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: a housing 33 having a liquid storage chamber 36; a residual quantity detection part 62 that has a light access part 133A to which light traveling in right and left directions 55 and 56 crossing upper and lower directions 53 and 54 and front and back directions 51 and 52 is emitted on an upper side 54 of the liquid storage chamber 36, and changes the state of the light according to a quantity of liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber 36; and a plate member 67 that is positioned above the liquid storage chamber 36 and in front 51 of the light access part 133A in the attachment posture, is rotatable around an axis A in the upper and lower directions 53 and 54, and changes its posture to a first posture extending in the front and back directions 51 and 52, and a second posture extending in a direction crossing the front and back directions.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 relative to the printing device in an attached position. The liquid cartridge includes a housing having a liquid storage chamber, a liquid supply unit that protrudes forward from a front surface of the housing and supplies liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to the outside, a remaining amount detection unit that has an optical access unit that is irradiated with light traveling in a left-right direction intersecting with the up-down direction and the front-rear direction above the liquid storage chamber in the attached position and changes the state of the light depending on the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber, and a plate member that is located above the liquid storage chamber and in front of the optical access unit in the attached position, is rotatable about an axis along the up-down direction, and changes its position between a first position extending along the front-rear direction and a second position extending along a direction intersecting with the front-rear direction.

[0008] The plate member and the optical access portion can be detected by the same sensor. Furthermore, the plate member is unlikely to deform when subjected to an impact when the liquid cartridge is attached to the printing device or dropped, due to the plate member rotating.

[0009] (2) The display device may further include a circuit board having an electrode group including at least three electrodes exposed upward in the mounted position. In the mounted position, the plate member may include a portion located a first distance above the electrodes and rearward of the electrodes.

[0010] (3) The optical access portion may have a portion spaced a first distance above the electrode.

[0011] (4) The liquid crystal display may further include a light-transmitting region that is located a first distance above the electrode, rearward of the plate member in the first position and forward of the remaining amount detection unit, and that is more transparent to the light than the plate member.

[0012] The detection of the plate member and the detection of the optical access portion are clearly distinguished.

[0013] (5) The light-transmitting region may be a space.

[0014] (6) The electrode group may include a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode arranged in the left-right direction, each of which may be electrically connected to the printing device in the mounted position. The third electrode may be a ground electrode. An upper end of the plate member in the first position and the third electrode may intersect with the same imaginary plane parallel to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction.

[0015] 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.

[0016] (7) In the mounting position, the shaft of the plate member may be located at a front end of the plate member in the first position.

[0017] The plate member easily enters the slit of the printing device.

[0018] (8) The axis of the plate member may be located below an upper surface of the housing.

[0019] The portions of the plate member other than the shaft can be made thinner.

[0020] (9) An upper end of the plate member in the first position may be located between a left end and a right end of the remaining amount detection portion in the left-right direction.

[0021] (10) The holding mechanism may further include a restricting portion that restricts rotation of the plate member by contacting the plate member in the second position.

[0022] Since the rotation range of the plate member is restricted, the plate member is prevented from rotating excessively and becoming damaged.

[0023] (11) The remaining amount detection unit may include 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 that reflects the light to the prism.

[0024] (12) The plate member in the first position and the light access portion may be irradiated with the light during the process of mounting the liquid cartridge to a printing device.

[0025] (13) A liquid consumption device of 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 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 consumption section, 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 during the process of inserting the liquid cartridge into the attachment section. Effect of the Invention

[0026] 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]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a printer 10 having a cartridge mounting portion 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 reflector 132 in a state where reflective surfaces 134A, 134B of prism 131 do not reflect light, and Figure 4(B) shows prism 131 and reflector 132 in a state where reflective surfaces 134A, 134B of prism 131 reflect light. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged right side view of the ink cartridge 30 including the plate member 67 and its vicinity. [Figure 6]FIG. 6A is a top view of the ink cartridge 30 with the plate member 67 in the first position, and FIG. 6B is a top view of the ink cartridge 30 with the plate member 67 in the second position. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a top view of the ink cartridge 30. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge mounting portion 110, and shows a state in which the plate member 67 is detected by the sensor 103. As shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge mounting portion 110, showing 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 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged top view showing a state in which the plate member 67 has entered the slit 108. 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 cartridge 30 is positioned in the cartridge mounting portion 110. As shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a signal output by the sensor 103 during the mounting process. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a top view showing a modified example of the ink cartridge 30 having a dummy electrode 65D. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge 30 showing a modified example of the IC board 64. As shown in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15(A) is a top view of the ink cartridge 30 showing a modified example of the regulating portion, and FIG. 15(B) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 when the plate member 67 of FIG. 15(A) is in the first position. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a right side view of the ink cartridge 30 showing a modified example in which the rotation shaft 68 fixed to the plate member 67 is disposed on the rear end side. [Figure 17]Figure 17(A) is a right side view of the vicinity including plate member 67 in a modified ink cartridge 30 in which a light-transmitting member is integrally formed behind plate member 67, Figure 17(B) is a top view of the vicinity including plate member 67 showing the state in which plate member 67 in Figure 17(A) is rotating, and Figure 17(C) is a top view of the vicinity including plate member 67 in Figure 17(A) in which the light-transmitting member is integrally formed with the detected portion 62. [Figure 18] Figure 18(A) is a right side view of the vicinity including plate member 67 in a modified ink cartridge 30 in which no translucent area is formed between the plate member 67 and the detected portion 62 in the front-to-back directions 51, 52, Figure 18(B) is a top view of the vicinity including plate member 67 of the ink cartridge 30 shown in Figure 18(A), and Figure 18(C) is a top view of the vicinity including plate member 67 of the modified ink cartridge 30 shown in Figure 18(A). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] [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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] [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.

[0036] [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 an attached state, but the locking section is not shown in the drawing.

[0037] [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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] [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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] [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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] [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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 2, a slit 108 is formed behind the contact 106 and in front of the sensor 103, into which a plate member 67 (described later) of the ink cartridge 30 can enter. 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.

[0047] [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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, a protrusion 43 and an operation unit 90 are 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. The operation unit 90 is located behind the lock surface 151.

[0052] The locking portion is not particularly limited as long as it can hold the ink cartridge 30 in the mounting position by contact with the locking surface 151. For example, the locking portion is configured as a rod-shaped member extending along 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 holds the ink cartridge 30 in the mounting position against the force of a coil spring that urges the valve that closes the ink supply port 71 forward, pushing the ink cartridge 30 backward. Note that the position of the ink cartridge 30 during the mounting process into the mounting portion 110 may be tilted with respect to the mounting position, or may be non-tilted with respect to the mounting position, as long as the ink cartridge 30 can be held in the mounting position by contact between the locking surface 151 and the locking portion.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 4, the detected portion 62 (an example of a remaining amount detection portion) has a prism 131 and a reflector 132 (an example of an optical access portion, an optical reflector). The reflector 132 is located between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the sensor 103. The reflector 132 is supported by the internal frame 35 and extends upward from the upper surface 142 through a hole 98 of the housing 33. The reflector 132 has a pair of reflecting surfaces 133A and 133B that form an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the left-right directions 55 and 56. The reflecting surface 133A reflects light that is irradiated from the light emitting portion of the sensor 103 and travels in the right direction 55 toward the downward direction 53. The reflecting surface 133B reflects light that travels in the upward direction 54 from the prism 131 toward the right direction 55 toward the light receiving portion of the sensor 103.

[0057] 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 132, and faces leftward and downward at an angle of, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the left-right directions 55 and 56. The reflecting surface 134B of the prism 131 is located below the reflecting surface 133B of the reflector 132, 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.

[0058] 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 unit of the sensor 103 is reflected by the reflecting surface 133A toward the prism 131, 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.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 4B, when the ink level in the sub-storage chamber 37 is lower than 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 toward the prism 131 by the reflecting surface 133A, 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 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 of the sub-storage chamber 37 based on the signal output by the sensor 103.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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. 3, 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 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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, in a forward direction 51 of the reflector 132 of the detected portion 62. The plate member 67 is formed in a flat plate shape extending in the front-rear directions 51, 52 and the up-down directions 53, 54. As shown in FIG. 6(A), the plate member 67 is located midway between the left-right directions 55, 56 with respect to the reflector 132. The plate member 67 may be formed by laminating a light-shielding sheet or the like on the surface of a light-transmitting member, or may be formed of a light-shielding member.

[0066] The upper end of the plate member 67 is located above the detection position of the sensor 103. The detection position of the sensor 103 is a position (the position of the optical axis 103a of the sensor 103) that is a first distance L3 away in the upward direction 54 from the electrode 65. Therefore, during the process of inserting or removing the ink cartridge 30 into or from the cartridge mounting portion 110, the plate member 67 passes so as to interrupt the optical axis 103a of the sensor 103, and can be detected by the sensor 103.

[0067] In order for the plate member 67 to be detected by the sensor 103, the light output from the light-emitting section of the sensor 103 hits the plate member 67 on the way to the light-receiving section, so that the intensity of the light reaching the light-receiving section becomes less than a predetermined intensity, for example, zero. The plate member 67 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.

[0068] The plate member 67 is configured to be rotatable around an axis A along the up-down directions 53 and 54. Specifically, a rotation shaft 68, the center of which is the axis A, is fixed to the lower end surface of the plate member 67. The rotation shaft 68 is disposed at the front end of the lower end surface of the plate member 67. The rotation shaft 68 is rotatably inserted into an insertion hole formed in the upper surface 142 of the housing 33. The insertion hole has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rotation shaft 68, and is configured to function as a bearing for the rotation shaft 68. The rotation shaft 68 is prevented from falling out when inserted into the insertion hole. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, the plate member 67 is configured to be rotatable around the axis A passing through the center of the rotation shaft 68, and to change its posture between a first posture (dotted line in FIG. 6B) extending along the front-rear directions 51 and 52 and a second posture (solid line in FIG. 6B) extending along a direction intersecting the front-rear directions 51 and 52. The means for preventing the rotation shaft 68 from coming off is not particularly limited as long as the rotation shaft 68 is rotatable within the insertion hole.

[0069] Plate member 67 may be configured to be held in the first position by, for example, a torsion spring (not shown). In this case, when a force acts on plate member 67 in a direction rotating about rotation shaft 68, plate member 67 rotates toward the second position against the elastic force of the torsion spring. In this way, plate member 67 is held in the first position, making it easier for plate member 67 to enter slit 108 and more reliably blocking light output from the light emitting portion of sensor 103.

[0070] The upper surface 142 of the housing 33 is provided with a restricting portion 70 that restricts the rotation of the plate member 67 by contacting the plate member 67 in the second position. The restricting portions 70 are formed at positions spaced apart from the plate member 67 in the right direction 55 and the left direction 56. Each restricting portion 70 protrudes in the upward direction 54 from the upper surface 142 of the housing 33. Each restricting portion 70 is disposed so that the angle formed between the plate member 67 in the first position and the plate member 67 in the second position is 45 degrees. The angle formed between the plate member 67 in the first position and the plate member 67 in the second position is not limited to 45 degrees. For example, the angle formed between the plate member 67 in the first position and the plate member 67 in the second position may be set to 90 degrees. The restricting portion 70 may be omitted.

[0071] 5, a space 66 (an example of a light-transmitting region) is formed between the plate member 67 and the reflector 132 of the detected portion 62 along the front-rear directions 51, 52. In other words, in the plate member 67 in the first posture, the plate member 67 and the reflector 132 are aligned in the front-rear directions 51, 52 with the space 66 interposed therebetween. The space 66 is continuous in the left-right directions 55, 56.

[0072] [Arrangement of detected portion 62, electrode group 65, and plate member 67] 7, the detected part 62, the IC board 64, and the plate member 67 are located on the upper surface 142 of the housing 33. The upper end of the plate member 67 and the ground electrode 65C intersect with the same imaginary plane 180 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 7) 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 left-right directions 55, 56 of the housing 33. The imaginary plane 180 is also located at the center of the plate member 67 in the left-right directions 55, 56. Therefore, the center of the plate member 67 in the left-right directions 55, 56 coincides with the center of the housing 33 in the left-right directions 55, 56.

[0073] 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 plate member 67 in the left-right directions 55, 56 (L1>L2).

[0074] [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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 8, 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 plate member 67 is positioned between the light emitter and light receiver of the sensor 103. When the front end of the plate member 67 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.

[0078] 9, when the ink cartridge 30 is inserted further forward, a space 66 is located between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor 103. When the rear end of the plate member 67 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.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 10, plate member 67 passing between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of sensor 103 and moving forward enters slit 108. In the attached state, detected portion 62 is located on the optical path of sensor 103. Plate member 67 is located within slit 108.

[0081] 11, 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.

[0082] 12, the control unit 130 of the printer 10 determines that the ink cartridge 30 has been mounted in the cartridge mounting unit 110 based on a change in the signal output during the mounting process of the ink cartridge 30. Specifically, the control unit 130 determines that a normal ink cartridge 30 has been mounted 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 plate member 67, 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 that the ink chamber 36 and the sub-storage chamber 37 are filled with ink, that is, that an amount of ink that contacts the reflecting surfaces 134A and 134B of the prism 131 is stored.

[0083] 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.

[0084] In addition, the control unit 130 may detect through a cover sensor that a cover that blocks the opening 112 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.

[0085] When the ink cartridge 30 moves backward when it is removed from the cartridge mounting portion 110, the space 66 and the plate member 67 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.

[0086] The change in signal caused by the sensor 103 detecting the light-shielding area 91 of the plate member 67 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).

[0087] [Effects of this embodiment] According to this embodiment, the plate member 67 and the detected portion 62 can be detected by the same sensor 103. Furthermore, because the plate member 67 rotates when the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the printing device or dropped, the plate member 67 is less likely to deform.

[0088] According to this embodiment, since the space 66 is formed between the plate member 67 and the detected portion 62, the detection of the plate member 67 and the detection of the detected portion 62 are clearly distinguished.

[0089] As a result of the above, a novel ink cartridge 30 is provided. In addition, the ink cartridge 30 achieves at least some of the following effects. The upper end of the plate member 67 and the ground electrode 65C are in a positional relationship in which they intersect with the same imaginary plane 180 parallel to the up-down directions 53, 54 and the front-rear directions 51, 52, so that the sensor 103 that optically detects the plate member 67 and the ground electrode 65C are unlikely to interfere with each other. In addition, 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 of the ground electrode 65C is stably ensured. In addition, 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 or rear end of the plate member 67 in the front-rear directions 51, 52 is small.

[0090] According to this embodiment, since the rotation shaft 68 is located at the front end of the plate member 67 in the first posture in the mounting posture, the front end of the plate member 67 does not move in the left-right directions 55, 56 relative to the top surface 142 of the housing 33. For this reason, when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the mounting portion 110 toward the front direction 51, the front end of the plate member 67 can easily enter the slit 108 located in the front direction 51 of the plate member 67.

[0091] According to this embodiment, the rotation range of the plate member 67 is restricted by the restricting portion 70 which abuts against the plate member 67 in the second position to restrict the rotation of the plate member 67, thereby preventing the plate member 67 from rotating excessively and becoming damaged.

[0092] Furthermore, 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 plate member 67 in the first position along the left-right directions 55, 56, the plate member 67 is less likely to come into contact with the sensor 103 even if the ink cartridge 30 rattles when installed.

[0093] [Variations]

[0094] In the above embodiment, the plate member 67 is configured to be rotatable around the axis A passing through the center of the rotation shaft 68, but as long as the plate member 67 is rotatable around the axis A along the vertical directions 53, 54, the structure is not limited to a rotation structure using the rotation shaft 68. For example, a cylindrical pillar portion extending in the upward direction 54 from the upper surface 142 of the housing 33 may be formed, and the pillar portion may be inserted into an insertion hole formed in the lower end surface of the plate member 67 so as to be relatively rotatable. Thus, with the pillar portion inserted into the insertion hole, the plate member 67 is configured to be rotatable around the axis A passing through the center of the insertion hole.

[0095] 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 may have a dummy electrode 65D on the outer side of the power electrode 65A or the signal electrode 65B as shown in Fig. 13. The power electrode 65A or the signal electrode 65B may be located between the dummy electrode 65D and the ground electrode 65C.

[0096] 14, IC substrate 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. The entire upper surface of IC substrate 64 may not be exposed to the outside, but a part of the upper surface of substrate 80 including electrode group 65 may be exposed to the outside, and the other portions may be covered by housing 33 so as not to be exposed to the outside. The lower surface side of IC substrate 64 is shown within the two-dot chain line in FIG.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the restricting portion 70 is formed so as to protrude in the upward direction 54 from the upper surface 142 of the housing 33, but as shown in Figures 15(A) and 15(B), the restricting portion 70 may be formed by an inner surface 150b of a recess 150 recessed in the downward direction 53 from the upper surface 142 of the housing 33. In a plan view, the recess 150 is formed in a sector shape with a center formed in the forward direction 51 and an arc formed in the rearward direction 52. The dimension of the radius of the sector is slightly larger than the dimensions of the plate member 67 in the first posture in the forward and backward directions 51, 52.

[0098] The plate member 67 is disposed in the recess 150. Specifically, the plate member 67 is disposed so that its front end is close to the rear direction 52 of the center of the sector of the recess 150, and its rear end is close to the arc surface of the sector of the recess 150. The rotating shaft 68 is rotatably inserted into an insertion hole formed in the bottom surface 150a of the recess 150. The plate member 67 in the first position can rotate around the rotating shaft 68 to a position where it abuts against the inner surface 150b of the recess 150 in the left-right directions 55 and 56. The position of the plate member 67 abutting against the inner surface 150b of the recess 150 in the left-right directions 55 and 56 is the second position. In this way, the restricting portion 70 can be provided while making the plate member 67 thinner.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the rotation shaft 68 is disposed at the front end on the bottom surface of the plate member 67, but as shown in FIG. 16, it may be disposed at the rear end on the bottom surface of the plate member 67. In this way, even if the plate member 67 enters the slit 108 in a state shifted from the slit 108, it can rotate when it comes into contact with the inner surface or opening edge of the slit 108, so it is easy to guide it to a position where it is not shifted from the slit 108. Also, in the case where the restricting portion 70 is omitted, even if the plate member 67 cannot enter the slit 108 when it approaches the slit 108 in a state shifted from the slit 108, it can freely rotate 360 ​​degrees around the rotation shaft 68 by coming into contact with the wall surface 107 where the slit 108 opens, so that the ink cartridge 30 can be mounted in the mounting portion 110.

[0100] In the above embodiment, the light-transmitting region located in the rear direction 52 of the plate member 67 in the first position and in the front direction 51 of the detected part 62 is configured as the space 66, but as shown in Fig. 17(A), it may be configured as a light-transmitting member 69 having higher light transmissivity than the plate member 67. The light-transmitting member 69 is integrally formed at the rear end of the plate member 67 in the first position.

[0101] The light-transmitting member 69 is formed so that the light output from the light-emitting unit of the sensor 103 can pass through it and the transmitted light can reach the light-receiving unit. The material of the light-transmitting member 69 is not particularly limited as long as the light output from the light-emitting unit of the sensor 103 can pass through it. The light-transmitting member 69 can be formed, for example, from glass or a resin with high light transmission (for example, an acrylic resin). The upper end of the light-transmitting member 69 is located above the detection position of the sensor 103. The upper end of the light-transmitting region 92 coincides with the upper end of the plate member 67 in the up-down directions 53 and 54. In the ink cartridge 30 of the modified example shown in FIG. 17(B), the plate member 67 can rotate around the rotation axis 68 together with the light-transmitting member 69.

[0102] In the ink cartridge 30 of the modified example shown in Figure 17(C), the light-transmitting member 69 is integrally formed on the front surface 132a facing the forward direction 51 of the reflector 132. For this reason, in the ink cartridge 30 of the modified example shown in Figure 17(C), only the plate member 67 rotates around the rotation shaft 68, and the light-transmitting member 69 does not move.

[0103] In the above embodiment, a light-transmitting region is formed between the plate member 67 and the reflector 132 of the detected portion 62 in the front-rear directions 51, 52, but as shown in Fig. 18(A), a light-transmitting region does not have to be formed. In this case, the front surface 132a of the reflector 132 is formed in an arc shape that bulges in the rear direction 52 in a plan view. The rear end of the plate member 67 overlaps with the reflector 132 in the front-rear directions 51, 52.

[0104] Furthermore, when no light-transmitting region is formed between the plate member 67 and the reflector 132, the rotation shaft 68 may be disposed at the rear end of the plate member 67 as shown in Fig. 18(C). In this case, the reflector 132 is formed with a slit 132d that opens on the upper surface 132b and extends in the front-rear directions 51, 52. The slit 132d extends from the front surface 132a to the rear surface 132c of the reflector 132. The slit 132d does not have to extend to the rear surface 132c. The rear end of the plate member 67 is located in front of the slit 132d.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the detectable portion 62 has the prism 131 and the reflector 132, but instead of this, for example, the detectable portion 62 may be a rotating member that rotates in response to the ink level in the storage chamber 36, and a part of the internal frame 35 that contains part of the detectable portion 62 may protrude in the upward direction 54 from the top surface 142 of the housing 33 so as to be detectable by the sensor 103. The sensor 103 optically detects part of the rotating member through the part of the internal frame 35 that protrudes from the top surface 142 of the housing 33.

[0106] In addition, the internal frame 35 is of an optional configuration, and the ink cartridge 30 may not have an 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, such as the housing 33, may be the storage chamber 36.

[0107] 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]

[0108] 10 Printer (liquid consuming 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) 37 Sub-reservoir (liquid reservoir) 62...Detected part (remaining amount detection part) 64...IC board (circuit board) 65...electrode group 65A...Power electrode (1st electrode) 65B...Signal electrode (second electrode) 65C···Ground electrode (third electrode) 66...space 67 Plate member 68 Rotating shaft 70 Regulatory section 102 Ink needle (liquid supply tube) 103 Sensor 106... Contact 110 Cartridge mounting section 131 Prism 132 Reflector (optical access portion, optical reflector portion) 180... Virtual surface A...Axis line L3: First distance

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 remaining amount detection unit having an optical access portion to which light traveling in a left-right direction intersecting a top-bottom direction and a front-back direction is irradiated above the liquid storage chamber in the mounted position, the remaining amount detection unit changing a state of light depending on the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber; a plate member that, in the mounted position, is located above the liquid storage chamber and in front of the optical access portion, is rotatable about an axis along the vertical direction, and changes position between a first position extending along the front-to-back direction and a second position extending along a direction intersecting the front-to-back direction.

2. The device further includes a circuit board having an electrode group composed of at least three electrodes exposed upward in the mounting position, The liquid cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein in the mounted position, the plate member includes a portion that is spaced a first distance above the electrode and is located rearward of the electrode.

3. The liquid cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein the optical access portion has a portion spaced a first distance above the electrode.

4. 4. The liquid cartridge according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a light-transmitting region located a first distance above the electrode, rearward of the plate member in the first position and forward of the remaining amount detection portion, the light-transmitting region being more transparent to the light than the plate member.

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

6. 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, 6. The liquid cartridge according to claim 2, 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.

7. 7. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the shaft of the plate member is located at a front end of the plate member in the first position when in the mounted position.

8. 8. The liquid cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the axis of the plate member is positioned below an upper surface of the housing.

9. 9. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an 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.

10. 10. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a restricting portion that restricts rotation of the plate member by coming into contact with the plate member in the second position.

11. 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; 11. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising: the light access portion that reflects the light towards the prism.

12. 12. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the plate member and the optical access portion in the first position are irradiated with the light during a process in which the liquid cartridge is mounted on a printing device.

13. A liquid cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 12, 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 sensor for optically detecting the remaining amount detection portion of the liquid cartridge in an attached state, The sensor detects the plate member during the process of inserting the liquid cartridge into the mounting portion.

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