JP4710581B2 - ink cartridge - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ink cartridge .

There is a recording apparatus such as a printer that ejects ink onto a medium such as paper to record characters and graphics. In the case of a recording apparatus that uses ink, ink stored in an ink cartridge that is detachable from the recording apparatus is often used. Such an ink cartridge is replaced with an ink cartridge filled with ink when the stored ink is used up or the remaining amount is low.

Since the amount of ink in the ink cartridge decreases with the recording operation of the recording apparatus, there is a desire to check the amount of ink used or the remaining amount of ink. For this reason, a technique has been developed in which data on the amount of ink used or the amount of ink remaining is written in a memory installed in the ink cartridge and electrically read out as required (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a memory is fixed to the circuit board, and the circuit board is directly fixed to the cartridge body.

JP 2002-337358 A (paragraph 0029, FIG. 3, etc.)

The ink usage amount or ink remaining amount data is written after being calculated from the number of ink ejections by the recording apparatus. Therefore, the error in the data value tends to increase when the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge decreases.

Therefore, it is conceivable to mount a sensor on the ink cartridge that directly detects the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge and outputs an electric signal corresponding to the detected amount.

When a sensor is mounted on an ink cartridge, it is desirable to seal the sensor because there is a possibility of malfunction or failure due to dust, ink mist due to ink ejection, or the like. Malfunctions and failures include, for example, poor electrical contact, short circuits, changes in sensor characteristics, and the like.

However, with a simple configuration, the ink cartridge can be attached and detached, and the sensor is electrically connected to an external terminal that transmits and receives electrical signals to and from the recording apparatus, while the sensor is not exposed to dust, ink mist due to ink ejection, or the like. It is difficult to do so.

In addition, when this sensor applies a mechanical deformation action like a piezo element,
If the ink cartridge is rigidly fixed, the sensor may be erroneously detected due to an external load when the ink cartridge is attached or when the recording apparatus performs a recording operation.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides an ink cartridge that can suppress the malfunction and failure of a sensor due to dust, ink mist, and the like due to ink ejection with a simple configuration. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is configured as follows.

An ink cartridge according to the present invention includes a cartridge body that contains ink, a sensor that uses a piezo element that outputs an electric signal corresponding to the amount of ink, and covers at least a part of the sensor that is fixed to the cartridge body. and the cover member is fixed to the cover member, the substrate having a second terminal for outputting an electrical signal from the first terminal and the sensor electric signal from the sensor is input to the external, the The sensor is disposed in a sensor housing recess formed in the cartridge body, and the cover member is disposed between the sensor and the substrate, and an open end of the sensor housing recess. The cover member has an insertion hole through which the sensor or a conductive member of an electric signal from the sensor is inserted, and the base member Is fixed to the cover member so as to cover the insertion hole, and when the surface of the substrate facing the sensor is the back surface and the surface opposite to the back surface is the surface, the first terminal is the The second terminal is formed on the front surface, and the first terminal is electrically connected to the sensor or the conductive member through the insertion hole .

As a result, the output of electrical signals from the sensor through the substrate and the isolation of the sensor from the outside environment can be realized with a simple configuration, and the malfunction and failure of the sensor due to dust, ink mist, etc. are suppressed. be able to.

The ink cartridge according to the present invention may be as follows in addition to any of the ink cartridges described above. That is, in this case, the sensor is fixed to the cartridge body via the elastic member separately from the cover member and the substrate.

Accordingly, the cover member and / or the substrate that receives contact from the recording apparatus on which the ink cartridge is mounted and the sensor are not rigidly fixed, and the sensor is based on a mechanical action such as a piezo element. Even in this case, a good detection signal corresponding to the ink amount can be obtained.

The ink cartridge according to the present invention may be as follows in addition to any of the ink cartridges described above. That is, in that case, a memory for storing data corresponding to the amount of ink used or the remaining amount in the cartridge body is formed on the back surface of the substrate.
Wherein the said surface of the substrate, a memory terminal to be used for reading and writing data to said memory Ru is formed.

As a result, the board for outputting the electrical signal from the sensor and the board on which the memory for storing the data corresponding to the amount of ink used or the remaining amount can be used, and the number of boards to be mounted in the ink cartridge It is possible to output an electrical signal from the sensor without increasing.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a printer. In FIG. 1, a printer 1 is a recording apparatus that records characters, figures, and the like by ejecting ink onto a medium P such as paper.

In the printer 1, the carriage 11 is arranged so as to be movable along the axis 12 in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the medium P. The carriage 11 is connected to the motor 1 via a belt 13.
4 is driven.

In addition, the carriage 11 is installed so that the ink cartridge 21 can be attached and detached, and has a head (not shown) that discharges ink supplied from the ink cartridge 21 at a position facing the medium P.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the ink cartridge 21 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
These are exploded perspective views showing the ink cartridge 21 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The ink cartridge 21 includes a cartridge main body 31, a sensor 35 that detects ink out of the cartridge main body 31, a cover member 33 to which a substrate 32 is fixed, and a side cover 34.

A sensor housing recess 31c is formed on the front surface of the cartridge body 31, and the sensor 35 is disposed in the sensor housing recess 31c. In the sensor receiving recess 31 c, the sensor 35 is placed on the bottom wall and is pressed against the wall by the restoring force of the spring 36. And the cover member 33 to which the board | substrate 32 was fixed is fixed to the opening end of the sensor accommodating recessed part 31c,
The sensor 35 is covered. Further, a side cover 34 that covers a part of the side surface and the bottom surface is attached to the cartridge body 31 with a latching structure (so-called patched structure).

  Here, the structure of each member will be described.

  First, the cartridge body 31 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cartridge main body 31 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A lever 31a used for attaching and detaching the ink cartridge 21 is formed on the front surface, and an ink outlet 31b is formed on the bottom surface. And a backflow prevention valve. Cartridge body 31
Are integrally molded with resin, the opposite side surfaces are sealed with a film, and the ink containing portion is filled with ink.

In addition, a sensor housing recess 31 c is formed at a location near the bottom surface of the front surface of the cartridge body 31. On the front surface of the cartridge body 31, the shafts 31d, 3 are directly above the sensor receiving recess 31c.
1e is formed, and a shaft portion 31f is formed immediately below the sensor housing recess 31c. Shafts 31d, 3
1e and 31f are used for fixing the cover member 33.

The sensor receiving recess 31c is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped space, and an engaging recess 31h is formed on both sides of the inner side wall of the sensor receiving recess 31c. A protrusion 31i is formed on the inner wall of the upper surface along the depth direction of the sensor receiving recess 31c. Is formed on the inner wall of the back surface and has a semi-cylindrical recess 3 whose axial direction is the height direction.
3j is formed. In addition, an ink flow path (not shown) is formed on the inner wall of the bottom surface of the sensor receiving recess 31c. When the cover member 33 is fixed, the engaging recess 31h has the claw 33 of the cover member 33.
The tip of a fits. Further, the convex portion 31 i and the concave portion 33 j are used for fixing the spring 36.

Next, the cover member 33 will be described. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the substrate 32 and the cover member 33 in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cover member 33 is integrally formed of resin and has a shape in which two claws 33 a protrude substantially vertically from the back surface of the substantially rectangular flat plate portion. Holes 33b and 33c are formed in the upper end portion of the cover member 33 so as to penetrate between the front (front) surface and the rear surface, and a protrusion 33d that engages with the jaw portion 34a of the side cover 34 is formed at the lower end. It is formed. Holes 33b and 33c
Is used to fix the cover member 33 to the cartridge body 31.

On the front surface of the cover member 33, a recess 33e is formed in which the protrusion on the back surface of the substrate 32 (the protrusion 32g in FIG. 5) is accommodated. Further, on the surface of the cover member 33, a convex portion 33f is formed near the upper end, and a convex portion 33g is formed near the lower end. The convex portions 33f and 33g are formed by the cover member 33.
Used for fixing the substrate 32 to the substrate.

Further, an insertion hole 33h penetrating between the front surface and the back surface of the cover member 33 is formed. 2
A recess is formed at the opening end of the back surface of each of the insertion holes 33h, and the end of the sensor 35 is disposed during assembly.

In addition, a hole 33i and a recess 33j are formed at the lower end of the back surface of the cover member 33, and a semi-cylindrical recess 33k whose axial direction is the height direction is formed between the two claws 33a. Hole 3
3 i is used for positioning the cover member 33 to the cartridge body 31. Recess 33k
Is used for guidance when the spring 36 is fixed.

Further, a total of four convex portions 33m are formed on the side surface of the cover member 33 at two locations on one side. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 21 is mounted on the carriage 11, the convex portion 33 is used.
m comes into contact with the carriage 11, and the positioning accuracy of the terminals (terminals 32c and 32d in FIG. 5) on the substrate 32 fixed to the cover member 33 with respect to the terminals on the carriage 11 side is improved. Furthermore, since the convex portion 33m is integrally formed on the cover member 33 smaller than the cartridge main body 31, deterioration in positioning accuracy due to sink marks can be reduced.

Next, the substrate 32 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the substrate 32 in FIG. FIG. 5A is a front view showing a front surface of the substrate 32. FIG. 5B is a rear view showing the back surface of the substrate 32. FIG. 5C is a side view of the substrate 32.

The substrate 32 is a hard circuit substrate such as glass epoxy having wiring patterns formed on both sides. A cutout 32a is formed at the upper end of the substrate 32, and a hole 32b is formed at the lower end. The notches 32 a and the holes 32 b are used for fixing the substrate 32 to the cover member 33.

On the front surface of the substrate 32, there are seven memory terminals 32c for supplying power to the memory 32f and inputting / outputting data, and two terminals 32 for outputting electric signals from the sensor 35.
d is formed. These terminals 32c and 32d are realized as lands on the printed circuit board, and receive contact from terminals on the carriage 11 side when the ink cartridge 21 is mounted on the carriage 11. The memory 32f is a non-volatile semiconductor memory that can read and write ink usage or remaining amount data from the printer 1.

On the back surface of the substrate 32, two terminals 32 e that receive contact from an electrode terminal of the sensor 35 (electrode terminal 45 in FIG. 6) and receive an electrical signal from the sensor 35 are formed. This terminal 32e
Is also realized as a land on a printed circuit board. Further, on the back surface of the substrate 32, a memory 32f is provided.
Is connected to the wiring pattern and fixed, and then sealed by molding,
A protrusion 32g is formed.

The memory 32 f on the back surface of the substrate 32 and the memory terminal 32 c on the front surface are electrically connected by a wiring pattern (not shown) on the front surface and the back surface of the substrate 32 and a through hole (not shown) between the front surface and the back surface of the substrate 32. The Similarly, the terminal 32e on the back surface of the substrate 32 and the terminal 32d on the front surface are electrically connected by the same wiring pattern and through-hole.

Next, the sensor 35 will be described. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the sensor 35 in FIG. FIG. 6A is an exploded perspective view when the sensor 35 is viewed from the upper surface side, and FIG.
B) is an exploded perspective view when the sensor 35 is viewed from the bottom surface side.

As shown in FIG. 6, the sensor 35 includes a sensor element 41, a plate 42, a resin lower housing 43, a seal 44, two metal electrode terminals 45, and a resin upper housing 46.

The sensor element 41 is an element that detects the presence or absence of ink in the ink flow path in the sensor 35. Further, in this embodiment, the sensor element 41 is a sensor using a piezo element and applying a dynamic action. The sensor element 41 generates vibration for a certain period by supplying power, and responds to vibration detected thereafter. The electrical signal is output as an electrical signal indicating the presence or absence of ink. That is, the waveform of the electric signal output from the sensor element 41 changes depending on the presence or absence of ink in the ink flow path. Note that the drive voltage of the sensor element 41 is higher than the power supply voltage applied to the memory 32 f of the substrate 32.

Two electrodes 41 a are formed on the upper surface of the sensor element 41, and two ink flow path ports 41 b are formed on the lower surface. The ink flow path port 41b is for making the inside of the sensor element 41 an ink flow path.

The sensor element 41 is bonded and fixed to a metal plate 42, and the plate 42 to which the sensor element 41 is fixed is disposed in the recess 43 a of the lower housing 43.

Thereby, the ink flow path opening 41b of the sensor element 41 and the ink flow path hole 42 of the plate 42 are provided.
a and the ink flow path hole 43b of the lower housing 43 are continuous, the internal space of the sensor element 41 and the ink flow path port 41b, the ink flow path hole 42a of the plate 42, and the ink flow path hole 43b of the lower housing 43, An ink flow path in the sensor 35 is formed.

Two electrode terminals 45 are disposed on the upper surface of the sensor element 41. The electrode terminal 45 is
The sensor element 41 is positioned by inserting the column 43c of the lower housing 43 into the hole 45b.
In contact with the electrode 41a. Each electrode terminal 45 has a shape in which both ends of a metal flat plate are bent, and the bent portions 45 a at both ends are exposed to the outside of the sensor 35. Further, the bent portion 45a is formed so that the inside is hollowed out and the bent portion is rich in elasticity. Since the bent portion has elasticity in the bending direction, a good contact pressure is generated when the electrode terminal 45 contacts the substrate 32, and the influence of the load applied to the electrode terminal 45 is influenced by the inside of the sensor 35 (especially the sensor element 41). It becomes difficult to reach.

An upper housing 46 is disposed on the two electrode terminals 45. The upper housing 46 is positioned by inserting the column 43c of the lower housing 43 into the hole 46a. Further, after the support 43c of the lower housing 43 is inserted into the hole 46a of the upper housing 46, the upper end of the support 43c of the lower housing 43 is melted by heat, and the upper housing 46 is lowered by heat caulking. It is fixed to the body 43. Accordingly, the electrode terminal 45 is stably conducted to the electrode 41 a of the sensor element 41 inside the sensor 35.

Further, a seal 44 having elasticity compared to the lower housing 43 and the upper housing 46 is fitted into the bottom recess 43 d of the lower housing 43. A pedestal 46 b that receives the spring 36 is formed on the upper surface of the upper housing 46.

Next, the assembly of the above-described members to the cartridge body 31 and the structure after the assembly will be described. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the side surface of the ink cartridge 21 shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 21 shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an ink flow path of the ink cartridge 21 shown in FIG.

First, the sensor 35 is disposed in the sensor housing recess 31 c of the cartridge body 31. At that time, the bottom surface (seal 44) of the sensor 35 contacts the lower side of the sensor receiving recess 31c, that is, the inner wall on the ink outlet 31b side.

Next, the base 46b of the sensor 35 and the cartridge main body 31 in a state where the spring 36 is contracted.
It is arrange | positioned between the convex parts 31i of this, and is released. Thereby, the sensor 3 is restored by the restoring force of the spring 36.
5 is pressed against the inner wall of the sensor receiving recess 31 c, the seal 44 of the sensor 35 is elastically deformed, and the sensor 35 comes into close contact with the cartridge body 31. As a result, in the vibration direction (amplitude direction) of the sensor element 41, that is, in the height direction, the sensor 35 is
The cartridge 36 is elastically fixed to the cartridge body 31 by the elastic members of the spring 36 and the seal 44 without being rigidly fixed thereto.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the ink flow path of the cartridge body 31 and the ink flow path of the sensor 35 (broken line in FIG. 8) are continuous. As shown in FIG. 9, the sensor 35 is disposed on the ink flow path between the ink containing portion 61 and the backflow prevention valve 62 in the cartridge main body 31. Therefore, if there is ink in the ink container 61, there is also ink in the ink flow path between the ink container 61 and the backflow prevention valve 62, and when there is no ink in the ink container 61, the ink container Since the ink in the ink flow path between 61 and the backflow prevention valve 62 is also lost, the sensor 3
5 makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of ink in the ink cartridge 21, that is, the amount of ink.

On the other hand, the substrate 32 is fixed to the cover member 33. At that time, the convex portion 33 f of the cover member 33.
Is disposed in the notch 32 a of the substrate 32, and the convex portion 33 g of the cover member 33 is formed in the hole 32 b of the substrate 32.
Then, the tip of the convex portion 33f is melted and the substrate 32 is attached to the cover member 33 by heat caulking.
Is fixed. After fixing, the terminal 32e on the back surface of the substrate 32 is inserted into the insertion hole 33h of the cover member 33.
It is arranged at the position facing

The cover member 33 is fixed to the cartridge body 31. At that time, first, the claw 33 a of the cover member 33 is latched to the engaging recess 31 h of the cartridge body 31. Also,
The shaft 31d of the cartridge body 31 is inserted into the hole 33b of the cover member 33, the shaft 31e is inserted into the hole 33c, the shaft 31f is inserted into the hole 33i, and the convex portion 31g is disposed in the concave portion 33j. While the member 33 is pressed against the cartridge body 31, the shaft 31d is melted and the cover member 33 is fixed to the cartridge body 31 by heat caulking. The heat caulking is performed only on the shaft 31d on the lever 31a side when viewed from the substrate 32, and is not performed on the opposite side, that is, the shaft or the convex portion on the bottom surface side of the cartridge main body 31 when viewed from the substrate 32.

At that time, as shown in FIG. 7, one end surface of the sensor 35 is in contact with the inner surface of the sensor receiving recess 31c of the cartridge body 31, and the bent portion 45a of the electrode terminal 45 protrudes from the surface facing the surface. However, it contacts the terminal 32e on the back surface of the substrate 32 through the insertion hole 33h of the cover member 33. As a result, the sensor element 41 of the sensor 35 and the terminal 32d of the substrate 32 are electrically connected.

Since the spring 36 is guided by a cylindrical space in which the semicylindrical concave portions 31j and 33k face each other, the convex portion 31 is formed in the sensor housing concave portion 31c of the cartridge body 31.
There is no dropout between i and the base 46b. Further, on the front surface of the cartridge main body 31, there is a step between the bases of the shafts 31d and 31e and the base of the lever 31a. When the cover member 33 is attached to the cartridge main body 31, as shown in FIG. The front end surface on the front side of the member 33 and the surface of the cartridge main body 31 where the base of the lever 31a is located are arranged on substantially the same plane.

In this way, the substrate 32, the cover member 33, the sensor 35, and the spring 36 are assembled to the cartridge body 31. Further, the side cover 34 is attached to the cartridge body 31, so that the movement of the projection 33 d of the cover member 33 is restricted by the jaw portion 34 a of the side cover 34.

As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, the sensor 35, the cover member 33, and the substrate 32 are provided in the ink cartridge 21. The sensor 35 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of ink. The cover member 33 is fixed to the cartridge body 31 and covers at least a part of the sensor 35. The substrate 32 has a terminal 32 d that is fixed to the cover member 33 and outputs an electrical signal from the sensor 35.

Thereby, the output of the electrical signal from the sensor 35 via the substrate 32 and the isolation of the sensor 35 from the outside environment can be realized with a simple configuration, and malfunction or failure of the sensor 35 due to dust, ink mist, etc. can be realized. Occurrence can be suppressed. Even when an electronic element different from the sensor 35 is arranged in place of the sensor 35, the occurrence of malfunctions and failures can be similarly suppressed.

Further, according to the above embodiment, the substrate 32 covers at least a part of the portion of the sensor 35 that is not covered by the cover member 33. In other words, in this embodiment, the cover member 33 is formed with the insertion hole 33 h and the portion is covered with the substrate 32.

Thereby, the sensor 35 can be further isolated from the external environment, and the malfunction and failure of the sensor 35 due to dust, ink mist, etc. can be further suppressed.

Further, according to the above embodiment, the sensor 35 is disposed in the sensor receiving recess 31c formed in the cartridge body 31, and the cover member 33 is the open end of the sensor receiving recess 31c (that is, the front surface of the cartridge body 31). Fixed to.

Thereby, the sensor 35 can be further isolated from the external environment, and the malfunction and failure of the sensor 35 due to dust, ink mist, etc. can be further suppressed.

Further, according to the above embodiment, the sensor 35 is fixed to the cartridge body 31 via the spring 36 and the seal 44 which are elastic members, separately from the cover member 33 and the substrate 32.

Thereby, the cover member 33 and / or the substrate 32 that receives contact from the printer 1 on which the ink cartridge 21 is mounted and the sensor 35 are not rigidly fixed, and the sensor 35 is mechanically operated like a piezo element. Even in this case, a good detection signal corresponding to the amount of ink can be obtained.

Further, according to the above embodiment, the substrate 32 has a memory 32f for storing data corresponding to the amount of ink used or the remaining amount in the cartridge main body 31, and a memory used for reading and writing data to the memory 32f. Terminal 32c.

As a result, the board for outputting the electrical signal from the sensor 35 and the board on which the memory 32f for storing the data corresponding to the amount of ink used or the remaining amount can be used.
The electrical signal from the sensor 35 can be output without increasing the number of substrates mounted on the ink cartridge 21.

Moreover, according to the said embodiment, the cover member 33 is arrange | positioned between the sensor 35 and the board | substrate 32, and has the penetration hole 33h which penetrates the sensor 35 (electrode terminal 45 of the sensor 35). When the sensor 35 and the substrate 32 are electrically connected by another conductive member, the conductive member may be inserted through the insertion hole 33h to be electrically connected.

Thereby, the sensor member 35 is made by the cover member 33 by making the path of the electric signal the hole 33h.
Is more covered, the sensor 35 can be further isolated from the external environment, and the malfunction and failure of the sensor 35 due to dust, ink mist, and the like can be further suppressed.

The above-described embodiments are preferred examples of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. is there.

For example, in the above embodiment, the member may be fixed with an adhesive instead of fixing with heat caulking.

In the above embodiment, the sensor 35 and the substrate 32 are electrically connected by the electrode terminal 45 of the sensor 35 being in direct contact with the terminal 32e on the back surface of the substrate 32. Instead, a lead wire or the like is used. Both may be connected using a conductive member, or the substrate 32 and the sensor 35 may be electrically connected on the front surface of the substrate 32.

Further, in the above embodiment, another type of sensor may be used instead of the sensor 35, or a sensor that detects the remaining amount or amount of use with a continuous value instead of detecting the presence or absence of ink is used. May be.

In the above embodiment, the printer 1 on which the ink cartridge 21 is mounted is
The present invention is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1. For example, the ink cartridge 21 is not mounted on the carriage but mounted at another location in the printer housing, and the ink cartridge 21 is connected to the ink ejection head of the carriage via a tube or the like. A printer that supplies ink may also be used.

  The present invention is applicable to, for example, an ink cartridge of a printer.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of a printer. 1 is a perspective view showing an ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the ink cartridge according to the embodiment of the invention. It is a perspective view which shows the board | substrate and cover member in FIG. It is a figure which shows the board | substrate in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the sensor in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the side surface at AA of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 2 parallel to the front surface at AA. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an ink flow path of the ink cartridge illustrated in FIG. 2.

Explanation of symbols

21 ink cartridge, 31 cartridge body (cartridge body, ink cartridge body), 32 substrate, 32c memory terminal, 32d terminal, 32f memory,
33 cover member, 33c sensor receiving recess, 33h insertion hole, 35 sensor (sensor,
Electronic element), 36 Spring (elastic member), 44 Seal (elastic member)

Claims (3)

A cartridge body for containing ink;
A sensor using a piezo element that outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of ink;
A cover member fixed to the cartridge body and covering at least a part of the sensor;
Fixed to the cover member, the substrate having a second terminal for outputting an electrical signal to the outside from the first terminal and the sensor electric signal from the sensor is input,
An ink cartridge comprising :
The sensor is disposed in a sensor housing recess formed in the cartridge body,
The cover member is disposed between the sensor and the substrate, and is fixed to the opening end of the sensor housing recess,
The cover member has an insertion hole through which the sensor or a conductive member of an electric signal from the sensor is inserted,
The substrate is fixed to the cover member so as to cover the insertion hole,
When the surface of the substrate facing the sensor is the back surface, and the surface opposite to the back surface is the front surface, the first terminal is formed on the back surface, and the second terminal is formed on the front surface. ,
The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal is electrically connected to the sensor or the conductive member through the insertion hole. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is fixed to the cartridge body through an elastic member separately from the cover member and the substrate. On the back surface of the substrate , a memory for storing data corresponding to the amount of ink used or the remaining amount in the cartridge body is formed ,
Wherein the said surface of the substrate, according to claim 1 or 2 ink cartridge wherein Rukoto memory terminals are formed to be used for reading and writing data to said memory.

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