Liquid cartridge and liquid consumption device

Abstract

To provide a liquid cartridge which is less likely to be deformed by impact.SOLUTION: An ink cartridge 30 includes a housing 33, an ink supply part 34 projecting frontward from a front surface 140 of the housing 33, an IC substrate 64 having electrodes 65 exposed upward in an attachment posture, a plate member 67 positioned behind and above the electrodes 65 in an attachment posture, and a detected part 62 to which light of a sensor 103 is emitted. The plate member 67 has a front end movable in front and back directions 51 and 52, and changes its posture to a first posture positioned above the electrodes 65 and a second posture where the front end is closer to the detected part 62 than the first posture in the front and back directions 51 and 52. A space 66 is provided in the front and back directions 51 and 52 between a front part 91A of a light-shielding plate 91 of the light-shielding plate 67 and the detected part 62 in the first postures.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

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 relative 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 a front surface of the housing and supplying liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to an outside, a circuit board having an electrode group consisting of at least three electrodes exposed upward in the attached position, a plate member located rearward and above the electrodes in the attached position and extending in the front-rear direction, and a remaining amount detection unit including a portion spaced a first distance above the electrodes and located rearward of the plate member in the attached position, having an optical access unit irradiated with light traveling in a left-right direction intersecting with the up-down direction and the front-rear direction, and a remaining amount detection unit whose light state changes depending on the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber. The plate member has a front end that is movable in the front-rear direction and changes its posture between a first posture in which the front end is at a position above the electrode at the first distance and a second posture in which the front end is closer to the remaining amount detection unit in the front-rear direction than the first posture. A light-transmitting region that is more light-transmitting than the plate member is provided between the plate member in the first posture 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 is dropped, the plate member is less likely to deform because the plate member moves toward the second position.

[0009] (2) Preferably, the remaining amount detection unit has a prism with a reflective surface that reflects differently depending on whether or not it is in contact with liquid, and the optical access unit has a first reflective unit that reflects the light to the prism and a second reflective unit that reflects the light from the prism in the left and right directions.

[0010] (3) Preferably, the first reflecting portion and the second reflecting portion are positioned apart in the left-right direction, the plate member is movable in the front-rear direction by sliding, and the plate member in the second posture is positioned between the first reflecting portion and the second reflecting portion.

[0011] (4) 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.

[0012] 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 member 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 member 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 member is small.

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

[0014] (6) Preferably, the plate member is flexible in the front-rear direction.

[0015] (7) Preferably, the light-transmitting region is a space.

[0016] (8) 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.

[0017] (9) A liquid consumption 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 consumption section which consumes liquid stored in the liquid cartridge attached to the attachment section, wherein the attachment section is inserted into the liquid supply section when the liquid cartridge is attached to the attachment section to position the liquid supply section and supplies liquid supplied from the liquid supply section to the consumption section, contacts which are electrically connected to the electrodes of the liquid cartridge in the attached state, and a sensor which optically detects the remaining amount detection section of the liquid cartridge in the attached state, and the sensor detects the plate member in the first position and the light-transmitting area during the process of inserting the liquid cartridge into the attachment section. Effect of the Invention

[0018] 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]

[0019] [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 cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the cartridge mounting portion 110. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the ink cartridge 30. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] Figure 4(A) shows prism 131 and reflectors 132A, 132B in a state where reflective surfaces 134A, 134B of prism 131 reflect light, and Figure 4(B) shows prism 131 and reflectors 132A, 132B in a state where reflective surfaces 134A, 134B of prism 131 do not reflect light. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the right side of the ink cartridge 30. As shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a top view of the ink cartridge 30. As shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 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 91 is detected by the sensor 103. As shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge mounting section 110, showing the state in which the ink needle 102 is inserted into the ink supply port 71 of the ink supply section 34 and the space 66 is located in the optical path of the sensor 103. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged top view showing a state in which the front portion 91A of the light blocking plate 91 has entered the slit . [Figure 10] FIG. 10 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 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a signal output by the sensor 103 during the mounting process. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an enlarged top view showing a state in which the light blocking plate 91 abuts against the wall surface 107. As shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the ink cartridge 30 having a plate member 68. As shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a top view showing a modified example of the ink cartridge 30 having a dummy electrode 65D. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge 30 showing a modified example of the IC board 64. As shown in FIG. [Figure 16]FIG. 16 is a top view of an ink cartridge 30 according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] [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 a 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 side. The ink cartridge 30 is inserted forward into the cartridge mounting section 110 through the opening 112, or removed backward from the cartridge mounting section 110.

[0025] 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 tube 20. The recording head 21 is provided with a sub-tank 28. The sub-tank 28 temporarily stores ink supplied through the 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] [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.

[0028] [Cartridge mounting section 110] 2, the cartridge mounting section 110 includes a case 101, an ink needle 102, a sensor 103, and three contacts 106. The cartridge mounting section 110 can accommodate four ink cartridges 30 corresponding to the colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Four ink needles 102, four sensors 103, and four contacts 106 are provided for each of the four ink cartridges 30. The case 101 includes a locking section for holding the ink cartridges 30 in the mounted state, but the locking section is not shown in the figure.

[0029] [Case 101] 2, 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 facing 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.

[0030] The ink cartridge 30 is inserted into and removed from the case 101 through the opening 112. The ink cartridge 30 is guided in the front-rear directions 51, 52 by inserting the upper and lower ends of the ink cartridge 30 into guide grooves 109 provided on the top and bottom surfaces. 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.

[0031] [Ink Needle 102] 2, 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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. 1). 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 through the internal space of the ink supply section 34 and the internal space of the ink needle 102 into the tube 20 connected to the ink needle 102. The tip of the ink needle 102 may be flat or pointed.

[0034] [Contact 106] As shown in FIG. 2, 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 (see FIG. 3) of the electrode group 65 (power electrode 65A, signal electrode 65B, ground electrode 65C) of the ink cartridge 30 described below. 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] [Sensor 103] As shown in FIG. 2, 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 2, a slit 108 into which the light blocking plate 91 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.

[0039] [Ink Cartridge 30] The ink cartridge 30 shown in Fig. 3 is a container in which ink is stored. Spaces formed inside the ink cartridge 30 are a storage chamber 36 and a sub-storage chamber 37 (see Fig. 4, an example of a liquid storage chamber) that store ink. The storage chamber 36 and the sub-storage chamber 37 are formed by an internal frame 35 housed in a housing 33 that forms the exterior of the ink cartridge 30, but may be formed by the housing 33.

[0040] The position of the ink cartridge 30 shown in Fig. 3 is the position when the ink cartridge 30 is in the mounting position. That is, as described later, the ink cartridge 30 has a front surface 140, a rear surface 141, an upper surface 142, and a lower surface 143, but the position of the ink cartridge 30 shown in Fig. 3 is a position in which the direction from the rear surface 141 to the front surface 140 corresponds to the front direction 51, the direction from the front surface 140 to the rear surface 141 corresponds to the rear direction 52, the direction from the upper surface 142 to the lower surface 143 corresponds to the downward direction 53, the direction from the lower surface 143 to the upper surface 142 corresponds to the upward direction 54, the direction from the side surface 137 to the side surface 138 corresponds to the rightward direction 55, and the direction from the side surface 138 to the side surface 137 corresponds to the leftward direction 56. Furthermore, when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110, the front surface 140 faces forward, the rear surface 141 faces rearward, the bottom surface 143 faces downward, the top surface 142 faces upward, the side surface 137 faces left, and the side surface 138 faces right.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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 greater 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 housing 33 that faces forward is the front surface 140, and the surface of the housing 33 that faces rearward is the rear surface 141. In other words, the rear surface 141 is disposed between the front surface 140 of the housing 33 and the storage chamber 36.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, a protrusion 43 is provided on the upper surface 142 of the housing 33. 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 142. The surface of the protrusion 43 facing rearward is a lock surface 151. 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 toward the rear when the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge mounting portion 110. The lock surface 151 comes into contact with the lock portion toward the rear, thereby holding the ink cartridge 30 in an attached state in the cartridge mounting portion 110. An operation unit 90 is provided behind the lock surface 151 on the upper surface 142 of the housing 33. In this embodiment, during the process of installing the ink cartridge 30, the ink cartridge 30 tilts so that the locking surface 151 moves upward, causing the locking surface 151 to come into contact with the locking portion; however, the ink cartridge 30 may also move along the front-to-rear directions 51, 52 without tilting, causing the locking surface 151 to come into contact with the locking portion.

[0044] A first protrusion 85 and a second protrusion 86 are formed on a front surface 140 of the housing 33. The first protrusion 85 protrudes forward at the upper end of the housing 33. The tip of the first protrusion 85 forms a part of the front surface 140.

[0045] The second protrusion 86 protrudes forward from the lower end of the front surface 140 of the housing 33, i.e., below the ink supply unit 34. The front end of the second protrusion 86 is located forward of the front end of the ink supply unit 34.

[0046] A hole 98 penetrating downward is formed in the upper surface 142 of the housing 33. The hole 98 serves to expose the detected portion 62 to the outside.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4, the detected portion 62 (an example of a remaining amount detection portion) has a prism 131, a reflector 132A (an example of a first reflector), and a reflector 132B (an example of a second reflector). The reflector 132A and the reflector 132B are located between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the sensor 103. The reflector 132A and the reflector 132B are located apart in the left-right directions 55, 56, with the reflector 132A located on the left side and the reflector 132B located on the right side when viewed from the front. Therefore, a space is formed between the reflector 132A and the reflector 132B in the left-right directions 55, 56. The dimension of the space between the reflector 132A and the reflector 132B along the left-right directions 55, 56 is larger than the dimension of the light shielding plate 91 in the left-right directions 55, 56 described later. The light blocking plate 91 is movable in the front and rear directions 51, 52 in the space between the reflecting plate 132A and the reflecting plate 132B.

[0048] The reflector 132A is supported by the internal frame 35 and extends upward beyond the top surface 142 through a hole 98 in the housing 33. The reflector 132A has a reflecting surface 133A that faces leftward and downward at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the left-right directions 55, 56. The reflecting surface 133A reflects light that is emitted from the light-emitting unit of the sensor 103 and travels in the rightward direction 55, downward toward the downward direction 53. The reflector 132B is supported by the internal frame 35 and extends upward beyond the top surface 142 through a hole 98 in the housing 33. The reflector 132B has a reflecting surface 133B that faces rightward and downward at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the left-right directions 55, 56. The reflecting surface 133B reflects light that travels in the upward direction 54 from the prism 131, toward the light-receiving unit of the sensor 103, in the rightward direction 55.

[0049] The prism 131 is provided in the internal frame 35, and has a reflecting surface 134A and a reflecting surface 134B that can come into contact with the ink stored in the sub-storage chamber 37, which is a part of the storage chamber 36. The prism 131 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin, and light can pass through the inside. The sub-storage chamber 37 is located between the storage chamber 36 and the ink supply unit 34, and after all the ink stored in the storage chamber 36 flows out, the ink level in the sub-storage chamber 37 drops. The prism 131 is located below the reflecting surface 134A and the reflecting surface 134B. The reflecting surface 134A of the prism 131 is located below the reflecting surface 133A of the reflector 132A, and faces leftward and downward at an angle of, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the left-right directions 55, 56. The reflecting surface 134B of the prism 131 is located below the reflecting surface 133B of the reflector 132B, and faces rightward and downward at an angle of, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the left-right directions 55 and 56. The reflecting surfaces 134A and 134B of the prism 131 refract light when in contact with ink. On the other hand, they reflect light when not in contact with ink. That is, the reflecting surfaces 134A and 134B of the prism 131 reflect light differently depending on whether they are in contact with the ink in the storage chamber 36 or not. In other words, the reflecting surfaces 134A and 134B of the prism 131 change the direction of the incident light depending on whether they are in contact with the ink in the storage chamber 36 or not.

[0050] 4(A), when the ink in the sub-storage chamber 37 is in contact with the reflecting surfaces 134A and 134B of the prism 131, the light emitted from the light-emitting portion of the sensor 103 is reflected by the reflecting surface 133A of the reflector 132A toward the prism 131, and is refracted at the reflecting surface 134A of the prism 131 and travels toward the sub-storage chamber 37. Therefore, the sensor 103 outputs a low-level signal.

[0051] 4B, when the ink level in the sub-storage chamber 37 is below the reflecting surfaces 134A and 134B of the prism 131 and ink is not in contact with the reflecting surfaces 134A and 134B of the prism 131, the light emitted from the light-emitting portion of the sensor 103 is reflected by the reflecting surface 133A of the reflector 132A toward the prism 131, and is reflected by the reflecting surface 134A of the prism 131 toward the reflecting surface 134B. The light is reflected upward by the reflecting surface 134B toward the reflecting surface 133B, and is reflected by the reflecting surface 133B 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 or not the prism 131 is in contact with ink, so the control unit 130 can determine whether or not there is ink at the position of the prism 131 in the sub-storage chamber 37 based on the signal output by the sensor 103.

[0052] 3, an IC board 64 (an example of a circuit board) is provided on the top surface 142 of the housing 33 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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. As shown in FIG. 6, the electrode group 65 includes a power electrode 65A (an example of a first electrode), a signal electrode 65B (an example of a second electrode), and a ground electrode 65C (an example of a third electrode). 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 spaced apart in the left-right directions 55 and 56. The ground electrode 65C is located at 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.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 3, the ink supply unit 34 protrudes forward from the 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. An ink supply port 71 is formed at the tip of the ink supply unit 34. The ink supply port 71 communicates with the storage chamber 36. Although not shown in the figures, the ink supply port 71 can be opened and closed by a valve.

[0056] It should be noted that the ink supply unit 34 does not necessarily need to be provided with a valve for opening and closing 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 unit 110, the ink needle 102 breaks through the film, causing the tip of the ink needle 102 to enter the internal space of the ink supply unit 34 through the ink supply port 71. The ink supply port 71 may be closed with an elastic member such as rubber or elastomer, and may be formed so as to be pushed open by the ink needle 102 only when the ink needle 102 is inserted.

[0057] 3 and 5, a plate member 67 protruding upward from an upper surface 142 is located in the housing 33. The plate member 67 is located rearward and above the electrode group 65, and extends along the front-rear directions 51, 52. The plate member 67 has a light shielding plate 91 and a spring seat 92.

[0058] The light shielding plate 91 has a flat plate shape extending in the front-rear direction 51, 52. The front part 91A of the light shielding plate 91 extends upward from the upper surface 142 of the housing 33 further than the rear part 91B. The upper end of the front part 91A is located above the detection position of the sensor 103. The detection position of the sensor 103 is a position that is a first distance away in the upward direction 54 from the electrode 65. Therefore, in the process of inserting and removing the ink cartridge 30 into and from the cartridge mounting part 110, the front part 91A passes so as to block the optical axis of the sensor 103 and can be detected by the sensor 103. The upper end of the rear part 91B is located below the detection position of the sensor 103. Therefore, in the process of inserting and removing the ink cartridge 30 into and from the cartridge mounting part 110, the rear part 91B does not block the optical axis of the sensor 103 and is not detected by the sensor 103.

[0059] In order for the front portion 91A of the light shielding plate 91 to be detected by the sensor 103, the light output from the light emitting portion of the sensor 103 hits the front portion 91A of the light shielding plate 91 on the way to the light receiving portion, so that the intensity of the light reaching the light receiving portion becomes less than a predetermined intensity, for example, zero. The front portion 91A of the light shielding plate 91 may completely block the light from traveling in the left-right directions 55, 56, may partially attenuate the light, may bend the traveling direction of the light, or may totally reflect the light.

[0060] The rear end of the light blocking plate 91 is connected to the spring seat 92. The spring seat 92 is a flat plate whose main surface extends in the front-rear directions 51, 52 and the up-down directions 53, 54. The spring seat 92 is located behind the detected portion 62 and in front of the protruding portion 43. The spring seat 92 and the front surface of the protruding portion 43 face each other with a gap therebetween in the front-rear directions 51, 52. A coil spring 93 (an example of an elastic member) is located between the spring seat 92 and the front surface of the protruding portion 43. The coil spring 93 biases the spring seat 92 forward. The light blocking plate 91 extends forward from the spring seat 92 through between the pair of reflecting plates 132 of the detected portion 62.

[0061] The plate member 67 is movable in the front-rear directions 51, 52 on the upper surface 142 of the housing 33. The plate member 67 in a first position is shown in Fig. 3. The plate member 67 in the first position is shown in Fig. 5 by a solid line, and the plate member 67 in the second position is shown by a dashed line.

[0062] In the plate member 67 in the first position, the spring seat 92 is biased by the coil spring 93 and abuts against the reflector 132 of the detected portion 62 from behind. The spring seat 92 abuts against the reflector 132, thereby holding the plate member 67 in the first position. In other words, the coil spring 93 biases the plate member 67 toward the first position. In the plate member 67 in the first position, the front portion 91A of the light blocking plate 91 is located forward of the detected portion 62.

[0063] In the plate member 67 in the first position, a space 66 (an example of a light-transmitting region) is formed along the front-rear directions 51, 52 between the rear end of the front part 91A of the light shielding plate 91 and the front end of the reflector 132 of the detected portion 62. In other words, in the plate member 67 in the first position, the front part 91A of the light shielding plate 91 and the reflector 132 are arranged in the front-rear directions 51, 52 with the space 66 interposed therebetween. The space 66 is a space above the rear part 91B of the light shielding plate 91, and is continuous in the left-right directions 55, 56. In the plate member 67 in the first position, the front part 91A of the light shielding plate 91 is located rearward and above each electrode 65 of the IC board 64. The upper end of the front part 91A of the light shielding plate 91 is located between the pair of reflectors 132 in the left-right directions 55, 56.

[0064] 5, when an external force in the rear direction 52 is applied to the plate member 67, the plate member 67 moves from the first position to the rear direction 52 against the biasing force of the coil spring 93 to the second position. In the plate member 67 in the second position, the position of the front end of the light blocking plate 91 in the front-rear directions 51, 52 is closer to the reflector 132 than in the first position.

[0065] When the plate member 67 is in the second posture, a part of the front portion 91A of the light blocking plate 91 enters between the pair of reflecting plates 132. In other words, in the front-rear directions 51, 52, the position of the front portion 91A of the light blocking plate 91 overlaps with the position of the reflecting plate 132. Note that when the plate member 67 is in the second posture, the entire front portion 91A of the light blocking plate 91 may enter between the pair of reflecting plates 132.

[0066] [Arrangement of detected portion 62, electrode group 65, and light shielding plate 91] As shown in Fig. 6, the detected portion 62, the IC board 64, and the light shielding plate 91 are located on the upper surface 142 of the housing 33. The light shielding plate 91 (front portion 91A) and the ground electrode 65C of the plate member 67 in the first position intersect with the same imaginary plane 180 (shown by a dashed line in Fig. 6) 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 left-right directions 55, 56 of the housing 33. The imaginary plane 180 is also located at the center of the left-right directions 55, 56 of the light shielding plate 91 of the plate member 67 in the first position. Therefore, the center of the left-right directions 55, 56 of the light shielding plate 91 of the plate member 67 in the first position coincides with the center of the left-right directions 55, 56 of the housing 33.

[0067] 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 larger than the dimension L2 of the upper surface of the light blocking plate 91 in the plate member 67 in the first posture in the left-right directions 55, 56 (L1>L2).

[0068] [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.

[0069] Before the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110, the ink supply port 71 of the ink supply portion 34 is closed by a valve, thereby blocking the flow of ink from the storage chamber 36 to the outside of the ink cartridge 30.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 7, the ink cartridge 30 is inserted forward into the case 101 through the opening 112 of the cartridge mounting section 110. When the ink cartridge 30 is inserted forward, the front portion 91A of the light shielding plate 91 of the plate member 67 in the first position is positioned between the light emitter and light receiver of the sensor 103. As the front end of the front portion 91 of the light shielding plate 91 passes forward through the optical path of the sensor 103, the signal output to the control section 130 of the printer 10 changes from high level to low level.

[0072] 8, 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 of the front portion 91A of the light shielding plate 91 of the plate member 67 in the first attitude 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.

[0073] When the ink cartridge 30 is further inserted forward, the ink supply unit 34 enters the guide unit 105, and the ink needle 102 enters the ink supply port 71. This positions the ink supply unit 34, and allows the ink in the storage chamber 36 to flow to the tube 20 through the ink needle 102.

[0074] 9, the light shielding plate 91 in the first position, which passes between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor 103 and moves forward, enters the slit 108. In the attached state, the detected portion 62 is located on the optical path of the sensor 103. The light shielding plate 91 is located inside the slit 108.

[0075] 10, 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. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the protrusion 43 comes into contact with a locking portion of the cartridge mounting portion 110, and the ink cartridge 30 is held in the mounted state.

[0076] 11, 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 front portion 91A of the light shielding plate 91 in the plate member 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 detected portion 62. Here, normal means, for example, that the ink cartridge 30 is compatible with the printer 10 and that the sub storage chamber 37 is filled with an amount of ink that is not empty or near empty.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] When the ink cartridge 30 moves rearward when it is removed from the cartridge mounting portion 110, the space 66 and the light shielding plate 91 of the plate member 67 in the first position pass rearward 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.

[0080] The change in signal caused by the sensor 103 detecting the front portion 91A of the light shielding plate 91 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).

[0081] [Movement of plate member 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 91 of the plate member 67 in the first position to abut against the wall surface 107 where the slit 108 opens without entering the slit 108.

[0082] When the ink cartridge 30 is moved forward in a state in which the light blocking plate 91 of the plate member 67 in the first position is in contact with the wall surface 107 without entering the slit 108, the plate member 67 in the first position is relatively pushed backward 52 by the wall surface 107. As a result, as shown in Fig. 12, the plate member 67 in the first position assumes the second position against the biasing force of the coil spring 93. This allows the ink cartridge 30 to be mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110 even if the light blocking plate 91 does not enter the slit 108.

[0083] [Effects of this embodiment] According to this embodiment, the plate member 67 in the first position, the space 66, and the detected portion 62 can be detected by the sensor 103. When the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the printer 10 or dropped, the plate member 67 moves toward the second position, so that the plate member 67 is less likely to deform.

[0084] In the ink cartridge 30, the light shielding plate 91 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 in the front-rear directions 51, 52 of the front end and rear end of the front part 91A of the light shielding plate 91 is small.

[0085] In addition, since there is a space 66 between the front portion 91A of the light shielding plate 91 and the detected portion 62 in the front-rear directions 51, 52, the rear end of the front portion 91A of the light shielding plate 91 can be easily optically detected. Also, the optical detection of the front portion 91A of the light shielding plate 91 and the optical detection of the detected portion 62 are clearly separated in the output of the sensor 103. Also, the optical detection position of the front portion 91A of the light shielding plate 91 and the optical detection position of the detected portion 62 can be made to overlap in the up-down directions 53, 54.

[0086] 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 91 along the left-right directions 55, 56, the light blocking plate 91 is unlikely to come into contact with the sensor 103 even if the ink cartridge 30 rattles when installed.

[0087] [Variations] In the above embodiment, the plate member 67 is movable in the front-rear directions 51 and 52, but the plate member 67 may be flexible in the front-rear directions 51 and 52. That is, in the above embodiment, the plate member 67 is shown moving in the front-rear directions 51 and 52 as an example of a change in the attitude of the plate member, but in this modified example, the shape of the plate member is shown to change as another example of a change in the attitude of the plate member. As shown in FIG. 13, the plate member 68 is located behind the electrode 65 and in front of the detected portion 62. The rear end portion of the plate member 68 is fixed to the upper surface 142 of the housing 33, and the front end portion is not fixed to the housing 33. The shape of the plate member 68 is the same as the front portion 91A of the light shielding plate 91, and a space 66 is located between the plate member 68 and the detected portion 62. The plate member 68 is made of a flexible material such as rubber or elastomer. When no external force is applied to the plate member 68, the plate member 68 is in the first attitude. When an external force is applied to the front portion of the plate member 68 in the rear direction 52, the front portion of the plate member 68 is bent and the front end moves rearward to assume the second position.

[0088] In addition, in the above embodiment, there is a space 66 between the front part 91A of the light shielding plate 91 and the detected part 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 front part 91A of the light shielding plate 91 and the detected part 62 in the front-rear directions 51, 52. In addition, the light-transmitting member may be the rear part 91B of the light shielding plate 91, may be a part of the detected part 62, or may be a separate independent member.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the electrode group 65 is composed of the power electrode 65A, the signal electrode 65B, and the ground electrode 65C, but as shown in Fig. 14, a dummy electrode 65D may be provided on the outer side of the power electrode 65A or the signal electrode 65B. The power electrode 65A or the signal electrode 65B may be located between the dummy electrode 65D and the ground electrode 65C.

[0090] 15, IC board 64 may have substrate 80, electrode group 65 arranged on the upper surface of substrate 80, and electric circuit 81 and battery 82 arranged on the lower surface of substrate 80. IC board 64 may have a structure in which the entire upper surface is not exposed to the outside, and a part of the upper surface of substrate 80 including electrode group 65 is exposed to the outside, and the other portions are covered by housing 33 so as not to be exposed to the outside. The lower surface side of IC board 64 is shown within the two-dot chain line in FIG.

[0091] Also, as shown in FIG. 16, the dimension L2 along the left - right directions 55, 56 of the front - end portion of the front part 91A of the plate member 91 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 front - end portion of the front part 91A of the plate member 91 is larger than the dimension along the left - right directions 55, 56 of the slit 108, in the process of mounting the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge mounting portion 110, the front part 91A of the plate member 91 in the first posture does not enter the slit 108, and as shown in FIG. 12, the plate member 91 moves rearward to the second posture. Also, all of the front part 91A and the rear part 91B of the plate member 91, or the dimension in the left - right directions 55, 56 of a part of the front part 91A may be larger than the dimension L1 along the left - right directions 55, 56 of the ground electrode 65C. In this case, the interval in the left - right directions 55, 56 between the reflector 132A and the reflector 132B becomes wider than the maximum dimension in the left - right directions 55, 56 of the plate member 91.

[0092] Also, the internal frame 35 has an arbitrary configuration, the ink cartridge 30 does not have the internal frame 35, and the internal space of a member (an example of a housing) that constitutes the outer surface of the ink cartridge 30 like the housing 33 may be the storage chamber 36.

[0093] Also, in the above - described embodiment, ink is described as an example of a liquid. However, for example, instead of ink, a pretreatment liquid that is discharged onto paper or the like prior to 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 Reference Numerals

[0094] 10 ··· Printer (printing device) 21 ··· Recording head (consumption part) 30 ··· Ink cartridge (liquid cartridge) 33 ··· Housing 34 ··· Ink supply part (liquid supply part) 36 ··· Storage chamber (liquid storage chamber) 37 Sub-reservoir (liquid reservoir) 62...Detected part (remaining amount detection part) 64...IC board (circuit board) 65...electrode 66...Space (transparent area) 67, 68 Plate member 93... Coil spring (elastic member) 102 Ink needle (liquid supply tube) 103 Sensor 106... Contact 110 Cartridge mounting section 131 Prism 132A, 132B...Reflector (1st reflection section, 2nd reflection 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 rearward and upward of the electrode in the mounting position and extending along a front-rear direction; a remaining amount detection unit that includes a portion that is spaced a first distance above the electrode in the mounted position and is located behind the plate member, has a light access portion that is irradiated with light traveling in a left-right direction that intersects with the up-down direction and the front-rear 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 has a front end that is movable in a front-rear direction and changes its posture between a first posture in which the front end is at a position above the electrode at the first distance and a second posture in which the front end is closer to the remaining amount detection unit in the front-rear direction than the first posture, the liquid cartridge having a light-transmitting region, between the plate member in the first position and the remaining amount detection unit, the light-transmitting region having higher light transmittance than the plate member.

2. the remaining amount detection unit has a prism having a reflective surface that reflects differently depending on whether or not it is in contact with liquid, 2. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the optical access portion has a first reflecting portion that reflects the light toward the prism, and a second reflecting portion that reflects the light from the prism in left and right directions.

3. The first reflecting portion and the second reflecting portion are located apart from each other in the left-right direction, The plate member is movable in the front-rear direction by sliding, The liquid cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein the plate member in the second attitude is located between the first reflecting portion and the second reflecting portion.

4. 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, 4. The liquid cartridge according to claim 3, 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.

5. 5. The liquid cartridge according to claim 3, further comprising an elastic member that urges the plate member toward the first position.

6. 2. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the plate member is flexible in the front-rear direction.

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

8. 8. 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.

9. A liquid cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 8; 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 in the first position and the light-transmitting area during the process of inserting the liquid cartridge into the mounting portion.

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