JP2004338394A - Information communication member, liquid container and liquid ejector comprising information communication member - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information communication member capable of obtaining a sensor signal surely by making insusceptible to a radio wave from a body for mounting a liquid container and a radio wave from devices other than the body. <P>SOLUTION: The information communication member 400 comprises sensor terminal parts 750 and 751 for electrically connecting a sensor detecting the residual quantity of one example of liquid, i.e. ink, in one example of liquid container, i.e. ink cartridges 200 and 201 with an information storing section 410, and a substrate 440 for arranging the information storing section 410, an antenna section 430 and the sensor terminal parts 750 and 751. A plurality of wiring parts 771 and 772 for electrically connecting the sensor terminal parts 750 and 751 with the information storing section 410 are arranged in parallel on the substrate 440. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information communication member capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the outside by wireless communication, and more particularly to a liquid container and a liquid ejecting apparatus provided with the information communication member, and a recording material container and a recording device.

  2. Related Art As a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid to a target, an ink jet recording apparatus that performs printing by ejecting ink droplets from a recording head to a recording medium has been known. Then, such an ink jet recording apparatus records minute images such as characters and figures by ejecting minute ink droplets from a nozzle of a recording head onto a recording medium.

  An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head and an ink cartridge. The ink cartridge contains ink for supplying ink to the recording head.

  Information about the ink contained in the ink cartridge needs to be reported to the recording apparatus. The recording head supplies a drive signal to a piezoelectric vibrator or the like in accordance with print data, thereby pressurizing ink with energy generated by the piezoelectric vibrator and discharging ink droplets from nozzle openings.

  Conventionally, in order to check whether an ink cartridge is mounted on a carriage, a circuit board on the ink cartridge side transmits an information signal by making electrical contact with a contact on the carriage side. (For example, Patent Document 1).

  In addition, there is a printer in which information about ink contained in an ink cartridge can be sent to a recording apparatus by wireless communication (for example, Patent Document 2).

JP-A-2001-71469 (pages 3 and 4, FIG. 5) JP-A-2002-234192 (pages 8 to 9, FIG. 3)

  If the method of transmitting a signal by direct contact described in Patent Document 1 is adopted, an electrical contact failure may occur if the ink cartridge is not correctly mounted on the carriage.

  In the case of adopting a format for transmitting a signal by wireless communication as shown in Patent Document 2, an ink cartridge having an antenna unit, an electronic component for memory, and a terminal for connecting two sensors is used. is there.

  A sensor for detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is electrically connected to the two sensor connection terminals.

  The two sensor connection terminals are electrically connected to the terminals of the memory electronic component through two connection wiring portions. However, if the wiring interval between the two connection terminals is wide, the noise of the radio wave from the main body of the ink jet recording apparatus is added to the sensor signal flowing through the two connection wiring sections, or the ink jet recording apparatus There is a risk that the noise of radio waves from various devices outside the device may be picked up.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and makes it difficult to receive the influence of radio waves from the main body and the radio waves from devices other than the main body, thereby providing an information communication member and an information communication member capable of reliably obtaining a sensor signal. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid container, a liquid ejecting apparatus, a recording material container, and a recording apparatus provided.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an information communication member that is hardly affected by radio waves from the main body and radio waves from devices other than the main body, and on which devices such as sensors can be mounted. .

  The information communication member of the present invention is disposed in a liquid container for supplying a liquid to the liquid ejecting head, and stores an information storage unit that stores information about the liquid contained in the liquid container; An antenna unit that wirelessly communicates information related to the liquid stored in an information storage unit with a main body, wherein the information storage unit includes a sensor that detects a remaining amount of liquid in the liquid container. A sensor terminal portion electrically connected to the information storage portion, a base material for arranging the information storage portion, the antenna portion and the sensor terminal portion, and the sensor terminal portion and the information storage portion. A plurality of connection wiring portions electrically connected are arranged in parallel on the base material.

  According to the present invention, the information communication member is disposed in the liquid container. The information storage unit of the information communication member stores information on the liquid contained in the liquid container. The antenna section is a section that wirelessly communicates information about the liquid stored in the information storage section with the main body.

  The sensor terminal section electrically connects a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid container to the information storage section. The base is a member for arranging the information storage unit, the antenna unit, and the sensor terminal unit.

  The plurality of connection wiring units are electrically connected to the sensor terminal unit and the information storage unit. The plurality of connection wiring portions are arranged in parallel on the base material.

  Thereby, since the plurality of connection wiring portions electrically connected to the sensor terminal portion and the information storage portion are arranged in parallel, the influence of radio waves from the main body to which the liquid container is attached or the influence of other than the main body. It is less or less affected by radio waves from the device.

  Thus, an accurate sensor signal with no external noise can be supplied to the information storage unit side to the sensor terminal unit.

  In the above configuration, the plurality of connection wiring units electrically connect the two sensor terminal units and the two terminals of the information storage unit, and transmit and receive information and power related to the liquid. It is desirable.

  According to such a configuration, the plurality of connection wiring units electrically connect the two sensor terminal units and the two terminals of the information storage unit.

Thus, the plurality of connection wiring sections can reliably transmit the sensor signal from the sensor terminal section to the terminal side of the information storage section while preventing noise from external radio waves.
Then, information about the ink and transmission and reception of power are performed.

  In the above configuration, the base material includes a protection layer that protects the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the sensor terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit, and the information storage unit, the antenna unit, and the protection layer. An adhesive layer for attaching the sensor terminal portion and the connection wiring portion to the liquid container side is preferable.

  According to such a configuration, the protection layer of the base material is a member that protects the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the sensor terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit. The adhesive layer is an adhesive portion for attaching the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the sensor terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit to the liquid container with respect to the protective layer.

  Accordingly, the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the sensor terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit can be securely adhered and fixed to the liquid container side while protecting the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the sensor terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit even though the base material has a simple configuration.

  A liquid container provided with the information communication member of the present invention is arranged in a liquid container for supplying a liquid to a liquid ejecting head, and stores information relating to the liquid contained in the liquid container. A liquid container having an information communication member having a unit and an antenna unit that wirelessly communicates information about the ink stored in the information storage unit with the main body, wherein the information communication member is the liquid container A sensor terminal for electrically connecting a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the information storage unit, and a base material on which the information storage unit, the antenna unit, and the sensor terminal unit are arranged; And a plurality of connection wiring sections for electrically connecting the sensor terminal section and the information storage section are arranged in parallel on the base material.

  According to the present invention, the information communication member is disposed in the liquid container. The information storage unit of the information communication member stores information on the liquid contained in the liquid container. The antenna section is a section that wirelessly communicates information about the liquid stored in the information storage section with the main body.

  The sensor terminal section electrically connects a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid container to the information storage section. The base is a member for arranging the information storage unit, the antenna unit, and the sensor terminal unit.

  The plurality of connection wiring units are electrically connected to the sensor terminal unit and the information storage unit. The plurality of connection wiring portions are arranged in parallel on the base material.

  Accordingly, since the plurality of connection wiring portions electrically connected to the sensor terminal portion and the information storage portion are arranged in parallel, the influence of radio waves from the recording device to which the liquid container is attached or the recording device Less or less affected by radio waves from other devices.

  Thus, an accurate sensor signal with no external noise can be supplied to the information storage unit side to the sensor terminal unit.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention is disposed in a liquid container for supplying a liquid to a liquid ejecting head, and stores an information storage unit that stores information about the liquid contained in the liquid container, An antenna unit that wirelessly communicates information about the liquid stored in the information storage unit with the main body, and a liquid container including an information communication member having the liquid ejection device, wherein the information communication member includes: A sensor terminal for electrically connecting a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid container to the information storage unit, and a base material for arranging the information storage unit, the antenna unit, and the sensor terminal unit And a plurality of connection wiring portions for electrically connecting the sensor terminal portion and the information storage portion are arranged in parallel on the base material.

  According to the present invention, the information communication member is disposed in the liquid container. The information storage unit of the information communication member stores information on the liquid contained in the liquid container. The antenna section is a section that wirelessly communicates information about the liquid stored in the information storage section with the main body.

  The sensor terminal section electrically connects a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid container to the information storage section. The base is a member for arranging the information storage unit, the antenna unit, and the sensor terminal unit.

  The plurality of connection wiring units are electrically connected to the sensor terminal unit and the information storage unit. The plurality of connection wiring portions are arranged in parallel on the base material.

  Accordingly, since the plurality of connection wiring portions electrically connected to the sensor terminal portion and the information storage portion are arranged in parallel, the influence of radio waves from the recording device to which the liquid container is attached or the recording device Less or less affected by radio waves from other devices.

  Thus, an accurate sensor signal with no external noise can be supplied to the information storage unit side to the sensor terminal unit.

  The information communication member of the present invention is an information communication member having an information storage unit that stores information, and an antenna unit that wirelessly communicates information stored in the information storage unit with a main body, and the information storage unit A terminal unit electrically connected to the unit, and a base material for arranging the information storage unit, the antenna unit, and the terminal unit, and electrically connects the terminal unit and the information storage unit to each other. Are connected in parallel on the base material.

  With this configuration, since the plurality of connection wiring units electrically connected to the terminal unit and the information storage unit are arranged in parallel, the connection wiring unit is not easily affected by radio waves during communication between the antenna unit and the external device. Or no longer.

  This makes it possible to mount a device such as a sensor on the terminal portion so that an accurate signal free of external noise can be supplied to the information storage portion side.

  In the above configuration, it is preferable that the plurality of connection wiring units electrically connect two terminal units and two terminals of the information storage unit, and transmit and receive the information and power. .

  Thus, the plurality of connection wiring sections can reliably transmit a signal from a device mounted on the terminal section from the terminal section to the terminal side of the information storage section while preventing noise from external radio waves.

  In the above configuration, the base material includes a protection layer that protects the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit; and the information storage unit, the antenna unit, and the sensor with respect to the protection layer. It is desirable to have an adhesive layer for attaching the terminal portion and the connection wiring portion to the article.

  According to such a configuration, the protection layer of the base material is a member that protects the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit. The adhesive layer is an adhesive portion for attaching the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit to the liquid container with respect to the protective layer.

  Thus, while the base material has a simple structure, the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the sensor terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit can be securely adhered and fixed to the article side while protecting the same.

  The recording material container of the present invention is disposed in a recording material container that contains a recording material, and an information storage unit that stores information about the recording material that is contained in the recording material container. An antenna unit for wirelessly communicating stored information with a main body, wherein the information communication member has a sensor for detecting a recording material amount in the recording material container. A sensor terminal unit electrically connected to the information storage unit, and a substrate for arranging the information storage unit, the antenna unit and the sensor terminal unit, the sensor terminal unit and the A plurality of connection wiring sections for electrically connecting the information storage section are provided with an information communication member which is arranged in parallel on the base material.

  Thus, since the plurality of connection wiring portions electrically connected to the sensor terminal portion and the information storage portion are arranged in parallel, the influence of radio waves from the recording device to which the recording material container is mounted or the recording It becomes less or no longer affected by radio waves from devices other than the device.

  Thus, an accurate sensor signal with no external noise can be supplied to the information storage unit side to the sensor terminal unit.

  The recording apparatus of the present invention is arranged in a recording material container that contains a recording material, and stores an information storage unit that stores information about the recording material contained in the recording material container, and stores the information in the information storage unit. And an antenna unit for wirelessly communicating the information to and from the main body, a recording material container provided with an information communication member having the information communication member, wherein the information communication member is a recording material in the recording material container A sensor terminal for electrically connecting a sensor for detecting an amount to the information storage unit, and a base material for arranging the information storage unit, the antenna unit and the sensor terminal unit, A plurality of connection wiring sections for electrically connecting the sensor terminal section and the information storage section are arranged in parallel on the base material.

  Thus, since the plurality of connection wiring portions electrically connected to the sensor terminal portion and the information storage portion are arranged in parallel, the influence of radio waves from the recording device to which the recording material container is mounted or the recording It becomes less or no longer affected by radio waves from devices other than the device.

  Thus, an accurate sensor signal with no external noise can be supplied to the information storage unit side to the sensor terminal unit.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus equipped with an ink cartridge as an example of a liquid container provided with the information communication member of the present invention.

  The ink jet recording apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a main body 101, a cover 109, a carriage 2, a recording head 1, and a plurality of ink cartridges 200 and 201.

  The ink jet recording apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 discharges a recording sheet after printing on a recording medium such as a recording sheet. The cover 109 is for opening and closing the carriage 2, the recording head 1, and the like of the main body 101.

  The ink jet recording head 1 is an example of a liquid ejecting head and is mounted on a carriage 2. The carriage 2 can reciprocate along with the recording head 1 along a direction T which is a width direction of the recording paper. Specifically, the carriage 2 reciprocates along the guide bar 9 by the operation of a motor (not shown), so that the recording head 1 prints on a recording medium.

  One ink cartridge 200 and three other ink cartridges 201 can be detachably mounted on the carriage 2. The ink cartridges 200 and 201 are examples of a liquid container, and ink is an example of a liquid.

  FIG. 2 shows the carriage 2 and the ink cartridges 200 and 201 of FIG. 1 in an enlarged manner. The carriage 2 is made of, for example, plastic or metal.

  The ink cartridge 200 and the ink cartridge 201 are each made of, for example, plastic. The ink cartridge 200 is a cartridge that stores, for example, black ink. On the other hand, the three ink cartridges 201 contain yellow, magenta, and cyan inks, respectively.

  The outer shape of the ink cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 2 is substantially the same as that of the ink cartridge 201, but the width W1 of the ink cartridge 200 is larger than the width W2 of the ink cartridge 201. The structure of the ink cartridge 200 is the same as the structure of the ink cartridge 201.

  3 and 4 show the structure of the ink cartridge 201 as a representative. The structure of the ink cartridge 201 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is the same as the structure of the ink cartridge 200 shown in FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge 201 as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge 201 as viewed from the front.

  3 and 4, the ink cartridge 201 has a flat container main body 5, levers 20, 21 and an ink supply port 7.

  A preferred embodiment of the information communication member 400 of the present invention is attached to the upper wall surface 5a of the container body 5 in FIGS. The upper wall surface 5a is a surface that is inclined from the lever 20 to the lever 21, for example. The lid 6 is a lid for closing the opening of the container body 5. The space between the container body 5 and the lid 6 is a space for storing ink.

  The levers 20 and 21 are operated when the ink cartridge 201 is removed from the carriage 2 shown in FIG.

  The information communication member 400 shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 2 transmits and receives information about the ink described later with the main body 101 of the ink jet recording apparatus 100 shown in FIG. It is a member for receiving operating power from the side in a non-contact manner.

  Between the information communication member 400 and the main body 101 side, information about ink and supply of power are transmitted and received in a non-contact manner and in a wireless communication manner.

  The recording head 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a nozzle opening corresponding to each ink cartridge. The recording head 1 receives, from the respective ink cartridges 200 and 201, information about the ink such as the type of ink stored in the ink cartridges 200 and 201 shown in FIG. Accordingly, appropriate ink is ejected from the nozzle opening.

  For this purpose, the ink cartridges 200 and 201 shown in FIG. 2 have an information communication member 400 that stores information on ink.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the information communication member 400 is preferably attached to the upper wall surface 5a of the ink cartridges 200 and 201 in a detachable manner.

  The information communication member 400 is also called an RFID (radio wave type recognition, non-contact type recognition) tag (tag) or an IC (Integrated Circuit) label.

  FIGS. 5 and 6 show a preferred embodiment of the information communication member 400. The information communication member 400 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 shows a state before being attached to the upper wall surface 5a of the ink cartridges 200 and 201, that is, a state before use, as shown in FIG.

  The information communication member 400 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 roughly includes a base material 440, a release sheet 460, an information storage unit 410, an antenna circuit unit (an example of an antenna unit) 430, sensor terminal units 750 and 751, and connection wiring. Parts 771 and 772 are provided.

  The release sheet 460 is detachably attached to the base material 440 to protect the information storage unit 410 and the antenna circuit unit 430 of the base material 440. When the information communication member 400 is attached to the upper wall surface 5a of the ink cartridges 200 and 201 as shown in FIG. 2, the release paper 759 of the release sheet 460 is separated from the adhesive layer 760 shown in FIG. Is a sheet that is peeled off and discarded.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of a sectional structure taken along line HH in FIG. However, in FIG. 7, the base material 440 and the release sheet 460 are illustrated as being slightly separated for easy understanding.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the base member 440 and the release sheet 460 are band-shaped members or rectangular members. However, the shape of the base material 440 and the release sheet 460 is not limited to a rectangular shape or a band shape depending on the shape and use of the ink cartridge, and it is of course possible to adopt a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, or other shapes. is there.

  The information storage unit 410 is an electronic component such as an IC package. The information storage unit 410 has a nonvolatile memory (EEPROM: Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) 490 as shown in FIG. The nonvolatile memory 490 stores data information such as the type of ink contained in the ink cartridges 200 and 201, the remaining amount of ink, the serial number, the expiration date, and the like.

  The base material 440 of the information communication member 400 is a member for wireless communication used for so-called RFID (recognition of a radio wave method or non-contact type recognition).

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the base material 440 is, for example, a laminated structure of a protective layer 700 and an adhesive layer 600.

  The protective layer 700 is a band-shaped or rectangular member. An adhesive layer 600 is formed on the inner side of the protective layer 700. As a material of the protective layer 700, for example, a plastic resin can be used. The protective layer 700 preferably has an ultraviolet blocking property and an electrical insulating property capable of blocking ultraviolet light L from the outside.

  The adhesive layer 600 in FIG. 7 fixes the information storage unit 410 and the antenna circuit unit 430 at predetermined positions.

  The release sheet 460 is a rectangular or band-shaped member. The release sheet 460 is the same as the release paper 759. The release paper 759 is desirably made of a material having, for example, an ultraviolet blocking property and an electrical insulation property in the same manner as the protective layer 700.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the adhesive layer 760 in contact with the release sheet 460 is actually peeled off from the state before use in which the adhesive layer 760 is superimposed on the adhesive layer 600 of the base material 440, as shown in FIG. When the information communication member 400 is attached to the wall surface 5a, the adhesive layer 760 in contact with the release sheet 460 shown in FIG. 7 is peeled off the release paper 759 along the release line 460R.

  Thus, the adhesive layer 760 is superimposed on the adhesive layer 600 while covering the information storage unit 410 on the adhesive layer 600 side, the antenna circuit unit 430, and the terminal units 800 and 801 shown in FIG. With the two adhesive layers 600 and 760 superimposed on each other, the adhesive layer 760 is attached to the upper wall surface 5a, for example, as shown in a portion G of FIG.

  Therefore, the information communication member 400 can be securely adhered to the upper wall surface 5a in close contact with the adhesive layer 760.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the information storage unit 410 is electrically connected in a so-called face-down state to the terminal units 800 and 801 shown in FIG. Therefore, the nonvolatile memory 490 of the information storage unit 410 is arranged in a so-called face-down state with respect to the base material 440. For this reason, the nonvolatile memory 490 is not directly exposed to the outside, but is protected by the protective layer 700 and the adhesive layer 600. Since the protective layer 700 has, for example, an ultraviolet blocking property, the nonvolatile memory 490 can prevent the stored information from being erased by the influence of the ultraviolet light L from the outside.

  The information storage unit 410 has bump electrodes 901, 902, 903, and 904 like bumps.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the information storage unit 410 is held in a face-down state, and the protruding electrodes 903 and 904 are electrically connected to the terminal units 800 and 801 respectively.

  Next, the antenna circuit unit 430 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The antenna circuit portion 430 is an antenna obtained by forming a conductor spirally a predetermined number of times. One end 431 of the antenna circuit 430 is electrically connected to the terminal 800. The other end 432 of the antenna circuit 430 is electrically connected to the terminal 801 via a jumper connection line 433.

  Thus, the one end 431 and the other end 432 of the antenna circuit 430 are electrically connected to the protruding electrodes 903 and 904 of the information storage unit 410.

  On the other hand, the protruding electrodes 901 and 902 shown in FIGS. 8 and 6 are electrically connected to the sensor terminal portions 750 and 751 through connection wiring portions 771 and 772, respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the sensor terminals 750 and 751 have, for example, a rectangular shape. The connection wiring part 771 electrically connects the sensor terminal part 750 and the protruding electrode 902. The connection wiring portion 772 electrically connects the sensor terminal portion 751 and the protruding electrode 901.

  What is particularly important here is that the connection wiring portions 771 and 772 are formed in parallel and at a slight interval. That is, the sensor terminal portions 771 and 772 are formed in parallel along the direction E in FIG. 8, that is, along the longitudinal direction of the base member 440, and have a small interval D. The thickness of the connection wiring portions 771, 772 is, for example, 0.2 mm, and the interval D between the connection wiring portions 771, 772, that is, the wiring pitch, is, for example, 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm. For this reason, the connection wiring portions 771 and 772 have the parallel wiring section 790.

  The above-described sensor terminal portions 750 and 751, connection wiring portions 771 and 772, terminal portions 800 and 801, and antenna circuit portion 430 are formed on the same surface of the base material 440.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the jumper connection line 433 passes through the adhesive layer 600, for example, as shown in FIG. As a result, the jumper connection line 433 and the antenna circuit portion 430 do not come into electrical contact with each other, and the jumper connection line 433 reliably connects the other end portion 432 and the terminal portion 801 of the antenna circuit portion 430 as shown in FIG. Can be connected. In addition, when such a structure is adopted, the jumper connection line 433 is not exposed to the outside, so that the jumper connection line 433 can be surely protected by the adhesive layer 600.

  The sensor terminal portions 750 and 751, the connection wiring portions 771 and 772, the terminal portions 800 and 801, and the antenna circuit portion 430 are formed of a conductive metal, for example, copper (Cu).

  FIG. 9 shows a simplified shape of the ink cartridge 201, and FIG. 10 shows an example of the ink cartridge 201 and the antenna substrate 500.

  The information communication member 400 is already attached to the upper wall surface 5a of the ink cartridge 201. In a state where the information communication member 400 is attached, for example, the connection wiring portions 771 and 772, the information storage portion 410, and the antenna circuit portion 430 shown in FIG. 8 are all in close contact with the upper wall surface 5a side, and these components are all It is protected from the outside by the material 440. The shape of the ink cartridge 200 is similar to the shape of the ink cartridge 201.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the sensor terminals 750 and 751 of the information communication member 400 are connected to the sensor 900. This sensor 900 is a sensor that detects the remaining amount of the ink 910 in the ink cartridge 200 shown in FIG.

  As the sensor 900, for example, a sensor using a piezoelectric vibrator can be used. The sensor 900 sends an AC waveform that changes according to the amount of the ink 910 as a sensor signal to the information storage unit 410 through the sensor terminals 750 and 751.

  FIG. 11 shows an example of a system for exchanging information about ink and supplying power between the information storage unit 410 and the main body 101 of the printing apparatus shown in FIG.

  The information communication member 400 shown in FIG. 11 is mounted on the ink cartridge 200, 201 side.

  The sensor 900 is electrically connected to the ink amount detection unit 920 of the information storage unit 410 through the sensor terminals 750 and 751.

  The information storage unit 410 is also called an electronic element. For example, the control unit 930, the ink amount detection unit 920, the sensor drive voltage generation unit 970, the nonvolatile memory 490, the power generation unit 940, the high frequency transmission / reception unit 950, the program voltage generation unit 990 and the like.

  The high frequency transmitting / receiving unit 950 is connected to the antenna circuit unit 430.

  The recording head 1 and the antenna substrate 500 are connected to the main body 101 of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, when the cover 109 shown in FIG. 1 is closed, the antenna substrate 500 faces the antenna circuit section 430 of the information communication member 400 at a predetermined interval.

  However, the position at which the antenna substrate 500 is arranged is not limited to the inner surface of the cover 109, but may be another portion.

  For example, when the carriage 2 in FIG. 1 moves along the T direction, the control unit 509 of the main body 101 of the recording apparatus in FIG. 11 detects the movement of the carriage 2 in FIG. Is output.

  This carrier wave is received by the antenna circuit unit 430 of the ink cartridge 200 or 201. The received carrier passes through the demultiplexing unit 951 of the high-frequency transmitting / receiving unit 950 shown in FIG. 11 and is input to the power generation unit 940 to be converted into DC power.

  The operating power converted to the DC power is charged to a charging unit (not shown). The operation power is transmitted from the charging unit to the program voltage generation unit 990 of the information storage unit 410, the sensor drive voltage generation unit 70, and the control unit 930, whereby the operation of the information storage unit 410 is performed.

  When the time required to charge the charging unit has elapsed, the transmission of the carrier wave from the antenna substrate 500 on the main body 101 side of the recording apparatus to the antenna circuit unit 430 on the information communication member 400 shown in FIG. 11 is stopped.

  When the control unit 930 and the sensor 900 receive the supply of power from the power storage unit, the ink amount detection unit 920 calculates the remaining ink amount based on the sensor signal from the sensor 900. The ink remaining amount and information about the ink stored in the nonvolatile memory 490 in advance are transmitted from the antenna circuit unit 430 to the antenna substrate 500 on the main body 101 side of the printing apparatus as a high-frequency signal through the high-frequency transmitting / receiving unit 950 according to a command from the control unit 930. Will be sent to the side.

  By repeating such an operation, it is possible to transmit and receive information and power regarding ink between the ink cartridges 200 and 201 and the main body 101 of the printing apparatus by wireless communication.

  By the way, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, two connection wiring portions 771 and 772 electrically connect the sensor terminal portions 750 and 751 and the protruding electrodes 901 and 902, respectively. In this connection state, the two connection wiring portions 771 and 772 are characterized in that they are formed in parallel, as described above, and with the arrangement interval as small as possible.

  On the other hand, FIG. 12 shows a comparative example different from the information communication member of the present invention for reference.

  In the information communication member of this comparative example, the protruding electrodes 1501 and 1502 of the information storage section 1500 are electrically connected to the sensor terminal sections 1503 and 1504 by wiring sections 1600 and 1601, respectively. However, the wiring portions 1600 and 1601 are spaced apart from each other and hardly have parallel portions.

  When the information communication member of the comparative example shown in FIG. 12 is used, for example, a radio signal noise may be emitted from the antenna substrate 500 on the main body 101 side in FIG. Further, noise of radio waves from an external device may be included in the sensor signals of the wiring units 1600 and 1601.

  When the wiring portions 1600 and 1601 having such a wide wiring interval and substantially no parallel portion are employed, the sensor signal does not have an accurate value because radio wave noise is added to the sensor signal.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 8, the connection wiring portions 771 and 772 of the present invention have the wiring form as parallel as possible, and the interval between the connection wiring portions 771 and 772 is narrowed.

  From this, the sensor signal passing through the connection wiring portions 771 and 772 can minimize the noise of the radio wave from the antenna substrate 500 shown in FIG. Moreover, such connection wiring portions 771 and 772 can also prevent radio wave noise from another device outside the recording device from being applied.

  Therefore, the sensor signal passing through the connection wiring portions 771 and 772 can be supplied to the information storage portion 410 as an accurate value, and the remaining amount of ink can be accurately obtained.

  The invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

  In the information communication member described above, for example, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the base material 440 and the release sheet 460 are band-shaped or rectangular members. However, the shape of the base material 440 and the release sheet 460 may be different from each other in consideration of the shape of the antenna circuit portion, the shape of the sensor terminal portion, and the like.

  The number of the ink cartridges 200 and 201 as the liquid containers shown in FIG. 2 is not limited to this, and the number of the ink cartridges may be one, two, or five or more. In that case, the information communication member 400 is attached to each ink cartridge.

  The antenna substrate 500 shown in FIGS. 1 and 10 is arranged on the inner side of the cover 109. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the antenna substrate 500 can be changed according to the shape and type of the ink jet recording apparatus 100 as long as the position is close to the information communication member 400 of each of the ink cartridges 200 and 201.

  The ink jet recording apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a recording apparatus for normal color printing.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the case of an ink jet recording apparatus that performs large-scale printing or printing, each ink cartridge has a large capacity, and the carriage has a structure that accommodates such a large-capacity ink cartridge. Of course, the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention may be such an ink jet recording apparatus for mass printing.

  The information communication member of the present invention can be applied not only to the ink jet type recording apparatus but also to an ink cartridge of another type of recording apparatus.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment as an ink jet recording apparatus, and various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

  For example, the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention may be a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects another liquid. The liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention is, for example, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid such as an electrode material and a coloring material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL display, and a surface-emitting display, and ejects a biological organic material used for manufacturing a biochip. Liquid ejecting device, or a sample ejecting device as a precision pipette.

  Further, the information communication member of the present invention is not limited to the liquid container used in the above-described liquid ejecting apparatus, but also includes a toner cartridge containing toner as a recording material such as a laser printer, and an ink ribbon as a recording material such as an impact dot printer. The present invention is also applicable to a recording material container such as a stored ribbon cartridge. In this case, the sensor is a pressure sensor that detects the presence or absence of toner by pressure, or an optical sensor that acquires specific position information of the ribbon.

  Further, the information communication member of the present invention can be applied to other articles having the same problem. For example, the present invention can be applied to a case where a device that can be applied to a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, or the like as a sensor and that is affected by communication other than the sensor is mounted.

  Each configuration of the above embodiment can be partially omitted or arbitrarily combined so as to be different from the above.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus equipped with an ink cartridge as an example of a liquid container provided with the information communication member of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the ink cartridge and the carriage of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example of the ink cartridge as viewed from the rear. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example of the ink cartridge as viewed from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the information communication member of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a base material and a release sheet of the information communication member shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cross-sectional structure taken along line HH of the information communication member in FIG. 5. The figure which shows the sensor terminal part of an information communication member, a connection wiring part, an information storage part, an antenna circuit part, etc. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the information communication member is mounted on the ink cartridge. FIG. 4 is a side view having a cross section illustrating an example of an information communication member of the ink cartridge and an antenna substrate on a main body side. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system for wireless communication of information and power between an information communication member and a main body of a recording apparatus. The figure which shows the comparative example different from the information communication member of this invention.

Explanation of reference numerals

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Recording head (an example of a liquid ejecting head), 2 ... Carriage, 100 ... Ink jet recording apparatus (an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus), 101 ... Main body, 200, 201 ... Ink cartridge (An example of a liquid container), 400 ... an information communication member, 410 ... an information storage unit, 430 ... an antenna circuit unit, 440 ... a base material, 460R ... a peeling line, 750, 751 ... Sensor terminal portion, 771, 772 connection wiring portion, 900 sensor, 901, 902, 903, 904 projecting electrode.

Claims (10)

An information storage unit that is disposed in a liquid container for supplying liquid to the liquid ejection head and stores information about the liquid contained in the liquid container; and an information storage unit that stores information on the liquid. An antenna unit that wirelessly communicates information about the liquid with the main body, and an information communication member,
A sensor terminal for electrically connecting a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid container to the information storage unit;
A substrate for arranging the information storage unit and the antenna unit and the sensor terminal unit,
An information communication member, wherein a plurality of connection wiring sections for electrically connecting the sensor terminal section and the information storage section are arranged in parallel on the base material.   The plurality of connection wiring sections electrically connect two sensor terminal sections and two terminals of the information storage section, and transmit and receive information and power regarding the liquid. Information communication member according to the description. The base material, a protection layer that protects the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the sensor terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit,
An adhesive layer for attaching the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the sensor terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit to the liquid container side with respect to the protective layer,
The information communication member according to claim 1, further comprising: An information storage unit that is disposed in a liquid container for supplying liquid to the liquid ejection head and stores information about the liquid contained in the liquid container; and an information storage unit that stores information on the liquid. An antenna unit that wirelessly communicates information about the liquid with the main body, and a liquid container including an information communication member having:
The information communication member,
A sensor terminal for electrically connecting a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid container to the information storage unit;
A substrate for arranging the information storage unit and the antenna unit and the sensor terminal unit,
A liquid container provided with an information communication member, wherein a plurality of connection wiring portions for electrically connecting the sensor terminal portion and the information storage portion are arranged in parallel on the base material. An information storage unit that is disposed in a liquid container for supplying liquid to the liquid ejection head and stores information about the liquid contained in the liquid container; and an information storage unit that stores information on the liquid. An antenna unit that wirelessly communicates information about the liquid with the main body, and a liquid ejecting apparatus in which a liquid container including an information communication member having the
The information communication member,
A sensor terminal for electrically connecting a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid container to the information storage unit;
A substrate for arranging the information storage unit and the antenna unit and the sensor terminal unit,
A plurality of connection wiring portions for electrically connecting the sensor terminal portion and the information storage portion are arranged in parallel on the base material. An information communication member having an information storage unit that stores information, and an antenna unit that wirelessly communicates information stored in the information storage unit with a main body,
A terminal unit electrically connected to the information storage unit;
A substrate for arranging the information storage unit and the antenna unit and the terminal unit,
An information communication member, wherein a plurality of connection wiring sections for electrically connecting the terminal section and the information storage section are arranged in parallel on the base material.   2. The information according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of connection wiring units electrically connect two of the terminal units and two terminals of the information storage unit, and transmit and receive the information and power. 3. Communication members. The base material, a protection layer that protects the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit,
An adhesive layer for attaching the information storage unit, the antenna unit, the terminal unit, and the connection wiring unit to the article with respect to the protective layer,
The information communication member according to claim 1, further comprising: An information storage unit that is arranged in a recording material container that contains a recording material and stores information about the recording material that is contained in the recording material container, and a main body that stores information stored in the information storage unit. An antenna unit that wirelessly communicates between, and a recording material container including an information communication member having:
The information communication member,
A sensor terminal for electrically connecting a sensor for detecting the amount of recording material in the recording material container to the information storage unit;
A substrate for arranging the information storage unit and the antenna unit and the sensor terminal unit,
A recording material container provided with an information communication member, wherein a plurality of connection wiring portions for electrically connecting the sensor terminal portion and the information storage portion are arranged in parallel on the base material. An information storage unit that is arranged in a recording material container that contains a recording material and stores information about the recording material that is contained in the recording material container, and a main body that stores information stored in the information storage unit. An antenna unit that wirelessly communicates between a recording material container including an information communication member having the recording device,
The information communication member,
A sensor terminal for electrically connecting a sensor for detecting the amount of recording material in the recording material container to the information storage unit;
A substrate for arranging the information storage unit and the antenna unit and the sensor terminal unit,
A recording device, wherein a plurality of connection wiring portions for electrically connecting the sensor terminal portion and the information storage portion are arranged in parallel on the base material.

Images