. This restricts the ink cartridge 30 from moving backward. In other words, the ink cartridge 30 is positioned in the cartridge mounting portion 110 and the mounting is completed. In the mounted state, the detected portion 62 is located on the optical path of the sensor 103. Also, the light shielding plate 67 is located in the slit 108.

[0105] 13, the control unit 130 of the printer 10 determines that the ink cartridge 30 has been installed in the cartridge mounting unit 110 based on a change in the signal output during the installation process of the ink cartridge 30. Specifically, the control unit 130 determines that a normal ink cartridge 30 has been installed in the cartridge mounting unit 110 based on the signal output from the sensor 103 being changed from a high level signal to a low level signal by the light shielding plate 67 in the first position, then being changed to a high level signal by the space 66, and then being changed to a low level signal by the light shielding plate 60 of the detected portion 62. Here, normal means, for example, that the ink cartridge 30 is compatible with the printer 10 and that the ink chamber 36 is filled with an amount of ink that is not empty or near empty.

[0106] When the control unit 130 receives a signal change from the sensor 103 that is different from the aforementioned signal change, it determines that an abnormal ink cartridge 30 has been installed in the cartridge mounting unit 110, and based on that determination, it notifies the user, for example by displaying an error message on the display.

[0107] In addition, the control unit 130 may detect through a cover sensor that a cover that blocks the opening 111 of the cartridge mounting unit 110 from the outside has been closed in the printer 10, and may access the IC board 64 using the reception of a signal output by the cover sensor as a trigger, and may determine that the ink cartridge 30 has been mounted in the cartridge mounting unit 110 by detecting, for example, that the information contained in the IC board 64 has been successfully accessed (read) or that electrical conductivity has been established to the IC board 64.

[0108] When the ink cartridge 30 is removed from the cartridge mounting portion 110, the user presses the operation surface 92 downward. When the ink cartridge 30 is in the position shown in Fig. 12, the operation surface 92 faces upward and backward, so when the user operates the operation surface 92 to release the ink cartridge 30 from a state in which it is positioned relative to the cartridge mounting portion 110, a downward and forward force acts on the ink cartridge 30. The force acting forward moves the lock surface 151 away from the lock portion 145. The force acting downward rotates the ink cartridge 30 clockwise in Fig. 12.

[0109] 12, the lock surface 151 is positioned below the lock portion 145. Then, the ink cartridge 30 moves backward relative to the cartridge mounting portion 110 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 78. This allows the user to grasp the rear cover 31 and remove the ink cartridge 30 from the cartridge mounting portion 110.

[0110] When the ink cartridge 30 moves backward, the space 66 and the light blocking plate 67 in the first position pass backward through the optical path of the sensor 103. As a result, the signal output from the sensor 103 to the control unit 130 of the printer 10 changes from high level to low level, and then from low level to high level.

[0111] The change in signal caused by the sensor 103 detecting the front end 67F and rear end 67R of the light shielding plate 67 in the first position may be used, for example, to determine whether or not the ink cartridge 30 is installed in the cartridge mounting portion 110, or may be used to identify the type of ink cartridge 30 installed in the cartridge mounting portion 110 (for example, the color of ink stored therein).

[0112] [Rotation of light shielding plate 67] During the process of mounting the ink cartridge 30 in the cartridge mounting section 110, the upper and lower parts of the ink cartridge 30 may wobble while inserted into the guide groove 109 of the case 101, which may cause the light-shielding plate 67 in the first position to abut against the wall surface 107 (see Figure 2) where the slit 108 opens rather than entering the slit 108.

[0113] As shown in Fig. 14, when the ink cartridge 30 is moved forward in a state in which the light shielding plate 67 in the first position is in contact with the wall surface 107 (see Fig. 2) without entering the slit 108, the light shielding plate 67 in the first position is pushed relatively backward by the wall surface 107. As a result, the light shielding plate 67 in the first position rotates clockwise in Fig. 14 around the shaft 68 to assume the second position. Since the light shielding plate 67 in the second position is located below the hole 99 of the front cover 32, the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110 even if the light shielding plate 67 does not enter the slit 108.

[0114] [Effects of this embodiment] According to this embodiment, the light blocking plate 67 in the first position, the space 66, and the detected portion 62 can be detected by the sensor 103. Furthermore, when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110 or when the ink cartridge 30 is dropped, the light blocking plate 67 is unlikely to deform because the light blocking plate 67 rotates toward the second position in response to an impact.

[0115] In the ink cartridge 30, the light shielding plate 67 and the ground electrode 65C intersect with the same imaginary plane 180, so that the sensor 103 and the ground electrode 65C are unlikely to interfere with each other. Even if the ink cartridge 30 is installed in a tilted state relative to the front-rear directions 51, 52 as a result of the ink cartridge 30 rattling during the installation process, the electrical connection between the ground electrode 65C and the contact 106 is stably secured. Even if the ink cartridge 30 is installed in a tilted state relative to the front-rear directions 51, 52 as a result of the ink cartridge 30 rattling during the installation process, the positional deviation of the front end 67F and rear end 67R of the light shielding plate 67 in the front-rear directions 51, 52 is small.

[0116] In addition, since there is a space 66 between the light shielding plate 67 and the detected portion 62 in the front-rear directions 51, 52, the rear end 67R of the light shielding plate 67 can be easily optically detected. Furthermore, the optical detection of the light shielding plate 67 and the optical detection of the detected portion 62 are clearly separated in the output of the sensor 103. Furthermore, the optical detection position of the light shielding plate 67 and the optical detection position of the detected portion 62 can be made to overlap in the up-down directions 53, 54.

[0117] In addition, since the dimension L1 of the ground electrode 65C along the left-right directions 55, 56 is greater than the dimension L2 of the upper surface of the light blocking plate 67 along the left-right directions 55, 56, the light blocking plate 67 is unlikely to come into contact with the sensor 103 even if the ink cartridge 30 rattles when installed.

[0118] [Variations] In the above embodiment, the weight 58 is connected to the arm 69 to which the light shielding plate 67 is connected, but the weight 58 may not be provided. In that case, as shown in FIG. 15, a leaf spring 47 (an example of an elastic member) may be provided in front of the other end of the arm 69 extending downward from the shaft 68. The leaf spring 47 abuts against the arm 69 and biases the arm 69 counterclockwise in FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 15(A), the arm 69 receiving the biasing force from the leaf spring 47 abuts against a stopper 48 provided on the wall 45, and stops at a rotation position where the light shielding plate 67 is in the first position. That is, the leaf spring 47 biases the light shielding plate 67 toward the first position. When a rearward external force is applied to the light blocking plate 67, the light blocking plate 67 rotates clockwise while elastically deforming the leaf spring 47 against the biasing force of the leaf spring 47, and assumes the second position as shown in FIG. 15(B).

[0119] As shown in FIG. 16, a leaf spring 49 connected to an arm 69 and extending upward while curving may be provided instead of the leaf spring 47. The leaf spring 49 biases the arm 69 counterclockwise in FIG. 16 by contacting the wall 50 forming the upper surface 141 of the front cover 32. As shown in FIG. 16(A), the arm 69 receiving the biasing force from the leaf spring 49 biases the light shielding plate 67 to a stopper 48 provided on the wall 45, and stops at a rotation position where the light shielding plate 67 is in the first position. That is, the leaf spring 49 biases the light shielding plate 67 toward the first position. When an external force toward the rear is applied to the light shielding plate 67, the light shielding plate 67 rotates clockwise against the biasing force of the leaf spring 49 and assumes the second position as shown in FIG. 16(B).

[0120] In the above embodiment, the detected part 62 has the detected member 59 that rotates around the rotation axis 61. However, instead of this, it may have a prism 131 and a reflector 132 as shown in FIG.

[0121] The reflecting plates 132 are located between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the sensor 103, and a pair of the reflecting plates 132 are located apart in the left-right directions 55, 56. A space extending in the left-right directions 55, 56 is between the pair of reflecting plates 132. In the left-right directions 55, 56, the light blocking plate 67 is located between the pair of reflecting plates 132. When the ink cartridge 30 is viewed from the front, the light blocking plate 67 overlaps with the space between the pair of reflecting plates 132 in the left-right directions 55, 56. The distance between the pair of reflecting plates 132 is wider than the dimension of the light blocking plate 67 in the left-right directions 55, 56.

[0122] 18, the light shielding plate 67 rotates around the shaft 68, similarly to the above embodiment. In the trajectory in which the light shielding plate 67 rotates from the first position to the second position, a part of the light shielding plate 67 enters the space between the pair of reflecting plates 132. Note that the light shielding plate 67 may rotate ahead of the pair of reflecting plates 132. In addition, it is preferable that the signal output by the sensor 103 when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 103 be similar to that in FIG.

[0123] As shown in Fig. 17, the reflector 132 is supported by the rear cover 31 above the upper surface 141 of the front cover 32 and extends in the front-rear directions 51, 52. The lower surface of the reflector 132 is a reflective surface that forms an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the left-right directions 55, 56. The lower surface of the reflector 132 is located a first distance L1 away in the upward direction 54 from the electrode 65 of the IC circuit 64. One side of the reflector 132 reflects light that is irradiated from the light-emitting portion of the sensor 103 and travels in the left-right directions 55, 56 (rightward direction 55 in Fig. 17) toward the downward direction 53. The other side of the reflector 132 reflects light that travels upward 54 from the prism 131 toward the left-right directions 55, 56 (rightward direction 55 in Fig. 17) toward the light-receiving portion of the sensor 103.

[0124] The prism 131 is provided in the internal frame 35 and has a reflective surface that can come into contact with the ink stored in the storage chamber 36. The prism 131 is located below the reflector plate 132. The prism 131 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and light can pass through the inside. The prism 131 has a pair of reflective surfaces 131A and 131B. The reflective surfaces 131A and 131B of the prism 131 are located below the pair of reflectors 132, respectively, and each of the reflective surfaces 131A and 131B forms an angle of, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the left-right directions 55 and 56. The prism 131 refracts light at each of the reflective surfaces 131A and 131B when in contact with ink. On the other hand, the prism 131 reflects light when not in contact with ink. In other words, the reflective surfaces 131A and 131B of the prism 131 reflect differently depending on whether or not they are in contact with the ink in the storage chamber 36. In other words, the reflecting surfaces 131A and 131B of the prism 131 change the direction of the incident light depending on whether or not they are in contact with the ink in the ink storage chamber .

[0125] 17(A), when ink in the storage chamber 36 is in contact with the reflecting surfaces 131A and 131B of the prism 131, the light emitted from the light-emitting portion of the sensor 103 is reflected by one of the reflectors 132 toward the prism 131, refracted at the reflecting surface 131A of the prism 131, and proceeds toward the storage chamber 36. Therefore, the sensor 103 outputs a low-level signal because the light-receiving portion cannot receive the light from the light-emitting portion.

[0126] As shown in FIG. 17(B), when the ink level in the storage chamber 36 is below the reflecting surfaces 131A and 131B of the prism 131 and ink is not in contact with the reflecting surfaces 131A and 131B of the prism 131, the light irradiated from the light emitting portion of the sensor 103 is reflected toward the prism 131 by one reflecting plate 132, reflected by the reflecting surface 131A of the prism 131, and directed toward the other reflecting surface 131B. The light is reflected upward by the reflecting surface 131B, directed toward the other reflecting plate 132, and reflected by the other reflecting plate 132 to reach the light receiving portion of the sensor 103. Therefore, the sensor 103 outputs a high level signal. In this way, the signal output by the sensor 103 differs depending on whether the prism 131 is in contact with the ink, so the control unit 130 can determine whether ink is present at the position of the prism 131 in the storage chamber 36 based on the signal output by the sensor 103.

[0127] In addition, in the above embodiment, there is a space 66 between the light blocking plate 67 and the detected portion 62 in the front-rear directions 51, 52, but instead of the space 66, for example, a light-transmitting member may be located between the light blocking plate 67 and the detected portion 62 in the front-rear directions 51, 52. The light-transmitting member may be a part of the light blocking plate 67, a part of the detected portion 62, or a separate independent member.

[0128] In the above-described embodiment, the electrode group 65 is composed of a power supply electrode 65A, a signal electrode 65B, and a ground electrode 65C. However, as shown in FIG. 19, a dummy electrode 65D may be provided outside the power supply electrode 65A or the signal electrode 65B. The power supply electrode 65A may be located between the dummy electrode 65D and the ground electrode 65C, or the signal electrode 65B may be located therebetween.

[0129] Also, as shown in FIG. 20, the IC substrate 64 may include a substrate 80, an electrode group 65 disposed on the upper surface of the substrate 80, and an electric circuit 81 and a battery 82 disposed on the lower surface of the substrate 80. Further, the entire upper surface of the IC substrate 64 may not be exposed to the outside, and a part of the upper surface of the substrate 80 including the electrode group 65 may be exposed to the outside, and the other parts may be covered by the housing 33 so as not to be exposed to the outside. Note that the lower surface side of the IC substrate 64 is shown within the two-dot chain line in FIG. 20.

[0130] The internal frame 35 may have an arbitrary configuration, and the ink cartridge 30 may not have the internal frame 35. The internal space of the members (an example of a housing) constituting the outer surface of the ink cartridge 30, such as the rear cover 31 and the front cover 32, may be the storage chamber 36. For example, the internal space of the box-shaped housing 33 as shown in FIG. 20 may be the storage chamber 36. In this case, the detection target portion 62, the IC substrate 64, and the light shielding plate 67 are respectively disposed on the upper surface 33A of the housing 33.

[0131] Also, as shown in FIG. 21, the dimension L2 along the left-right directions 55, 56 of the upper surface of the light shielding plate 67 in the first posture may be larger than the dimension L1 along the left-right directions 55, 56 of the ground electrode 65C (L1 < L2). In this case, if the dimension L2 along the left-right directions 55, 56 of the upper surface of the light shielding plate 67 is larger than the dimension along the left-right directions 55, 56 of the slit 108, the light shielding plate 67 in the first posture does not enter the slit 108 in the process of mounting the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge mounting portion 110, and as shown in FIG. 14, the light shielding plate 67 rotates to the second posture.

[0132] Furthermore, by making the dimension of the slit 108 in the left-right directions 55, 56 smaller than the dimension L2 of the upper surface of the light-shielding plate 67 in the left-right directions 55, 56, in the relationship where dimension L2 is smaller than dimension L1 of the ground electrode 65C in the left-right directions 55, 56 (L1>L2) as in the above embodiment, when the ink cartridge 30 is installed in the cartridge mounting portion 110, the light-shielding plate 67 in the first position does not enter the slit 108, and the light-shielding plate 67 rotates to the second position as shown in Figure 14.

[0133] In addition, in the above embodiment, the front end 86A of the second protrusion 86 is located forward of the front end 34A of the ink supply portion 34, but the front end 86A of the second protrusion 86 may be located rearward of the front end 34A of the ink supply portion 34, or may be at the same position in the front-to-back directions 51, 52.

[0134] In the above embodiment, ink is described as an example of liquid, but instead of ink, a pretreatment liquid to be ejected onto paper or the like prior to the ink during printing may be stored in the liquid cartridge. Also, water for cleaning the recording head 21 may be stored in the liquid cartridge. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 10 Printer (printing device) 21... Recording head (consumption part) 30···Ink cartridge (liquid cartridge) 33... Enclosure 34 Ink supply unit (liquid supply unit) 36...Storage chamber (liquid storage chamber) 47, 49... Leaf spring (elastic member) 58... weight 60....Shading plate (optical access section) 62...Detected part (remaining amount detection part) 64...IC board (circuit board) 65...electrode 66...Space (transparent area) 67....Light shielding plate (plate member, plate portion) 102 Ink needle (liquid supply tube) 103 Sensor 106... Contact 110 Cartridge mounting section 131 Prism 132 Reflector (optical access section)

Claims

1. A liquid cartridge that can be mounted to a printing device by being moved in a front-rear direction intersecting with a vertical direction along gravity relative to the printing device in a mounted position, A housing having a liquid storage chamber; a liquid supply section that protrudes forward from a front surface of the housing and supplies the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to an outside; a circuit board having an electrode group composed of at least three electrodes exposed upward in the mounting position; a plate member located behind the electrode in the mounting position and extending along a front-rear direction; a remaining amount detection unit that is located above the electrode and to the rear of the plate member in the mounted position, has a light access unit that is irradiated with light traveling in a left-right direction that intersects with a top-bottom direction and a front-back direction, and has a remaining amount detection unit whose light state changes depending on the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber, the plate member is rotatable about an axis along a left-right direction and changes its position between a first position in which the plate member is positioned above the light access portion and a second position in which the plate member is positioned rearward of the first position and below the light access portion; the liquid cartridge having a light-transmitting region that is more transparent to the light than the plate member and is located between the plate member in the first position and the remaining amount detection unit in the front-rear direction;

2. the electrode group includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, each of which is electrically connectable to a printing device in the mounted position; the third electrode is a ground electrode, 2. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the plate member in the first position and the third electrode intersect with a same imaginary plane that is parallel to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction.

3. 3. The liquid cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the upper end of the plate member in the first position is located between a left end and a right end of the remaining amount detection portion in the left-right direction.

4. 4. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the light transmitting area is a space.

5. 5. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member that urges the plate member toward the first position.

6. The plate member is a plate portion located above the electrode in the first position; 5. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising: a weight that rotates the plate portion toward the first position.

7. The remaining amount detection unit is A prism having a reflective surface that reflects light differently depending on whether or not the reflective surface is in contact with a liquid; 7. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising: the light access portion that reflects the light towards the prism.

8. The optical access portion is a pair of reflectors spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, 8. The liquid cartridge according to claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the plate member enters between the pair of reflecting plates during the process of changing its position from the first position to the second position.

9. 9. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the plate member and the remaining amount detection portion are irradiated with the light during the process of mounting the liquid cartridge to a printing device.

10. 10. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the plate member in the second position is located below the light access portion and above the electrode.

11. A liquid cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 10; a mounting portion into which the liquid cartridge is inserted forward and from which the liquid cartridge is removed backward; a consumption unit that consumes liquid stored in the liquid cartridge attached to the attachment unit, The above mounting part is a liquid supply pipe that is inserted into the liquid supply part when the liquid cartridge is attached to the attachment part to position the liquid supply part and supply the liquid supplied from the liquid supply part to the consumption part; a contact point that is electrically connected to the electrode of the liquid cartridge in an attached state; a sensor for optically detecting the remaining amount detection portion of the liquid cartridge in an attached state, The sensor detects the plate member and the light-transmitting area during the process of inserting the liquid cartridge into the mounting portion.

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