JP2010105328A - Cartridge detecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cartridge detecting device detecting an attaching/detaching state of a liquid cartridge in such a state that the liquid cartridge is attached, and correctly discriminating a kind of the liquid cartridge without being affected by attaching/detaching operation of the liquid cartridge by a user. <P>SOLUTION: A photodetector of a second optical sensor of a cartridge attaching part 8 is provided to be deviated from a first optical path 270 that is a route of light emitted by a light emitting part when the cartridge 10 is not attached. When the cartridge 10 is attached to the cartridge attaching part 8, a second part to be detected (optical element) 186 of the cartridge 10 is located on the first optical path so as to change the route of the light from the light emitting part to a second optical path 271 going toward the photodetector. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cartridge detection device capable of detecting the mounting of a liquid cartridge in a cartridge mounting portion.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ink jet recording apparatuses that form an image on recording paper by ejecting ink from a recording head are widely known. The ink jet recording apparatus can be mounted with a cartridge containing ink, and the ink supplied from the cartridge is ejected from the recording head. When the remaining amount of ink in the cartridge is low, this cartridge can be removed and a new cartridge fully filled with ink can be installed again to continue image formation. .

  In such an ink jet recording apparatus, a proposal has been made to enable detection of a cartridge attachment / detachment state for notification to a user or the like. As an example, there is an ink jet recording apparatus provided with an optical sensor for detecting the attachment / detachment state of a cartridge (see Patent Document 1). This optical sensor includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit that are arranged to face each other, and the light from the light emitting unit is detected by the light receiving unit. Then, while the cartridge is being attached to or detached from the predetermined cartridge mounting part, the detected part of the cartridge passes between the light emitting part and the light receiving part, and the light receiving state at the light receiving part during the passage Based on this, it is possible to detect the attachment / detachment state of the cartridge.

  More specifically, the detected portion is composed of a plurality of light shielding members arranged in parallel in the mounting direction of the cartridge, and each light shielding member has a different dimension along the mounting direction. Therefore, since the time for blocking the light from the light emitting unit is different for each light shielding member while the cartridge is being moved for attachment / detachment, whether the cartridge is mounted by detecting a pattern of this length Or whether it has been removed.

In addition, in an ink jet recording apparatus including a plurality of cartridges independent for each color, in addition to the attached / detached state of the cartridge, a proposal for enabling identification between the cartridges such as which color cartridge is installed has been made. Has been. As an example, the ink in the cartridge includes a light absorbing member having a light absorption characteristic specific to each ink color (see Patent Document 2). The ink jet recording apparatus further includes an optical sensor including a light emitting unit that emits light having a peak wavelength in the absorption wavelength region of the light absorbing member, and a light receiving unit that receives the light. Then, in a state where the cartridge is mounted, the light from the light emitting portion is allowed to pass through the ink in the cartridge, and the light receiving portion receives this light to identify the light absorbing member in the ink. The cartridge itself).
JP 2008-87159 A JP 2007-136855 A

  However, with regard to the cartridge attachment / detachment state detection means disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the cartridge is attached / detached manually by the user, the moving speed of the cartridge during attachment / detachment is not necessarily constant. For this reason, there is a possibility that the long and short patterns of light shielded by the plurality of light shielding members provided on the cartridge as described above may not be constant depending on the user's work. In this case, the cartridge mounting / removal state is accurately detected. It becomes difficult. In addition, since the detection is performed in the process of attaching and detaching the cartridge, it is not possible to confirm the mounting state again after the cartridge has been mounted.

  Further, regarding the cartridge identification means according to Patent Document 2, even if single wavelength light having a peak at a specific wavelength is taken, generally not only the peak wavelength but also the wavelengths in the vicinity thereof are detected. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately identify the cartridge depending on the light emitting unit that emits such light. This can be solved by using single-wavelength light in a stricter sense that attenuates other wavelengths in the vicinity of the peak wavelength, but the light-emitting unit that emits such light is It is very expensive, and is not practical when considering use in an inkjet recording apparatus developed for general household use, for example.

  Such a situation is not limited to an ink jet recording apparatus that attaches / detaches a cartridge that contains ink, but is generally attached / detached in an apparatus that attaches a liquid cartridge that contains liquid to a cartridge attaching portion. The same situation exists when detecting the state, and for example, the same applies to the detection of the attachment / detachment state of the fuel cartridge in the fuel cell system.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge detection device that can detect the attachment / detachment state regardless of any attachment / detachment operation of the cartridge by the user and can accurately identify the type of the cartridge.

  The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and a cartridge detection device according to the present invention is equipped with a liquid cartridge having a tank for storing liquid therein, and the liquid cartridge is detachably mounted. A cartridge detection device comprising a cartridge mounting unit, wherein the cartridge mounting unit includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit that detects mounting of the liquid cartridge by detecting light from the light emitting unit, The light receiving unit is provided to deviate from a first optical path that is a path of light emitted from the light emitting unit when the liquid cartridge is not mounted, and the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit. An optical element provided to be positioned on the first optical path, and when the optical element is positioned on the first optical path, a path of light from the light emitting unit , From the first optical path, and is configured to be changed to a second optical path toward the light receiving portion.

  By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to detect the mounting state in a state where the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, so that accurate detection can be performed regardless of the mounting operation by the user. Whether or not the light from the light emitting part can be received by the light receiving part depends on the combination of the relative position of the light emitting part and the light receiving part and the optical characteristics (refractive index or reflectance) of the optical element entering between them Therefore, it is possible to detect whether or not an appropriate liquid cartridge is mounted (that is, the type of cartridge) by making these combinations different for each liquid cartridge. In addition, since the light emitting unit, the light receiving unit, and the optical element for realizing the above-described configuration can be obtained at a relatively low cost, for example, it may be used as a cartridge detection device for a general household inkjet recording apparatus. Can do.

  Further, the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are disposed opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to the mounting direction of the liquid cartridge in a state where the light emitting direction and the light receiving direction are offset from each other. When the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, the liquid cartridge is positioned between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, and is configured to refract light from the light emitting portion to form the second optical path. Also good. By adopting such a configuration, even in a refraction type detection device that refracts light from the light emitting unit with an optical element and guides it to the light receiving unit, the liquid cartridge is not affected by the user's operation of attaching and detaching the liquid cartridge. It is possible to realize a cartridge detection apparatus that can detect the attachment / detachment state of the liquid cartridge and can accurately identify the type of the liquid cartridge.

  The optical element is made of a light-transmitting flexible member and hermetically contacts the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit. It may be configured accordingly. By adopting such a configuration, a gap is not generated between the light emitting part and the light receiving part and the optical element. Therefore, the optical path is prevented from becoming constant due to the size of the gap, and an appropriate second optical path is set. The liquid cartridge can be accurately detected.

  In addition, a flexible member having a light-transmitting property is provided so as to hermetically cover at least one of the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit, and the optical element includes a light-transmitting rigid member, In addition, the liquid cartridge may be configured to be in airtight contact with the flexible member when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion. By adopting such a configuration, a gap is not generated between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion provided with the flexible member and the optical element, so that the second optical path between them is accurately formed. be able to.

  The flexible member is elastic and is configured to be in a compressed state when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion so as to urge the liquid cartridge in a direction to remove the liquid cartridge. Also good. With such a configuration, the flexible member contributes to the formation of the accurate second optical path as described above, and can also perform an auxiliary function when the liquid cartridge is removed. . For example, when removing the liquid cartridge locked by the stopper in the mounted state, the liquid cartridge can be pushed in the removing direction by the elastic force of the flexible member only by releasing the stopper. A user-friendly configuration can be achieved in the cartridge removal operation.

  The light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are disposed so as to face the liquid cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting unit, and the optical element has the liquid cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting unit. It is provided that the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are opposed to each other, and the second light path is formed by reflecting light from the light emitting unit. By adopting such a configuration, even in the case of a reflection type detection device that reflects light from the light emitting unit by the optical element and guides it to the light receiving unit, the liquid cartridge is not affected by the user's operation of attaching and detaching the liquid cartridge. It is possible to realize a cartridge detection apparatus that can detect the attachment / detachment state of the liquid cartridge and can accurately identify the type of the liquid cartridge.

  In addition, at least one of the light emitting unit, the light receiving unit, and the optical element is provided with a flexible member having translucency, and the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit. In some cases, the light emitting unit, the light receiving unit, and the optical element may be configured to be hermetically connected via the flexible member. By adopting such a configuration, even in the reflection type as described above, a gap is prevented from being generated between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit and the optical element, and the liquid cartridge is detected by an appropriate second optical path. Can be done accurately.

  The cartridge mounting unit can insert and remove a plurality of the liquid cartridges, and includes a plurality of pairs of the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit corresponding to each liquid cartridge, and the relative positions of the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are The optical element has a different optical characteristic for each liquid cartridge, and each liquid cartridge has a different optical characteristic when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion. A different second optical path may be formed. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not a corresponding liquid cartridge (for example, a corresponding ink color liquid cartridge) is mounted at a plurality of liquid cartridge mounting positions of the cartridge mounting unit. it can.

  According to the cartridge detection device of the present invention, it is possible to detect the attachment / detachment state of the liquid cartridge without being affected by the user's operation of attaching / detaching the liquid cartridge, and to accurately determine the type of the liquid cartridge. An identifiable cartridge detection device can be realized.

  Hereinafter, a cartridge detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking as an example an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as “recording apparatus”) equipped with the same. The configuration described below is an example, and the cartridge detection device according to the present invention can be applied to various uses such as detection of a fuel cartridge in a fuel cell system in addition to an inkjet recording device.

(Embodiment 1)
[Overview of the entire recording device]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a recording apparatus 1 to which the present invention is applied. In the present embodiment, a so-called multifunction machine having a printer function, a scanner function, a copy function, a facsimile function, and the like is used as the recording apparatus 1. It is shown. As shown in FIG. 1, the recording apparatus 1 includes a printer unit 2 that records an image by an ink jet method at the lower part of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped casing 1a, and a scanner unit 3 at the upper part of the casing 1a. ing.

  The printer unit 2 of the recording apparatus 1 has an opening 4 on the front (front side) of the housing 1a. Inside the opening 4, a lower paper feed tray 5 and an upper paper discharge tray 6 are provided. Two stages are provided. The paper feed tray 5 can store a plurality of recording sheets as a recording medium. For example, a plurality of recording sheets of various sizes of A4 size or less can be stored.

  A door 7 is provided at the lower right portion of the front of the printer unit 2 so as to be openable and closable. A cartridge mounting portion 8 (see FIG. 2) is provided inside the door 7. Therefore, when the door 7 is opened, the cartridge mounting portion 8 is exposed to the front side, and the cartridge 10 (see FIG. 2) can be detached from the horizontal direction. The cartridge mounting unit 8 is provided with a storage case 9 (see FIG. 2) for the cartridge 10 corresponding to the ink color to be used. In the printer unit 2, for example, five color inks, that is, dye inks are used. Some cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), photo black (PBk) and black (Bk) which is pigment ink are used. Therefore, the cartridge mounting portion 8 is provided with a housing case 9 that is divided into five interiors. In each of the divided spaces, cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and photo black (photo black ( A cartridge 10 that stores inks of PBk) and black (Bk) is accommodated.

  The scanner unit 3 provided in the upper part of the recording apparatus 1 is configured as a so-called flat bed scanner. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a document cover 1b is provided on the upper surface of the recording apparatus 1 so as to be opened and closed as a top plate of the recording apparatus 1. A platen glass on which the document is placed, an image sensor that reads an image of the document, and the like are disposed below the document cover 1b.

  An operation panel 11 for operating the printer unit 2 and the scanner unit 3 is provided at the upper front portion of the recording apparatus 1. The operation panel 11 includes various operation buttons and a liquid crystal display 11a as an output unit for outputting information. The recording apparatus 1 is output from the operation panel 11 as a result of operation of the operation panel 11 by an operator. Operation is possible based on the instructions. In addition, when the recording apparatus 1 is connected to an external computer, the recording apparatus 1 can operate based on an instruction transmitted from the computer via a printer driver or a scanner driver.

  A slot portion 12 is provided in the upper left portion of the front face of the recording apparatus 1. Various small memory cards, which are storage media, can be loaded into the slot unit 12, and data stored in the small memory card loaded into the slot unit 12 can be read out by performing a predetermined operation on the operation panel 11. It has become. The read data can be displayed on the liquid crystal display of the operation panel 11, and an image arbitrarily selected based on this display can be recorded on the recording paper by the printer unit 2.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the printer unit 2 included in the recording apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a paper feed tray 5 is provided in the vicinity of the bottom of the recording apparatus 1, and a flat plate-like shape that is long in the left-right direction in FIG. A platen 14 is provided. An image recording unit 17 is provided further above the platen 14. The image recording unit 17 includes a head unit 15a that discharges ink from a nozzle hole (not shown), a sub tank 15b that supplies ink to the head unit 15a, And a head control board 15c (for example, COF: Chip on Film) that outputs a drive signal to an actuator electrically connected to the head unit 15a to the head unit 15a. The sub tank 15 b included in the image recording unit 17 communicates with the cartridge 10 mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 8 of the recording apparatus 1 via a flexible tube 22. The supplied ink is temporarily stored and further supplied to the head unit 15a.

  A paper transport path 18 extends from the rear of the paper feed tray 5. The sheet conveying path 18 is composed of a curved path 18a that is curved from the rear to the top of the paper feed tray 5 and further forward, and a straight path 18b that extends further forward from the end point of the curved path 18a. In the portion other than the place where the unit 17 is disposed, the outer guide surface and the inner guide surface are opposed to each other at a predetermined interval.

  A paper feed roller 19 for supplying the recording paper in the paper feed tray 5 to the paper transport path 18 is provided immediately above the paper feed tray 5. Further, in the vicinity of the downstream portion of the curved path 18a in the paper transport path 18, a pair of transport rollers 20 including a transport roller and a pinch roller is provided so that the paper transport path 18 is sandwiched from above and below by both rollers. Further, a pair of paper discharge rollers 21 including a paper discharge roller and a pinch roller is provided in the vicinity of the downstream portion of the straight path 18b in the paper transport path 18 so that the paper transport path 18 is sandwiched from above and below by both rollers. . The image recording unit 17 and the platen 14 described above are provided between the conveying roller pair 20 and the paper discharge roller pair 21 so as to sandwich the straight path 18b from above and below.

  The image recording unit 17 is supported by a guide rod (not shown) extending in the left-right direction (longitudinal direction of the platen 14) in FIG. 1 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction in FIG. Reference numeral 17 denotes a head driving mechanism (not shown) composed of a pulley and a belt. Accordingly, when the head driving mechanism is driven, scanning within a predetermined range in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 can be performed along the guide rod.

  According to such a printer unit 2, the recording paper in the paper feed tray 5 is supplied to the paper transport path 18 by the paper feed roller 19, and then on the paper transport path 18 from the curved path 18 a by the transport roller pair 20. It is conveyed to the straight path 18b. The recording paper that has reached the straight path 18b is recorded with an ink ejected from the head unit 15a of the image recording unit 17 disposed so as to be opposed to the recording paper. The paper is discharged and stored in the paper discharge tray 6.

[Cartridge configuration]
Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 9, the configuration of the cartridge 10 mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 8 will be described. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the cartridge 10, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the cartridge 10 shown in FIG. Note that the cartridge 10 according to the present embodiment has a configuration that can be expanded and contracted, and FIGS. 3A and 4A are configurations when contracted, and FIGS. 3B and 4B. Indicates the configuration when expanded. In the following description, the front side of the cartridge 10 in FIG. 3 will be described as the front or front, and the back side will be described as the rear or rear.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cartridge 10 is formed in a substantially hexahedron having a flat shape with the standing posture illustrated here, and has a small size in the width direction (Z direction) and a height direction (Y direction). ) And the depth direction (X direction) have a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is larger than the dimension in the width direction. Then, in such a standing posture, it is carried in the X direction (mounting direction) and mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 8. Such a cartridge 10 includes a cartridge main body 30 (see FIG. 4) that stores ink in an ink chamber 100 (see FIG. 5), a front cover 31 that covers a front portion 30a of the cartridge main body 30, and a cartridge main body. 30 and a rear cover 32 that covers the rear portion 30b.

  In the present embodiment, the cartridge body 30, the front cover 31, and the rear cover 32 are all formed of a resin material such as nylon, polyethylene, or polypropylene. Hereinafter, the cartridge main body 30, the front cover 31, and the rear cover 32 of the cartridge 10 will be described in order.

[Cartridge body]
FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views showing the external shape of the cartridge main body 30. FIG. 5A shows a configuration when viewed from diagonally forward, and FIG. 5B shows a configuration when viewed from diagonally rear. 6 is a side view of the cartridge main body 30 shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge main body 30 taken along line VII-VII in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cartridge body 30 is configured as a substantially hexahedron having a flat shape similar to that of the cartridge 10. The cartridge body 30 is long in the vertical direction and is frontward in the mounting direction (X direction) of the cartridge 10. A front surface 41 located on the rear side and a rear surface 42 located on the rear side, an upper surface 43 and a lower surface 44 that are long in the mounting direction of the cartridge 10, and a square shape positioned on the left and right of the mounting direction. It has a left side 45 on the left side and a right side 46 on the right side. The cartridge body 30 forms an ink chamber 100 together with the frame 50 constituting the casing, an arm 70 for detecting the remaining amount of ink, an air communication valve 80, an ink supply valve 90, and the frame 50. And a transparent film (not shown).

  Among these, the frame 50 constituting the housing of the cartridge main body 30 includes an outer peripheral wall 51 formed in a substantially rectangular ring shape in a side view along the front surface 41, the upper surface 43, the rear surface 42, and the lower surface 44 of the cartridge main body 30. And an inner wall 52 provided inside the wall 51. The outer peripheral wall 51 and the inner wall 52 are integrally formed, for example, by injection molding a resin material such as polyacetal, nylon, polyethylene, or polypropylene. The outer peripheral wall 51 forms the front surface 41, the rear surface 42, the upper surface 43, and the lower surface 44 described above. Further, a concave portion 59 that is depressed downward is formed on the upper surface 43 of the outer peripheral wall 51, and a concave portion 60 that is depressed upward is formed on the lower surface 44.

  In addition, the thin film made of transparent resin is welded to the left and right peripheral portions (side surfaces 45 and 46 side) of the outer peripheral wall 51 thus forming an annular shape, and the left and right openings 57a and 57b are closed. The left and right films 45 and 46 are formed by the left and right films. A space surrounded by the outer peripheral wall 51 and the film is partitioned as the ink chamber 100.

  An inner wall 52 provided in the outer peripheral wall 51 has a width direction (Z direction) dimension substantially the same as that of the outer peripheral wall 51, and the film is also welded to the left and right edges thereof. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the looseness of the film, and even when an external force is applied to the front side cover 31 and the rear side cover 32 toward the cartridge body 30, these covers 31 and 32 are supported from the inside and the deformation is restricted. is doing.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, an ink injection unit 150 is integrally formed at the lower rear side of the frame 50. The ink injection unit 150 is a cylindrical body having holes drilled from the rear surface 42 of the frame 50 toward the ink chamber 100, and forms an ink injection path when ink is injected into the ink chamber 100.

  Further, a detection window 140 formed integrally with the frame 50 is provided at a front portion of the frame 50 in a substantially central portion in the vertical direction so as to protrude forward from the front surface 41. The detection window 140 is for visually or optically detecting the remaining amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 100, and is made of a transparent or translucent resin material having translucency similarly to the frame 50. It is configured. The detection window 140 is irradiated with light emitted from an optical sensor 230 such as a photo interrupter (described later) attached to the cartridge mounting portion 8 of the recording apparatus 1 from the side (Z direction). As shown in FIG. 5, the detection window 140 has a hollow box shape having left and right side surfaces 140 a and 140 a, and the inner space 142 communicates with the ink chamber 100.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the arm 70 has an indicator portion 72 extending forward and a float portion 73 extending forward in the frame 50, and a support shaft 77 positioned at an intermediate portion thereof has an outer periphery. It is supported by a rib 74 protruding from the inner surface of the wall 51 so as to be swingable. Of these, the indicator unit 72 enters or exits the detection window 140 when the arm 70 swings, and the incident light from the outside cannot pass through the detection window 140 when the arm 70 is entering, and exits. In the state where it is, it becomes transparent. The float portion 73 is formed in a hollow shape and plays a role of a buoyancy body with respect to the ink stored in the ink chamber 100.

  In such an arm 70, when the ink chamber 100 is fully loaded with ink, the float portion 73 is positioned upward, and the indicator portion 72 is positioned downward and enters the internal space 142 of the detection window 140. It has become. When the ink decreases from the above state over a predetermined amount, the float portion 73 starts to descend, and accordingly, the arm 70 swings around the support shaft 77. Then, the indicator unit 72 rises from the detection window 140 and finally exits from the detection window 140. In a state where the indicator unit 72 has left the detection window 140, incident light from the outside can pass through the detection window 140. Therefore, as described later, the remaining amount of ink in the ink chamber 100 can be detected by detecting whether or not light can be transmitted through the detection window 140 with an optical sensor.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the atmosphere communication valve 80 is accommodated in a first valve accommodating chamber 54 that is formed above the detection window 140 and above the front surface 41 of the frame 50. The atmosphere communication valve 80 has a valve body 87 biased forward, and when the valve body 87 is pushed rearward, an atmosphere communication port 81 is formed, and the ink chamber is formed via the atmosphere communication port 81. 100 becomes a state open to the atmosphere.

  The ink supply valve 90 is accommodated in a second valve accommodating chamber 55 formed below the detection window 140 and below the front surface 41 of the frame 50 as shown in FIG. 7, and is energized forward. A main body 97 is provided. When the cartridge 10 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 8, the valve body 97 is pushed backward by a needle (not shown) provided on the cartridge mounting portion 8. As a result, an ink supply port 91 is formed in the ink supply valve 90, the ink chamber 100 communicates with the tube 22 connected to the cartridge mounting portion 8 via the ink supply port 91, and the ink in the ink chamber 100 is transferred to the tube 22. To the sub tank 15b (see FIG. 2).

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 7, a first spring accommodating chamber 110 is formed above the first valve accommodating chamber 54 in the frame 50, and a second spring accommodating chamber 111 is formed below the second valve accommodating chamber 55. Has been. These spring housing chambers 110 and 111 are bottomed holes drilled from the front surface 41 of the frame 50 to the rear (ink chamber 100 side), and the front cover 31 attached to the front portion of the cartridge body 30 is moved forward. Coil springs 23 and 24 for energizing are accommodated (see FIG. 8).

  Further, a first cover support member 115 is formed at the front end portion of the upper surface 43 of the frame 50, and a second cover support member 116 is formed at the front end portion of the lower surface 44. These cover support members 115 and 116 are formed such that hook-like projections 115a and 116a are provided at the front end of a rod-like member extending forward, and slidably support a front cover 31 described below. The front cover 31 is regulated so as not to drop off from the cartridge body 30.

[Front cover]
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration when the cartridge 10 shown in FIG. 3A is cut along line VIII-VIII. 9 is a partially enlarged view of the cartridge 10 shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 9A is an enlarged view of the upper part surrounded by a two-dot chain line IXa in FIG. 8, and FIG. The lower part surrounded by the two-dot chain line IXb is shown enlarged.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the front cover 31 is formed in a container shape that can accommodate the front portion 30 a of the cartridge main body 30, and is formed flat corresponding to the shape of the front portion 30 a of the cartridge main body 30. . The front wall 161 corresponding to the front surface 41 of the cartridge body 30, the upper wall 163 corresponding to the upper surface 43, the lower wall 164 corresponding to the lower surface, the left wall 165 corresponding to the left side 45, and the right side 46 The front side 30a of the cartridge main body 30 can be accommodated in a space that has a corresponding right side wall 166 and that is surrounded by these and opens rearward. Further, the front cover 31 is provided with a first detected portion 185 and a second detected portion 186 to be detected by optical sensors 230 and 235 described later, and further, a notch portion 187 is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the notch 187 is formed so that the front wall 161 is recessed rearward at a substantially central position in the vertical direction of the front wall 161 of the front cover 31. The space is communicated. When the cartridge 10 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 9 with the front cover 31 mounted on the cartridge main body 30, the detection window 140 is exposed to the outside through the cutout portion 187. .

  The first detected part 185 is provided at a position in front of the notch part 187, and has a bridge part 189 that protrudes forward from the upper and lower front walls 161 of the notch part 187. The bridge portion 189 is formed in a flat plate shape having a small thickness in the front-rear direction by a resin member that does not transmit light, and there is a gap between the bridge portion 189 and the notch portion 187 (that is, in front of the notch portion 187). 190 (see FIG. 3) is formed. The gap 190 communicates the left and right spaces of the front cover 31 in the same manner as the notch 187.

  The second detected portion 186 is provided so as to protrude forward from the upper portion of the front wall 161. The second detected portion 186 has a flat plate shape with a small thickness dimension t in the left-right direction (X direction), and is formed of a light-transmitting optical element having a predetermined refractive index n. Then, it is formed of a resin member having a predetermined rigidity. Further, as described above, a plurality of cartridges 10 that contain ink independently for each color can be mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 8 according to the present embodiment. The detected part 186 is formed by optical elements having different refractive indexes n.

  Further, in the process of mounting the cartridge 10 to the cartridge mounting portion 9, the front cover 31 has a protruding portion 181 that first comes into contact with the inner surface of the cartridge mounting portion 9 and a slide of the front cover 31 with respect to the cartridge main body 30. Guide rods 168 and 169 for guiding the operation are provided. Among these, the protrusion 181 is formed integrally with the front cover 31 so as to protrude forward from the lower portion of the front wall 161 of the front cover 31.

  The guide rods 168 and 169 extend in a rod shape from the upper and lower portions of the back surface of the front wall 161 (that is, the rear surface facing the front surface 41 of the cartridge main body 30) to the rear. The upper guide rod 168 is inserted from the front into the inner hole of the coil spring 23 in the first spring accommodating chamber 110 of the cartridge body 30, and the lower guide rod 169 is inserted in the coil spring 24 in the second spring accommodating chamber 111. It is inserted through the hole from the front.

  The front cover 31 has sliding grooves 171 and 172 for guiding the sliding operation of the front cover 31 with respect to the cartridge body 30, similar to the guide rods 168 and 169, on the front portion of the upper wall 163 and the lower wall 164. Each is provided at the front. Of these, the upper sliding groove 171 is formed by forming the upper wall 163 of the front cover 31 in a substantially U-shape that is reverse in front view, and the lower sliding groove 172 is the front cover. The lower wall 164 of 31 is formed in the U shape by a front view. Protruding pieces 171a and 172a projecting from the groove surfaces of the sliding grooves 171 and 172 are provided in the back (that is, the rear) of these sliding grooves 171 and 172.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the front cover 31 is provided with a pressing portion 174 between the first detected portion 185 and the second detected portion 186 thereabove, and the first detected portion 185. An opening 180 is formed between the protrusion 181 and the protrusion 181. Among these, the pressing portion 174 is provided on the back surface of the front wall 161 of the front cover 31 at a position corresponding to the atmosphere communication valve 80 of the cartridge main body 30, and when the front cover 31 and the cartridge main body 30 are close to each other. Then, the front end of the valve body 87 included in the atmosphere communication valve 80 is pressed backward. The opening 180 is provided at a position corresponding to the ink supply valve 90 on the front wall 161 of the front cover 31.

  Next, a case where such a front cover 31 is attached to the cartridge body 30 will be described. When the cartridge main body 30 is positioned behind the front cover 31 and is mounted close to each other, the first cover support member 115 is first inserted into the upper sliding groove 171 and simultaneously the second cover support member. 116 is inserted into the lower sliding groove 172. Then, the protrusion 115a provided at the front end of the first cover support member 115 enters the depth of the sliding groove 171 beyond the protrusion piece 171a, and the protrusion 116a provided at the front end of the second cover support member 116 is It enters the back of the sliding groove 172 beyond the protruding piece 172a. As a result, even if the front cover 31 is pulled forward from the cartridge main body 30, the projections 115a and 116a and the projection pieces 171a and 172a are caught and cannot be pulled out.

  When the front cover 31 is thus attached to the cartridge main body 30, the two guide rods 168 and 169 provided on the front cover 31 are connected to the inner holes of the springs 23 in the first spring accommodating chamber 110 provided on the cartridge main body 30. And the inner hole of the spring 24 in the second spring accommodating chamber 111. The front cover 31 is urged forward by the springs 23 and 24 while the sliding direction with respect to the cartridge body 30 is regulated in the front-rear direction by the guide rods 168 and 169. Therefore, when no external force is applied, the front cover 31 is maintained in a state of being separated forward from the cartridge body 30 (hereinafter, “first position”). On the other hand, when an external force is applied to bring the front cover 31 closer to the cartridge main body 30, the front cover 31 is in a state of being close to the cartridge main body 30 (hereinafter, “second position”).

  When the front cover 31 slides from the first position to the second position, the pressing portion 174 included in the front cover 31 presses the valve main body 87 of the atmosphere communication valve 80 rearward. As a result, the valve body 87 is buried in the first valve housing chamber 54 against the forward biasing force, and the interior of the ink chamber 100 is released to the atmosphere. On the other hand, the ink supply valve 90 included in the cartridge body 30 at this time protrudes forward through the opening 180 included in the front cover 31. As a result, the valve body 97 of the ink supply valve 90 is pushed rearward against a forward biasing force by a needle (not shown) provided in the cartridge mounting portion 8, and the ink in the ink chamber 100 is discharged. The ink is supplied to the sub tank 15b (see FIG. 2) through the ink supply port 91 and the tube 22.

[Rear cover]
As shown in FIG. 8, the rear cover 32 is formed in a container shape that can accommodate the rear portion 30 b of the cartridge main body 30, and is formed flat corresponding to the shape of the rear portion 30 b of the cartridge main body 30. A rear wall 212 corresponding to the rear surface 42 of the cartridge body 30, an upper wall 213 corresponding to the upper surface 43, a lower wall 214 corresponding to the lower surface 44, a left wall 215 corresponding to the left side surface, and a right side surface 46. The cartridge body 30 has a corresponding right side wall 216, and the rear portion of the cartridge main body 30 can be accommodated in a space that is surrounded by these and opened forward.

  Projection pieces 210 and 211 are provided on the inner surfaces of the upper wall 213 and the lower wall 214 in the rear cover 32, respectively. The protrusions 210 and 211 are provided corresponding to the recesses 59 and 60 provided on the upper surface 43 and the lower surface 44 of the frame 50 of the cartridge body 30, respectively. When the rear cover 32 is attached to the rear portion 30b of the cartridge main body 30, the protruding pieces 210 and 211 are fitted into the concave portions 59 and 60, so that the cartridge main body 30 and the rear cover 32 are securely engaged. It is supposed to be combined.

[Configuration of cartridge mounting part]
FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the cartridge mounting portion 8. As shown in FIG. 10, the cartridge mounting portion 8 includes a storage case 9 divided into five storage chambers 9a so that the cartridge 10 for storing the inks of the five colors already described in the present embodiment can be mounted. And a lock lever 220 for opening and closing the opening 9b of the housing case 9. The housing case 9 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having the opening 9b on the rear side (right side in FIG. 10), and the base end portion of the lock lever 220 pivots at the rear end portion of the upper wall 221 thereof. The lock lever 220 is a rectangular lid that covers the opening 9 b of the housing case 9. Accordingly, when the lock lever 220 is pivoted upward about its base end to open the opening 9b, the cartridge 10 can be mounted in the storage chamber 9a through the opening 9b. A first optical sensor 230 and a second optical sensor 235 are disposed on the back side (left side in FIG. 10) of each storage chamber 9a in order to detect information about the cartridge 10 mounted in each storage chamber 9a. Each is provided.

  11A and 11B are diagrams showing the configuration of the first optical sensor 230. FIG. 11A is a schematic sectional view of one first optical sensor 230, and FIG. 11B shows its detection circuit. As shown in FIG. 11A, in this embodiment, a photo interrupter that is a transmissive optical sensor is employed as the first optical sensor 230, and a resin that extends in parallel in an arm shape to form a pair. It has a hollow light emitting element case 232a and a light receiving element case 232b. Further, the base portions of the light emitting element case 232a and the light receiving element case 232b are similarly connected by a resin member 232c, and the first optical sensor 230 has a substantially U-shaped appearance as a whole.

  A light emitting element 233 including a light emitting diode (see FIG. 11B) is disposed in the tip of the light emitting element case 232a, and the light emitting element 240 includes the light emitting element case 232a and the light emitting element 233. On the other hand, a light receiving element 234 made of a photodiode (refer to FIG. 11B) is disposed in the tip of the light receiving element case 232b. The light receiving element case 232b and the light receiving element 234 are connected to the light emitting unit 240. A light receiving portion 241 that forms a pair is configured.

  The paired light emitting element case 232a and light receiving element case 232b are provided at a predetermined interval from each other, and a slit 243 penetrating the inside and the outside is formed at the tip of the light emitting element case 232a, and the light receiving element case 232b. Similarly, a slit 244 penetrating the inside and the outside is also formed at the front end portion. Among these, the slit 243 included in the light emitting element case 232a opens toward the light receiving element case 232b, and the slit 244 included in the light receiving element case 232b opens toward the light emitting element case 232a forming a pair. Accordingly, light emitted from the light emitting element 233 via the slit 243 is received by the light receiving element 234 that forms a pair via the slit 244.

  Further, in the detection diagram of FIG. 11B, the output of the first optical sensor 230 is relatively OFF when the light is not incident on the photodiode forming the light receiving element 234 and the photodiode is turned off. When a high level signal is output and light is incident, the photodiode is turned on to output a relatively low level signal.

  As shown in FIG. 10, such a first optical sensor 230 is provided at a substantially central position in the vertical direction on the back wall surface 222 of the housing case 9, and the direction from the back wall surface 222 to the opening 9 b (that is, The light emitting element case 232a and the light receiving element case 232b are extended toward the rear, and the light emitting element 233 and the light receiving element 234 are attached so as to be positioned on the left and right (Z direction in FIG. 10). Then, between the light emitting element 233 and the light receiving element 234 (that is, between the light emitting element case 232a and the light receiving element case 232b), the light emitting element 233 drives to form a pair from the light emitting element 233 to the light receiving element 234. A region 231 serving as an optical path of the light traveling there is formed. Further, in the first optical sensor 230, the light emitting element 233 and the light receiving element 234 are soldered to the sensor substrate 240, so that the base resin member 232c (see FIG. 4) is fixed to the sensor substrate 240. In addition, the recording apparatus 1 is electrically connected to the main body side via the sensor substrate 240. The sensor substrate 240 has a horizontally long and substantially rectangular shape, and in the longitudinal direction, five first optical sensors 230 for each ink cartridge are arranged in a line in the Z direction. The outer back wall surface 222 of the housing case 9 is formed with openings 222a penetrating from the back wall surface 222 side in the direction of the opening 9b (that is, rearward) corresponding to the arrangement positions of the five first optical sensors. Each case 232a, 232b is installed in a state extending in the direction of the opening 9b through the opening 222a.

  12A and 12B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the configuration of the second optical sensor 235, where FIG. 12A shows a cross-sectional shape by the YZ plane, and FIG. 12B shows an XZ plane along the BB line of FIG. The cross-sectional shape by is shown. Note that the circuit diagram of the second optical sensor 235 is the same as FIG. As shown in FIG. 12A, in the present embodiment, a photo interrupter that is a transmissive optical sensor is employed as the second optical sensor 235 in the same manner as the first optical sensor 230 described above. The second optical sensor 235 includes a resin-made hollow light emitting element case 250a and a light receiving element case 250b that extend in parallel in an arm shape to form a pair. The bases of the light emitting element case 250a and the light receiving element case 250b are similarly connected by a resin member 250c, and the second optical sensor 235 has a substantially U-shaped appearance as a whole.

  A light emitting element 251 including a light emitting diode (see FIG. 11B) is disposed in the tip of the light emitting element case 250a, and the light emitting unit 260 is configured by the light emitting element case 250a and the light emitting element 251. On the other hand, a light receiving element 252 made of a photodiode (see FIG. 11B) is disposed in the front end of the light receiving element case 250b, and the light receiving unit 260 and the light receiving element 252 are connected to the light emitting unit 260. A light receiving portion 261 forming a pair is configured.

  The light emitting element case 250a and the light receiving element case 250b that form a pair are provided at a predetermined interval from each other, and a slit 253 that penetrates inside and outside is formed at the tip of the light emitting element case 250a. Similarly, a slit 254 penetrating the inside and the outside is also formed at the front end portion. Among these, the slit 253 included in the light emitting element case 250a opens toward the light receiving element case 250b, and the slit 254 included in the light receiving element case 250b opens toward the light emitting element case 250a forming a pair.

However, as shown in FIG. 12B, the slits 253 and 254 and the inner elements 251 and 252 do not face each other but are set in a positional relationship offset by X _{1 in} the X direction. That is, the light from the light emitting element 251 is emitted along the first optical path 270 from the slit 253 toward the light receiving element case 250b, but the slit 254 of the light receiving element case 250b is located away from the first optical path 270. The light receiving element 252 in the slit 254 does not receive light along the first optical path 270.

  The light-emitting elements 251 used in the second optical sensors 235 are preferably single-wavelength light having a spectrum peak at a specific frequency that is unique to each of the light-receiving elements 251. It is desirable to have high spectral sensitivity at the peak frequency. The same applies to the first optical sensor 230.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the second optical sensor 235 is provided in a portion on the back side of the upper wall surface 221 of the housing case 9, and the light emitting element case 250 a and the lower surface from the upper wall surface 221. The light receiving element case 250b is extended, and the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252 are attached so as to be positioned on the left and right (Z direction). Between the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252, there is a region 255 where an optical path of light from the light emitting element 251 to the light receiving element 252 is formed by driving the light emitting element 251. Similarly to the first optical sensor 230, the second optical sensor 235 also extends along the Z direction (see FIG. 10) on the sensor substrate 256 according to the number of cartridges 10 mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 8. Are provided via the openings 221 a penetrating the upper wall surface 221 of the housing case 9.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, a connecting portion 223 that connects to the ink supply port 91 of the cartridge 10 is provided below the back wall surface 222 of the housing case 9. The connecting portion 223 has a cylindrical shape, protrudes from the back wall surface 222 toward the opening 9b (that is, rearward), and communicates the inside and outside of the housing case 9 through the inner hole 223a. The other end of the tube 22 having one end connected to the sub tank 15b (see FIG. 2) is connected to the inner hole 223a. In addition, the needle (not shown) already described is provided inside the inner hole 223a of the connecting portion 223.

  In addition, abutting portions 225 and 226 are provided on the upper and lower portions of the back wall surface 222 of the housing case 9, respectively. Among these, the upper contact portion 225 is provided corresponding to the upper second detected portion 186 (see FIG. 8) of the cartridge 10, and the second detected portion 186 in the process of mounting the cartridge 10. Take the front edge of the. The lower abutting portion 226 is provided corresponding to the protruding portion 181 (see FIG. 8) provided on the lower side of the cartridge 10, and the front end of the protruding portion 181 is moved in the process of mounting the cartridge 10. Take it.

  The lock lever 220 pivotally supported by the housing case 9 not only opens and closes as a lid of the opening 9b of the housing case 9 as described above, but also serves to securely mount and fix the cartridge 10 in the housing chamber 9a. Also fulfills. More specifically, at the front end of the lock lever 220, a grip 220a projecting outward to be gripped by an operator, and an engaging claw 220b projecting inward to engage the storage case 9 are provided. Is provided. On the other hand, an engaging groove 227 for engaging with the engaging claw 220b is formed at the lower edge of the opening 9b of the housing case 9. Then, when the grip 220a is gripped and the lock lever 220 is rotated to close the opening 9b, the engagement claw 220b and the engagement groove 227 are engaged with each other, and the lock lever 220 reliably secures the opening 9b of the housing case 9. Close to. In addition, an open / close sensor 228 is provided at a pivotal support position of the lock lever 220 so that the open / close state of the lock cover 220 can be detected.

  FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the cartridge 10 is mounted on the housing case 9 of the cartridge mounting portion 8 described above. First, when the cartridge 10 is inserted into the housing case 9 with the opening 9b opened as shown in FIG. 10 and the lock lever 220 is closed, the inner surface of the lock lever 220 comes into contact with the rear end of the cartridge 10, Press forward. Then, the cartridge body 30 and the rear cover 32 further enter forward so that the coil springs 23 and 24 contract and approach the front cover 31.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13, when the lock lever 220 is completely closed with respect to the opening 9b and the engagement claw 220b is fitted in the engagement groove 227, the lock lever 220 is locked in a state in which the opening 9b is closed. The At this time, the ink supply port 91 of the cartridge 10 is connected to the connecting portion 223. At the same time, the cartridge main body 30 reaches the second position closest to the front cover 31, and the valve main body 87 of the atmosphere communication valve 80 is pushed backward by the pressing portion 174 of the front cover 31, so that the ink The chamber 100 is open to the atmosphere. As a result, the back pressure of the ink in the ink chamber 100 becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure, and the ink can be supplied from the ink supply port 91.

  13, the detection window 140 of the cartridge body 30 in the second position is exposed from the notch 187, and this detection window 140 enters the region 231 of the first optical sensor 230. Yes. Further, the second detected portion 186 provided on the upper portion of the front cover 31 is positioned so as to block the first optical path 270 in the region 255 of the second optical sensor 235.

[Functional configuration of recording device]
FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating main functions provided in the recording apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 14, the recording apparatus 1 includes a control unit 200 for controlling all the operations. The control unit 200 includes a processor 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, an EEPROM 204, and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated). Circuit) 205.

  The ROM 202 stores programs necessary for the processor 201 to execute various operations of the recording apparatus 1. The RAM 203 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording various data used when the processor 201 executes the program, or as a work area when the program is executed. The EEPROM 204 stores settings, flags, etc. that should be retained even after the power is turned off.

  The ASIC 205 is connected to a head control board 15c, a first optical sensor 230, a second optical sensor 235, an open / close sensor 228, a liquid crystal display 11a, and the like provided outside the control unit 200. Although not shown in FIG. 14, a drive circuit for driving the paper feed roller 19, the transport roller pair 20, the paper discharge roller pair 21, and the like are also connected to the ASIC 205.

  The head control board 15c is electrically connected to the head unit 15a, and drives the head unit 15a based on a signal input from the ASIC 205. As a result, ink of a predetermined color is selectively ejected from the nozzles of the head unit 15a at a predetermined timing, and an image is formed on the recording paper.

  The first optical sensor 230 outputs a signal (hereinafter referred to as “light reception signal”) corresponding to the luminance (light reception amount) of the light received by the light receiving element. Specifically, an analog electrical signal (voltage signal or current signal) corresponding to the luminance of light emitted from the light emitting element 233 of the first optical sensor 230 and received by the light receiving element 234 is used as the light receiving signal. Output from the sensor 230. The output light reception signal is input to the control unit 200. In the main control unit 200, when the electrical level (voltage value or current value) is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value Va (see FIG. 20), If it is less than the threshold value Va, it is determined as a HIGH level signal. In the present embodiment, the light reception signal is less than the threshold value Va when light is shielded in the region 231 of the first optical sensor 230, and is determined as a HIGH level signal, and when the light is not shielded, the threshold value Va. Thus, it is determined as a LOW level signal. The threshold value may be a fixed value, or may be based on a different threshold value, for example, a LOW level signal if the threshold value is VH or more, and a HIGH level signal if the threshold value is less than the threshold value VL.

  The second optical sensor 235 operates based on the same principle as the first optical sensor 230 described above, and outputs a light reception signal corresponding to the luminance (light reception amount) of light received by the light receiving element. Therefore, the detailed description here is omitted. Note that the second optical sensor 235 according to the present embodiment determines whether the signal level is HIGH or LOW using the threshold value Va as a reference, similarly to the first optical sensor 230. Good.

  The open / close sensor 228 outputs a predetermined signal when the lock lever 220 is opened to a predetermined opening. This signal is input to the control unit 200, and the control unit 200 determines based on this signal that the lock lever 220 is open. The liquid crystal display device 11a outputs information recognizable by an operator such as a character string or a symbol mark based on a signal input from the ASIC 205.

  In the present embodiment, the cartridge detection device 300 that detects the mounting state of the cartridge 10 by the control unit 200, the second optical sensor 235, and the second detected portion 186 provided in the cartridge 10 in the recording apparatus 1 as described above. It is configured.

[Detect cartridge]
FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a method of detecting the mounting state of the cartridge 10 by the cartridge detection device 300, and is a configuration when the second optical sensor 235 and the second detected portion 186 are viewed in plan (ie, A configuration when viewed along the normal direction of the XZ plane is schematically shown. 15A shows a state where the cartridge 10 is not attached, and FIG. 15B shows a state where the cartridge 10 is attached.

  As shown in FIG. 15A, when the cartridge 10 is not mounted, in the second optical sensor 235, light from the light emitting element 251 is emitted from the slit 253 along the first optical path 270. The light receiving element 252 provided so as to deviate from the one optical path 270 does not receive this light. Therefore, the output signal from the light receiving element 252 is less than the threshold value Va, and the control unit 200 determines that the signal is a HIGH level signal.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15B, when the cartridge 10 is mounted, the second detected portion 186 enters the region 255 so as to block the first optical path 270. As a result, the light from the light emitting element 251 passes through the second detected portion 186, but the second detected portion at the place where the light enters the second detected portion 186 and the place where the light exits from the second detected portion 186. Refraction occurs according to the refractive index n of 186, and a second optical path 271 different from the first optical path 270 is formed. As a result, the light emitted along the second optical path 271 enters the slit 254 and is received by the light receiving element 252. Therefore, the output signal from the light receiving element 252 is equal to or higher than the threshold value Va, and the control unit 200 determines that the signal is a LOW level signal.

  Thus, the signal from the light receiving element 252 is determined as a HIGH level signal when the cartridge 10 is not mounted, and is determined as a LOW level signal in the mounted state. Therefore, the control unit 200 can determine the mounting state of the cartridge 10 by determining whether the signal from the light receiving element 252 is a HIGH level signal or a LOW level signal.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a method of detecting whether or not each cartridge 10 for each color is correctly mounted on the plurality of case housing portions 9 included in the cartridge mounting portion 8. As an example, FIG. The structure when the 2nd optical sensor 235 provided in the provided two case accommodating parts 9 and the two 2nd to-be-detected parts 186 corresponding to this is planarly shown is shown. 16A shows a state when the cartridge 10 corresponding to each case accommodating portion 9 is correctly attached, and FIG. 16B shows a state when the cartridge 10 is incorrectly attached. For convenience of explanation, the two case accommodating portions 9 are referred to as case accommodating portions 9A and 9B, and the corresponding cartridges 10 are indicated as cartridges 10A and 10B.

As shown in FIG. 16A, in the second optical sensor 235 included in the case housing portion 9A and the second optical sensor 235 included in the case housing portion 9B, the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252 are relatively relative to each other. are different Do positional relationship with each other, X direction separation distance between the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252, the former case is set to d _a, in the latter case is set to d _B. Corresponding to such a difference, each of the second detected portions 186 included in the cartridges 10A and 10B has unique refractive indexes n _A and n _B , respectively. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 16A, when an appropriate cartridge 10A, 10B is attached to each case housing portion 9A, 9B, an appropriate second optical path 271 is obtained in any second optical sensor 235. And the light from the light emitting element 251 is received by the light receiving element 252. As a result, the control unit 200 receives the LOW level signal from any of the light receiving elements 252 and determines that the correct cartridges 10A and 10B are attached to the case accommodating units 9A and 9B.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 16B, when the cartridge 10B is mistakenly attached to the case accommodating portion 9A and the cartridge 10A is attached to the case accommodating portion 9B, the distance d _{A between the} light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252 is determined. , d _B and the refractive index n _a of the second detectable portion 186, the relationship between n _B not a suitable combination, not the second optical path 271 suitable even second optical sensor 235 of any formation, emission Light from the element 251 cannot be received by the light receiving element 252. As a result, the control unit 200 receives the HIGH level signal from any of the light receiving elements 252 and determines that the correct cartridges 10A and 10B are not attached to the case housing units 9A and 9B.

  As described above, when the cartridge mounting portion 8 capable of mounting a plurality of different cartridges 10 is provided, the positional relationship between the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252 and the refractive index of the second detected portion 186 are provided for each cartridge 10. By making the combination with n different, it can be determined whether or not each cartridge 10 is mounted in the correct position.

  In the above configuration, instead of changing the refractive index n of the second detected portion 186 for each cartridge 10, the thickness dimension t (see FIG. 15A) of the second detected portion 186 is changed. May be. Further, instead of making the relative position of the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252 different for each cartridge 10, the frequency (wavelength) of light emitted from the light emitting element 251 may be made different for each cartridge 10. Eventually, a different second optical path 271 may be formed for each cartridge 10, and an appropriate second optical path 271 may be formed when an appropriate cartridge 10 is mounted.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the cartridge detection device 301 according to the second embodiment, and schematically illustrates a configuration mainly when the second optical sensor 235 and the second detected portion 186 are viewed in plan. ing. 17A shows a state where the cartridge 10 is not attached, and FIG. 17B shows a state where the cartridge 10 is attached. As shown in FIG. 17A, in this cartridge detection device 301, a flexible member 310 having translucency is disposed between the light emitting element case 250a and the light receiving element case 250b of the second optical sensor 235. Has been.

  More specifically, a central region 311 where the second detected portion 186 is located when the cartridge 10 is mounted is left between the light emitting element case 250a and the light receiving element case 250b of the second optical sensor 235. The flexible member 310 is provided in the other regions 312 and 313. Further, the width dimension (Z-direction dimension) of the central region 311 is slightly smaller than the thickness dimension t of the second detected portion 186, and each flexible member 310 provided in the other regions 312 and 313 is The light emitting element case 250a and the light receiving element case 250b are in airtight contact with the opposing surfaces.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the flexible member 310 is made of a gel-like substance such as silicon gel, but may be made using another member having appropriate flexibility. The other configurations of the second optical sensor 235 and the second detected portion 186 are the same as those described in the first embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

  As shown in FIG. 17 (b), in such a cartridge detection device 301, when the cartridge 10 is mounted in the case housing portion 9, the second detected portion 186 is the center between the left and right flexible members 310. It is inserted into the region 311 and is positioned so as to block the first optical path 270. At this time, the flexible member 310 is filled between the second detected portion 186 and the light emitting element 251, and similarly, the flexible member 310 is also flexible between the second detected portion 186 and the light receiving element 252. The member 310 is filled. That is, a gap is eliminated as much as possible between the second detected portion 186 and the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252. Therefore, the second optical path 271 can be formed more stably and accurately, and the accuracy of mounting detection of the cartridge 10 can be improved.

  In the above description, the configuration in which the flexible member 310 is disposed on both the light emitting element 251 side and the light receiving element 252 side with the central region 311 in between is illustrated, but only one of the flexible members 310 is flexible. A member 310 may be provided.

  Further, when the type of the cartridge 10 is determined by the cartridge detection device 301 according to the present embodiment, the relative positions of the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252 and the refractive index of the second detected portion 186 in the first embodiment. Needless to say, n may be different for each cartridge 10, and the thickness t of the second detected portion 186 and the frequency (wavelength) of light emitted from the light emitting element 251 are different. You may do it.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the cartridge detection device 302 according to the third embodiment, and schematically illustrates a configuration mainly when the second optical sensor 235 and the second detected portion 186 are viewed in plan. ing. 18A shows a state where the cartridge 10 is not attached, and FIG. 18B shows a state where the cartridge 10 is attached. As shown in FIG. 18A, in this cartridge detection device 302, the second detected portion 186 is configured by a flexible member 320.

More specifically, the flexible member 320 constituting the second detected portion 186 is made of a highly refractive material such as gel and has a predetermined refractive index n and elasticity. The refractive index n can be obtained in various values by appropriately selecting a high refractive material. Here, the high refractive material referred to in the present embodiment is a material having a refractive index larger than the refractive index of the air layer, and by adopting such a high refractive material, the light from the light emitting element 251 is transmitted. Since the refraction can be increased, the arrangement position of the light receiving element 252 can be provided in the vicinity of the base of the light receiving element case 250b. The flexible member 320 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having a width dimension along the Z direction of W ₁ and a length dimension along the mounting direction (X direction) of L ₁ . Of these, the width dimension W ₁ is substantially the same as the separation dimension W ₂ between the light emitting element case 250a and the light receiving element case 250b of the second optical sensor 235, and the length dimension L ₁ is the length of the cartridge 10 mounted. The size is slightly larger than the distance L ₂ between the cartridge 10 and the contact portion 226 (see FIG. 10) of the housing case 9.

  As shown in FIG. 18B, in such a cartridge detection device 302, when the cartridge 10 is mounted in the case housing portion 9, the flexible member 320 forming the second detected portion 186 is changed to the light emitting element case 250a. Between the first light path 270 and the light receiving element case 250b. Thereby, the space between the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252 is filled with the flexible member 320, and the gap between the elements 251 and 252 is eliminated as much as possible. The second optical path 271 is formed by the refractive index n of the flexible member 320, and light from the light emitting element 251 is received by the light receiving element 252.

  Further, it is known that the refractive index changes depending on the temperature and density even for the same material. If a gap is generated between the light emitting element 251, the light receiving element 252, and the flexible member 320, Depending on the temperature and density of the air present in the gap, there is a possibility that the optical path of light passing therethrough varies, and the light receiving element 252 may not receive light correctly. However, as described above, in this embodiment, since the gap is not generated between the both elements 251 and 252 and the flexible member 320, the light emitting element 251 in the state of FIG. This light can be accurately received by the light receiving element 252.

Further, since the length dimension L ₁ of the flexible member 320 is slightly larger than the separation dimension L ₂ described above, when the cartridge 10 is mounted, the flexible member 320 is in a compressed state so that the length dimension becomes smaller. Become. Then, an elastic force is generated by this compression, and the cartridge 10 is urged in a direction to be removed. Therefore, when the lock lever 220 (see FIG. 10) is opened, the urging force can push the cartridge 10 in the direction of removal, and the user can easily pick and remove the cartridge 10 with his / her fingertip. In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the cartridge 10 is urged by the opening of the lock lever 220 and is pushed in the removal direction has been described. When removing the locked liquid cartridge, the liquid cartridge can be pushed in the removal direction by the elastic force of the flexible member 320 only by releasing the stopper.

  When the cartridge detection device 302 according to the present embodiment determines the type of the cartridge 10, the relative position of the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252 and the refractive index of the second detected portion 186 in the first embodiment. It is needless to say that the relative position of the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252 and the refractive index n of the flexible member 320 may be made different for each cartridge 10 in the same manner that n is made different for each cartridge 10.

  Further, when detecting a plurality of cartridges 10, assuming that the light refraction direction is only in the XZ plane as shown in FIG. 18B, the relative positions of the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252 are sequentially separated in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the light emitting element case 250a or the light receiving element case 250b becomes longer, and the cartridge mounting portion 8 becomes larger. However, for example, if light is refracted in the YZ plane in addition to the XZ plane, the misalignment direction of the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252 can be set in the vertical direction in addition to the front-rear direction. The enlargement of the cartridge mounting portion 8 can be suppressed.

(Embodiment 4)
FIGS. 19A and 19B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the cartridge detection device 303 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 19A illustrates a state where the cartridge 10 is not mounted, and FIG. 19B illustrates a state where the cartridge 10 is mounted. As shown in FIG. 19A, the cartridge detection device 303 includes a reflective second optical sensor 330 that is different from the second optical sensor 235. More specifically, the second optical sensor 330 has a light emitting element 331 and a light receiving element 332, and the light emitting element 331 and the light receiving element 332 are abutting portions provided on the back wall 222 of the housing case 9. 226 is provided on the rear surface (the surface facing the cartridge 10). The light emitting element 331 forms a first optical path 273 that emits light substantially backward, and the light along the first optical path 273 is not received by the light receiving element 332.

  On the other hand, the cartridge 10 includes a second detected portion 335 different from the second detected portion 186. The second detected portion 335 is composed of a flat optical element having a refractive index n specific to each cartridge 10, and faces the light emitting element 331 and the light receiving element 332 when the cartridge 10 is mounted. It is provided on the upper part of the front cover 31.

  As shown in FIG. 19B, in such a cartridge detection device 303, when the cartridge 10 is mounted in the case housing portion 9, the second detected portion 335 is separated from the light emitting element 331 and the light receiving element 332 by a predetermined distance. It will be in the state which opposed only apart. At this time, light from the light emitting element 331 is input from the front surface of the second detected portion 335 to the inside, then reflected by the back surface, and further output from the front surface to the outside. Then, based on the specific refractive index n of the second detected portion 335, it is refracted at a predetermined angle at the time of input and output, and a specific second optical path 274 is formed for each cartridge 10. As a result, light along the second optical path 274 is received by the light receiving element 332. As described above, also in the cartridge detection device 303 configured in the reflection type, it is possible to detect whether or not the cartridge 10 is mounted in the state where the cartridge 10 is mounted, similarly to the cartridge detection devices 300 to 302 described above.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining a method for detecting whether or not each cartridge 10 for each color is correctly attached to the plurality of case accommodating portions 9 in the reflection type cartridge detection device 303 as described above. As an example, the configuration of the second optical sensor 330 provided in the two case housing portions 9 provided side by side and the two second detected portions 335 corresponding thereto is viewed schematically. Is shown. 20A shows a state when the cartridge 10 corresponding to each case accommodating portion 9 is correctly attached, and FIG. 20B shows a state when the cartridge 10 is wrongly attached. For convenience of explanation, the two case accommodating portions 9 are referred to as case accommodating portions 9C and 9D, and the corresponding cartridges 10 are indicated as cartridges 10C and 10D.

As shown in FIG. 20A, in the second optical sensor 330 included in the case housing portion 9C and the second optical sensor 330 included in the case housing portion 9D, the light emitting element 331 and the light receiving element 332 are relative to each other. The positional relationship between the light emitting element 331 and the light receiving element 332 is set to d _C in the former case and d _D in the latter case. Corresponding to such a difference, each of the second detected parts 335 included in the cartridges 10C and 10D has a unique refractive index n _C and n _D , respectively. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 20A, when the appropriate cartridges 10C and 10D are attached to the case accommodating portions 9C and 9D, the appropriate second optical path 274 is obtained in any of the second optical sensors 330. And the light from the light emitting element 331 is received by the light receiving element 332. As a result, the control unit 200 receives the LOW level signal from any of the light receiving elements 332, and determines that the correct cartridges 10C and 10D are attached to the case housing units 9C and 9D. In the configuration shown in FIG. 20, the refractive index n _D of the second detected portion 335 of the cartridge 10D is closer to the refractive index of air than the refractive index n _C of the second detected portion 335 of the cartridge 10C. Is set to a value.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 20B, when the cartridge 10D is mistakenly attached to the case accommodating portion 9C and the cartridge 10C is attached to the case accommodating portion 9D, the separation dimension d _{C between the} light emitting element 331 and the light receiving element 332 is obtained. , D _D and the refractive indexes n _C , n _{D of} the second detected part 335 are not in an appropriate combination, and therefore, no appropriate second optical path 274 is formed in any of the second optical sensors 330, and light emission Light from the element 331 cannot be received by the light receiving element 332. As a result, the control unit 200 receives a HIGH level signal from any of the light receiving elements 332, and determines that the correct cartridges 10C and 10D are not attached to the case housing units 9C and 9D.

  As described above, when a plurality of different cartridges 10 are discriminated by the cartridge detection device 303 according to the present embodiment, the positional relationship between the light emitting element 331 and the light receiving element 332 and the second detection target for each cartridge 10. By making the combination of the refractive index n of the part 335 different, it can be determined whether or not each cartridge 10 is mounted in the correct position. Further, instead of changing the relative positions of the light emitting element 331 and the light receiving element 332 or changing the refractive index n of the second detected portion 335, the frequency (wavelength) of light from the light emitting element 331 is different. May be different.

(Embodiment 5)
FIGS. 21A and 21B are diagrams showing the configuration of the cartridge detection device 304 according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 21A shows a state where the cartridge 10 is not attached, and FIG. 21B shows a state where it is attached. As shown in FIG. 20A, the cartridge detection device 304 has the same configuration as the cartridge detection device 303 according to the fourth embodiment, but the contact portion 226 provided in the storage case 9. A difference is that a flexible member 336 made of gel or the like having a refractive index n _G inherent to the corresponding cartridge 10 is provided on the rear surface so as to cover the light emitting element 331 and the light receiving element 332.

  As shown in FIG. 21B, in such a cartridge detection device 304, when the cartridge 10 is mounted in the case housing portion 9, the second detected portion 335 is separated from the light emitting element 331 and the light receiving element 332 by a predetermined distance. It will be in the state which opposed only apart. A flexible member 336 is interposed between the second detected portion 335, the light emitting element 331, and the light receiving element 332, and the flexible member 336 is connected to the second detected portion 335 and the light emitting element. Airtight contact is made with respect to 331 and the light receiving element 332 so that a gap is not generated as much as possible. Accordingly, as in the case of the second embodiment, the second optical path 274 can be formed more stably and accurately, and the accuracy of detecting the mounting of the cartridge 10 can be improved. In FIG. 21, the flexible member 336 is provided on the case housing portion 9 side, but the cartridge 10 may be provided airtightly on the front surface of the second detected portion 335 in the cartridge 10.

Further, the flexible member 336 according to the present embodiment has a dimension L ₃ (see FIG. 21A) along the mounting direction (X direction) of the cartridge 10 and the contact portion 226 when mounted. It is configured to be slightly larger than the facing distance L ₄ (see FIG. 21B). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 21B, when the cartridge 10 is mounted in the case housing portion 9, the flexible member 336 is sandwiched between the cartridge 10 and the case housing portion 9 and is in a compressed state. Therefore, when the lock lever 220 (see FIG. 10) is opened, the urging force generated by the compression pushes the cartridge 10 in the direction of removal, and the user can easily pick it up with the fingertip.

Further, as described above, the flexible member 336 has a refractive index n _G unique to each cartridge 10, and the second optical path 274 has the refractive index n _G of the flexible member 336 and the second object. It is determined by the refractive index n of the detector 335. In particular, when the flexible member 336 is provided on the front surface of the second detected portion 335, the degree of freedom in setting the second optical path 274 is increased by adjusting the refractive index n _G , and the light emitting element 331. The Z-direction dimension 274a (see FIG. 21B) of the second optical path 274 extending from the light receiving element 332 to the light receiving element 332 can be narrowed to contribute to the downsizing of the recording apparatus 1.

(Embodiment 6)
FIGS. 22A and 22B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the cartridge detection device 305 according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 22A illustrates a state where the cartridge 10 is not mounted, and FIG. 22B illustrates a state where the cartridge 10 is mounted. As shown in FIG. 22, the cartridge detection device 305 includes the second optical sensor 235 similar to the cartridge detection device 302 according to the third embodiment, while the second detected portion 186 has the same configuration as before. The light-shielding member 340 is not a material having a light-transmitting property. Further, the light shielding member 340 has a planar view shape that substantially matches the space shape between the light emitting element case 250a and the light receiving element case 250b in the second optical sensor 235. In the present embodiment, the light shielding member 340 has a rectangular shape. Is made. In addition, the light shielding member 340 is formed with a slit hole 341 that is inclined and extends from the opening 341a on one side toward the opening 341b on the other side, and the inner wall surface is a mirror surface that efficiently reflects light. Is made.

  As shown in FIG. 22B, in such a cartridge detection device 305, when the cartridge 10 is mounted in the case housing portion 9, the light-shielding member 340 forming the second detected portion 186 becomes the light emitting element case 250a. It is inserted between the light receiving element case 250b and positioned so as to block the first optical path 270. On the other hand, the opening 341a on one side of the slit hole 341 is arranged to face the light emitting element 251 with the light blocking member 340 inserted to the deepest portion, so that light from the light emitting element 251 is introduced into the slit hole 341. It has become. The introduced light repeats reflection in the slit hole 341 and propagates to the other opening 341b through the second optical path 72. The opening 341 b on the other side is positioned to face the light receiving element 252, and light emitted from the opening 341 b is received by the light receiving element 252.

  FIG. 22 shows a configuration in which the slit hole 341 is linearly inclined from the opening 341a on one side to the opening 341b on the other side. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the slit hole 341 is bent in the middle or curved in an arc shape. Alternatively, another configuration may be employed as long as light can propagate from the opening 341a on one side to the opening 341b on the other side and light can be emitted from the opening 341b. Further, when identifying a plurality of cartridges 10, the relative positions of the light emitting element 251 and the light receiving element 252 may be made different, and the positions of the openings 341a and 341b of the slit hole 341 may be made different accordingly.

  The present invention provides a cartridge detection device that can detect the attachment / detachment state of the liquid cartridge without being affected by the user's attachment / detachment operation of the liquid cartridge and can accurately identify the type of the liquid cartridge. Can be applied.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an external configuration of a recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In the present embodiment, a so-called multifunction machine having a printer function, a scanner function, a copy function, a facsimile function, and the like is illustrated as a recording apparatus. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a printer unit included in the recording apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of a cartridge. FIG. 4 is a side view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 3. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance shape of a cartridge main body, (a) shows the structure when it sees from diagonally forward, (b) has shown the structure when it sees from diagonally back, respectively. FIG. 6 is a side view of the cartridge main body shown in FIG. 5. It is sectional drawing when a cartridge main body is cut | disconnected by the VII-VII line in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows a structure when the cartridge shown to Fig.3 (a) is cut | disconnected by the VIII-VIII line. FIGS. 9A and 9B are partially enlarged views of the cartridge shown in FIG. 8, in which FIG. 8A is an enlarged view of an upper part surrounded by a two-dot chain line IXa in FIG. 8, and FIG. The lower part is enlarged. It is a typical sectional view showing the composition of a cartridge mounting part. It is drawing which shows the structure of a 1st optical sensor, (a) shows typical sectional drawing of one 1st optical sensor, (b) has shown the circuit diagram. The schematic sectional drawing which shows the structure of a 2nd optical sensor is shown, (a) shows the cross-sectional shape by a YZ plane, (b) shows the cross-sectional shape by the XZ plane along the BB line of (a). ing. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a state where a cartridge is mounted in a storage case of a cartridge mounting unit. It is a block diagram which shows the main functions with which a recording device is provided. It is drawing for demonstrating the mounting state detection method of a cartridge by a cartridge detection apparatus, and has shown typically the structure when a 2nd optical sensor and a 2nd to-be-detected part are planarly viewed. Further, (a) shows a state where the cartridge is not attached, and (b) shows a state where the cartridge is attached. It is drawing for demonstrating the method to detect whether each cartridge for every color is correctly mounted | worn with respect to several case accommodating part which a cartridge mounting part has, (a) is with respect to each case accommodating part. The state when the corresponding cartridge is correctly attached is shown, and (b) shows the state when it is incorrectly attached. It is drawing which shows the structure of the cartridge detection apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2, (a) has shown the state in which the cartridge is not mounted | worn, (b) has shown the mounted state. It is drawing which shows the structure of the cartridge detection apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3, (a) has shown the state in which the cartridge is not mounted | worn, (b) has shown the mounted state. It is drawing which shows the structure of the cartridge detection apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 4, (a) has shown the state in which the cartridge is not mounted | worn, (b) has shown the mounted state. In the cartridge detection apparatus according to Embodiment 4, it is a drawing for explaining a method for detecting whether or not each cartridge for each color is correctly attached to a plurality of case accommodating portions, (a) The state when the cartridge corresponding to the case accommodating portion is correctly attached is shown, and (b) shows the state when the cartridge is incorrectly attached. It is drawing which shows the structure of the cartridge detection apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 5, (a) shows the state in which the cartridge is not mounted | worn, (b) has shown the mounted state. FIGS. 22A and 22B are diagrams showing the configuration of the cartridge detection apparatus according to the sixth embodiment, where FIG. 22A shows a state in which no cartridge is mounted, and FIG. 22B shows a state in which the cartridge is mounted.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 8 Cartridge mounting part 10 Cartridge 186,335 2nd to-be-detected part 200 Control part 230 1st optical sensor 235,330 2nd optical sensor 270,273 1st optical path 271,274 2nd optical path 300-304 Cartridge detection apparatus

Claims (8)

A cartridge detection device comprising a liquid cartridge having a tank for storing liquid therein, and a cartridge mounting portion to which the liquid cartridge is detachably mounted,
The cartridge mounting unit includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit that detects mounting of the liquid cartridge by detecting light from the light emitting unit, and the light receiving unit is configured when the liquid cartridge is not mounted. The light emitting unit is provided to deviate from the first optical path that is the path of light emitted from the light emitting unit,
The liquid cartridge has an optical element provided to be positioned on the first optical path when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, and when the optical element is positioned on the first optical path, A cartridge detection device configured to change a light path from a light emitting unit to a second optical path from the first optical path toward the light receiving unit.   The light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to the mounting direction of the liquid cartridge in a state where the light emitting direction and the light receiving direction are offset from each other. When the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, the liquid cartridge is positioned between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, and is configured to refract light from the light emitting portion to form the second optical path. The cartridge detection device according to claim 1, wherein   The optical element is made of a light-transmitting flexible member, and is configured to make airtight contact with the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit. The cartridge detection device according to claim 2, wherein the cartridge detection device is provided.   A flexible member having translucency is provided so as to airtightly cover at least one of the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit, and the optical element is formed of a rigid member having translucency, and The cartridge detection device according to claim 2, wherein the cartridge detection unit is configured to make airtight contact with the flexible member when the liquid cartridge is mounted on a cartridge mounting unit.   The flexible member has elasticity, and is configured to be in a compressed state when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion so as to urge the liquid cartridge in a direction to remove the liquid cartridge. The cartridge detection device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that   The light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged to face the liquid cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting unit, and the optical element is mounted when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit. 2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge is provided so as to face the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit, and is configured to reflect the light from the light emitting unit to form the second optical path. Detection device.   When at least one of the light emitting unit, the light receiving unit, and the optical element is covered with a flexible member having translucency, and the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit The cartridge detection device according to claim 6, wherein the light emitting unit, the light receiving unit, and the optical element are hermetically connected via the flexible member. The cartridge mounting part is capable of inserting / removing a plurality of the liquid cartridges, and includes a plurality of pairs of the light emitting part and the light receiving part corresponding to each liquid cartridge, and the relative positions of the light emitting part and the light receiving part correspond Different for each liquid cartridge,
The optical element has different optical characteristics for each liquid cartridge, and is configured to form the second optical path that is different for each liquid cartridge when the liquid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion. The cartridge detection device according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge detection device is a cartridge detection device.

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