KR100707922B1 - Ink cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is an ink cartridge which is mounted on a carriage of an inkjet printing apparatus and supplies ink to the print head 5 of the inkjet printing apparatus through ink supply needles 6 and 7, wherein any one of a plurality of outer walls and the outer walls is provided. Ink supply ports 44 and 54 formed in one place to receive ink supply needles; semiconductor storage means; and a plurality of contacts for connecting the semiconductor storage means to an external control means; Located in the vicinity of the outer wall having the ink supply port among the outer walls, these contact portions are composed of an upper row and a lower row, of which the upper row includes an intermediate contact portion and an end contact portion located separately at both ends, and the lower row is formed at both ends. It is located at the end and includes an end contact portion of a separate form, each end contact portion of the upper row toward the middle contact portion relative to each end contact portion of the lower row That the end closer to the features.

Description

Ink cartridge {INK CARTRIDGE}

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an embodiment of the present invention, showing a recording apparatus mainly related to a recording mechanism.

2 is an assembled perspective view showing an embodiment of a carriage in the recording apparatus of FIG.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the carriage of the recording apparatus in the state where the ink cartridge is installed.

4 is a plan view showing one embodiment of a carriage of the recording apparatus with the ink cartridge installed.

5a and 5b show an embodiment of the contact mechanism of the carriage;

6A and 6B show an embodiment of an ink cartridge suitable for the recording apparatus.

7A-7C illustrate one embodiment of a circuit board mounted to an ink cartridge in relation to front and back structures and electrode dimensions.

7D and 7E are views showing a state of contact with a contact portion.

8 and 9 illustrate processes when the ink cartridge is installed.

Fig. 10 is a view showing the amount of movement of the ink supply port mainly in the state where the ink supply needle is inserted into the ink cartridge.

11A to 11C are views showing the contact process between the circuit board of the ink cartridge and the contact portion of the holder.

12A and 12B, 13A and 13B, and Figs. 14A and 14B are cross-sectional views and plan views illustrating another embodiment of the present invention with ink cartridges installed, respectively.

Figure 15 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention in the state where the ink cartridge is installed.

Fig. 16 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the head holder and the ink cartridge in the recording apparatus, respectively.

17A and 17B are a plan view and a side view, respectively, showing an embodiment of a contact portion disposed in the head holder;

18A to 18C are front views, side views, and rear views respectively showing contact boards mounted on the ink cartridge.

Fig. 19 is a sectional view showing that a first conductive path is formed in the process of inserting an ink cartridge.

20A is a plan view showing another embodiment of the contact portion mounted to the ink cartridge.

20B is a view showing a state in which ink is adhered.

Fig. 21 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the head holder and the ink cartridge, respectively, in the recording apparatus according to the present invention.

Fig. 22 is a sectional view showing a first conduction path in the process of inserting an ink cartridge of the recording apparatus.

23A-23D are plan and side views, respectively, illustrating another embodiment of the present invention in connection with the construction of a contact portion;

24A and 24B are a plan view showing a cross-sectional view and a structure of a mounting plate, respectively showing another embodiment of circuit board mounting in an ink cartridge;

Fig. 25 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of mounting a circuit board on an ink cartridge.

26A and 26B illustrate another embodiment of circuit board mounting.

The present invention relates to a recording apparatus as a printing apparatus which supplies ink from a replaceable ink cartridge, prints to a recording medium, and ejects ink droplets from a nozzle opening, and an ink cartridge used in the recording apparatus. will be.

A recording apparatus as an ink jet printing apparatus known in the prior art sends a driving signal to a piezoelectric vibrator or heating means to print data, pressurizes the ink with energy generated by the piezoelectric vibrator or heating means, and ink from the nozzle opening. A printhead for ejecting droplets and an ink cartridge for supplying ink to the printhead are disposed.

 Since the print quality depends on the resolution of the printhead and largely the ink viscosity, the degree of bleeding on the recording medium, etc., the print quality may be improved to enhance the print quality. In addition, even when the same ink is used, the print quality can be reinforced by improving the driving method of the print head appropriately for the ink characteristics. In order to prevent clogging of the nozzle opening, a method of improving maintenance conditions such as a period of non-medium or forced injection in a capped state is taken.

As described above, the print quality of the recording apparatus is not only improved in ink characteristics but also when the method of driving the print head is improved together. Although the technology thus developed can be applied to a newly manufactured recording device, it is practically difficult to apply it to a recording device that has already been shipped and purchased in view of cost and labor. This is because the recording device must be transported to the manufacturer to replace the storage means containing the recorded control data.

In order to cope with such a problem, for example, in the recording apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2594912, semiconductor storage means and electrodes connected to the storage means are disposed in the ink cartridge, and a group of electrodes is also provided on the recording apparatus main body. By arranging, the data stored in the semiconductor storage means is read and the recording operation is controlled according to this data.

However, in this configuration, a poor operation when the user detaches the ink cartridge, or an error in contact with the semiconductor storage means occurs due to the clearance between the carriage and the ink cartridge, and the data is read out due to the improper time of charging or signal application. This is not possible, and in the worst case, data loss or write operation is impossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problem, and provides an ink cartridge for use in an ink jet recording apparatus capable of preventing the loss of data stored in the semiconductor storage means regardless of the improper attachment or detachment of the ink cartridge.

1 is a diagram mainly showing a recording mechanism as an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus, that is, a printing apparatus according to the present invention. The black ink cartridge 40 containing the black ink to be described later and the color ink cartridge 50 containing the color ink are disposed on the upper surface of the carriage 3, and the carriage 3 is driven through the timing belt 1. It is connected to (2). The print head 5 to which ink is supplied from each ink cartridge is disposed on the lower surface of the carriage 3.

2 shows a state in which the carriage is disassembled into a holder portion and a head portion, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply port 44 of the black ink cartridge 40.

The ink supply needles 6 and 7 communicating with the print head 5 vertically penetrate the bottom of the carriage 3, and the arrangement portion is the rear side of the apparatus, that is, the timing belt 1 side. Levers 11 and 12 are respectively disposed outside the vertical wall forming the holder 4, i.e., at the upper end of the vertical wall 8 facing the ink supply needles 6 and 7, and the lever 9 It can rotate about each of the (10). The wall 13 positioned near the free end side of the levers 11 and 12 is composed of a vertical portion 13a near the bottom and an inclined portion 13b inclined outward from the top.

The levers 11 and 12 extend vertically in the vicinity of the shafts 9 and 10, and the protrusions 14 and 15 extend from the top of the ink cartridges 40 and 50 to the first and second overhangs 46. (56) (to be described later), respectively, while extending substantially perpendicularly to the main body of each lever (11) (12). Moreover, the hook parts 18 and 19 formed in the end part of a lever are elastically fitted in the hook 16 and 17 formed in the inclined part 13b of the holder 4, respectively.

When the ink cartridge 40 is set to the normal position, the elastic members 20 and 21 are disposed on the rear side of the lever 11 or 12, that is, on the surface facing the cover 43 of the ink cartridge 40. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the elastic members 20 and 21 elastically press the regions at least facing the ink supply ports 44 and 54 of the respective ink cartridges 40 and 50.

As the elastic members 20 and 21, materials having a coefficient of friction of 0.5 or more with respect to each cover 43 and 53 of the ink cartridges 40 and 50, for example, rubber having a hardness of 10 ° to 70 °, In addition to foam materials, felt members and the like, gel materials are used.

Open windows 22 and 23 are respectively formed on the vertical walls 8 positioned near the ink supply needles. In addition, continuous grooves 22c and 23c are formed in the vertical walls 22a and 23a and in the bottom portions 22b and 23b, respectively, to constitute respective windows, and the grooves 22c and 23c have contact mechanisms. 24 and 25 are inserted and fixed respectively.

Since the contact mechanisms 24 and 25 are configured in the same structure, only one contact mechanism 24 will be described below. As shown in Figs. 5A and 5B, two types of slits 26 and 26 'of different depths are formed with roughly fixed pitches, and the slits 26 and 26' have conductive and elastic contacts. Forming members 29 and 29 'are fitted, and pawls 27 that are elastically deformable are disposed on both sides of the main body 28 for receiving the slits 26 and 26', respectively. The contact forming members 29 and 29 'are positioned at the bottom, and are fixed so as to be exposed to the front side and the back side of the main body 28.

As described above, the contact mechanisms 24 and 25 are configured, and the circuit board 30 is fitted to the vertical wall 34 of the base 32, thereby exposing the areas exposed from the contact forming members 29 and 29 '. 29a and 29a 'respectively elastically contact the contact portion of the circuit board 30, and the areas 29b and 29b' exposed to the other side are the circuit board 31 of the ink cartridge 40 and 50. It is elastically in contact with (described later) to obtain conductivity.

On the other hand, the print head 5 is fixed to the bottom of the holder 4 via the horizontal portion 33 of the base 32 having the ink supply needles 6 and 7 together, where the base is approximately L-shaped. to be. In a region facing the contact mechanisms 24 and 25, windows 35 and 36 are formed in the vertical walls 34 of the base 32, respectively, and the circuit board 30 is held in front of the windows.

The circuit board 30 connected to the control means 38 via the flexible cable 37 (see FIG. 1) outputs a drive signal instructing the print head 5 to eject the ink droplets, while contacting it. The circuit boards 31 of the ink cartridges 40 and 50 are respectively contacted through the mechanisms 24 and 25, respectively.

6A and 6B show an example of the black ink cartridge 40 and the color ink cartridge 50, wherein the containers 41 and 51 are each provided with a porous member 42 through which ink penetrates, and this container 41 is disposed. ) 51 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, each upper surface of which is covered and sealed by covers 43 and 53.

When the ink cartridge is installed in the holder 4, ink supply ports 44 and 54 are formed at positions at the bottoms of the containers 41 and 51 opposite to the ink supply needles 6 and 7, respectively. On the ink supply port side, the upper ends of the vertical walls 45 and 55 are fitted to the protrusions 14 and 15 of the levers 11 and 12, respectively. It is formed integrally with The first overhang portion 46 of the black ink cartridge 40 is continuously formed from one end to the other end, and the second overhang portion 56 of the color ink cartridge 50 is separately formed and positioned to both sides. And triangular ribs 47 and 57 are formed between each bottom surface and wall 45 or 55, respectively. Reference numeral 59 denotes an error preventing recess for preventing an insertion error.

Recesses 48 and 58 are formed in the vertical walls 45 and 55 near the ink supply port side, respectively, and the recesses are respectively located at the centers in the width direction of the ink cartridges 40 and 50, respectively. 31 are respectively provided in the recesses.

When the circuit board is attached to the ink cartridge of the circuit board 31 as shown in FIG. 7A, a plurality of rows are formed in the cartridge insertion direction at positions corresponding to the contact forming members 29 and 29 ′ of the contact mechanism 24. Contact portions 60 (two rows in this embodiment) are formed, respectively. The semiconductor storage means 61 may be mounted on the rear surface of the circuit board 31 and connected to these contact portions 60, or may be molded of an ink resistant material, if necessary, in a non-exposed state. In addition, the ink storage data 61 contained in the ink cartridges 40 and 50 can be stored in the semiconductor storage means 61 disposed in the ink cartridges 40 and 50, the ink production date, the trademark thereof, and the like. If necessary, the semiconductor storage means stores data such as a maintenance state transmitted from the main body of the recording apparatus. Reference numeral 60 'denotes an electrode used for checking in the manufacturing process.

In the contact portion 60 formed on the circuit board 31, the height H1 is 1.8 mm for the small electrode 60-1 of FIG. 7C, the width W1 is 1 mm, and the height H2 is 1.8 mm for the large electrode 60-2. The width W2 is 3 mm. Especially for the small electrode 60-1, since the length of the insertion direction of the ink cartridges 40 and 50 is larger than the length of the other direction, the ink cartridge 40 or 50 and the holder are minimized while the width W1 of the electrode is minimized. The contact with the contact portion forming member 29 can be ensured even if the rising length Δh between (4) exists as shown in Fig. 11C.

As described above, at least one through hole 31a and recess 31b are formed in the circuit board 31 on which the semiconductor storage means 61 is mounted, and the vertical walls 45 of the ink cartridges 40 and 50 are formed. 55 is a projection 45a, 45b, 55a, 55b for positioning together with the through hole 31a and the recess 31b, and ribs elastically contacting the circuit board 31 side; Overhang portions 45c, 45d, 55c, 55d, such as poles, are formed in the vertical direction of the circuit board 31 near the ink supply ports 44, 45 in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge.

Here, the circuit boards are easily provided with rib-over overhang portions 45c, 45d, 55c, and 55d by pressing the semiconductor storage means 61 against the walls 45 and 55 of the cartridges 40 and 50, respectively. It can be installed so that the position of the semiconductor storage means is regulated by the projection. In addition, it is not necessary to increase the thickness of the cartridge unnecessarily to form a hole for the screw, and ink can be filled in a sufficient amount, and screwing is unnecessary, so that the operation is easy and the manufacturing process is simplified.

In this embodiment, when the cartridge 40 is installed by raising the lever 11 to an appropriate vertical position, the first overhang portion 46 formed on the ink supply port side contacts the protrusion 14 of the lever 11. The other end side is supported by the inclined portion 13b of the holder 4, and the ink supply port side is held up as shown in FIG. If the ink cartridge 40 is in contact with the main body of the recording apparatus during the installation, the circuit board 31 is protected by the first overhang 46 at the top, and the circuit board 31 is accommodated in the recess 48. As the impact does not directly act on the circuit board 31, damage can be prevented.

As shown in Fig. 9, when the lever 11 is closed, the projection 14 rotates down, the ink cartridge 40 is lowered, and maintains this posture during installation, and the tip of the ink supply needle 6 The ink supply port 44 is in contact.

When the lever 11 is further rotated so that the elastic member 20 is pressed on the ink supply port 44 of the cartridge 40, the distance between the shaft 9 and the elastic member 20 and the length of the lever 11 are increased. By the pressure amplified by the ink supply port 44 toward the ink supply needle (6). When pressurization is completed, one end of the lever 11 is engaged with the hook 16, and as shown in FIG. 3, the lever 11 is always covered with the cover 43 of the ink cartridge 40 by the elastic member 20. Is pressed elastically, and this pressing force is transmitted to the ink supply needle side.

Here, the ink cartridge 40 is elastically pressurized under a fixed pressure together with the ink supply port 44 inserted into the ink supply needle 6, and the ink supply port 44 is fitted into the ink supply needle 6 to be airtight. The state to be maintained is maintained irrespective of the vibration caused by printing or the impact and vibration caused by the movement of the recording apparatus.

Since the circuit board 31 is located on the vertical wall 45 near the ink supply port and at the same time in the center of the ink cartridge 40, the vertical wall 45 to which the circuit board 31 is fixed is the ink supply port 44. It is possible to move in parallel with the position regulated by the ink supply needle 6.

이 도 10에 나타낸 바와같이 극단적으로 작다.On the other hand, even when the cartridge 40 is noisy at the time of installation and the center is rotated together with the ink supply needle 6, the circuit board 31 is located near the ink supply needle 6, so that the amount of rotation

This is extremely small as shown in FIG.

According to the configuration as described above, the circuit board 31 moves along the predetermined passage shown in Figs. 11A to 11C, and in the order determined to the contact forming members 29 and 29 'of the contact mechanism 24, and also up and down. Since the contacts are sequentially contacted in the grouped order, data loss in the semiconductor storage means 61 is prevented as signals are applied in the wrong order, and the contact forming member 29 is firmly installed with the ink cartridge 40 firmly installed. The 29 'is elastically in contact with the contact portion 60 of the circuit board 31, and the data stored in the semiconductor storage means 61 can be read and written on the recording device side.

When the installation of the ink cartridges 40 and 50 is completed, the contact forming member 29b of the contact mechanism 24 is in contact with the upper row electrode shown in Figs. 7D and 7E, and the contact forming member 29b ' In contact with the lower row electrode. Two contact portion forming members 29b 'come into contact with the electrode 60-2 disposed at the center of the lower row. The two contact forming members 29b 'contacting the electrode 60-2 are grounded, and the conductivity between them can be detected on the recording apparatus side to determine whether the ink cartridges 40 and 50 are installed. have. Further, as the width W2 of the electrode 60-2 is larger than the width of the other electrode 60-1, and the electrode 60-2 is positioned at the center line of the ink supply port, the electrode 60-2 is reliably contacted. Contact with the forming member 29b '. Since the electrodes 60-1 and 60-2 are exposed and the user can easily check the contact failure, the electrodes can be wiped with a cloth to restore conductivity.

As the ink of the ink cartridge 40 is consumed, the hook 16 is released to rotate the lever 11 upward. As shown in FIG. 9, the ink cartridge 40 is inserted below the first overhang portion 46 of the ink cartridge. Lose. When the lever 11 further rotates in this state, the ink cartridge 40 is also lifted by the lever 11 to release the engagement state with respect to the ink supply needle 6. As shown in FIG. 8, the ink supply port side is lifted by the protrusion 14 of the lever 11, and the upper half of the ink cartridge 40 is exposed from the holder together with the first overhang 46, and the lever 11 Rotated to the vertical position, the ink cartridge can be easily removed.

However, in the above embodiment, only the ink supply port side is pressed. Therefore, it is more effective to arrange the elastic members 100 and 101 at two positions in the longitudinal direction of the lever 11 as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, and in the case of a wide cartridge 50 such as for color ink 4 It is effective to arrange the elastic members 102 and 105 at the dog positions so as to disperse in the width direction of the lever 12.

As shown in Fig. 13, when the elastic members 106 and 107 covering the entire surface are mounted, the cartridges 40 and 50 can be held more reliably with great frictional force. In this case, it is preferable to select the thickness and elastic modulus so that the pressure on the ink supply port side becomes larger than the pressure on the other side.

As shown in Fig. 14, when the elastic members 108 and 109, which are similar to the elastic members for elastically pressing the upper surface, are disposed in the substantially bottom center portion of the holder 4, the ink supply port 44 or 54 is provided. And the airtight capability between the ink supply needles 6 or 7 can be maintained irrespective of vibration and shock.

In addition, even if one or more leaf springs 70 protruding at least toward the ink supply port side as shown in FIG. 15 are fixed to the rear free end side of the lever 11, the ink cartridge 40 can be fixed to the holder. In this case, it is more effective to fix the slip body and the slip prevention body on the free end 70a side of the leaf spring 70 or on the cover side of the ink cartridge.

Fig. 16 shows an embodiment where the circuit board is placed on the floor in the vicinity of the ink supply port of the ink cartridge. The bottom of the carriage is provided with an ink supply needle (6) in communication with the print head (5), a board formed with a spring-like elastic deformation contact portion (80-1) (80-2) ... (80-6) ( 81 is disposed near the ink supply needle 16 as shown in Figs. 17A and 17B.

On the other hand, an ink supply port 14, which can be fitted to the ink supply needle 6, is disposed at the bottom of the ink cartridge 40, and in the vicinity of the ink supply port 14 and at the same time opposite the contact board 81. A recess 82 is formed at a position where the recess 82 is formed, and the circuit board 83 is inclined at an angle θ with each vertex of the contact portions 80-1 and 80-6.

As shown in FIG. 18A, through holes 83a and 83b for position adjustment are formed in the circuit board 83, and the semiconductor storage means 84 has a circuit as shown in the ink containing chamber side surface, that is, as shown in FIGS. 18B and 18C. It is mounted on the back of the board. Contact portions 85-1, 85-2, ... 85-6 are formed on the exposed surface on the opposite side. The contact portions 85-1, 85-2, ... 85-6 are connected to the data input terminal and the drive power terminal of the semiconductor storage means 84, and the contact portions 80-1 to 80-6 on the carriage side. To become conductive.

As described above, as the semiconductor storage means 84 is mounted on the rear surface of the circuit board 83, the contact portion can be configured more freely. By using the front and back surfaces of the circuit board effectively, the electrodes serving as the contact portions 85-1 to 85-6 can be formed in a region where connection reliability is secured. The mold agent can be easily applied to the surface on which the semiconductor storage means 84 is formed. That is, it is not necessary to consider the problem of improving the coating precision in order to prevent the coating agent from adhering to the contact portions 85-1 to 85-6, so that the manufacturing process can be simplified.

In addition, since the semiconductor storage means 84 is mounted to the cartridge while being concealed by the circuit board 83, it is possible to prevent the user from inadvertently coming into contact with the storage means, and liquid such as ink is attached to the storage means. It can prevent the damage caused by electrostatic breakage and short circuit.

The semiconductor storage means 84 is connected to the control means (not shown) of the recording apparatus via the contact portions 85-1 to 85-6, read data stored in the semiconductor storage means, and ink consumed by the printing operation. Data such as the quantity is written into this semiconductor storage means.

When the ink cartridge 40 reaches the bottom of the carriage at the time of installation in this embodiment, the ink supply needle 6 enters the ink supply port 14 as shown in FIG. 19 to form a passage, and the circuit board 83 In the vicinity of one side, the contact portions 80-1 to 80-3 come into contact with the contact portions 85-1 to 85-3 while inclining at an angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane, thereby obtaining conductivity.

When the cartridge 40 is further lowered, the contact portions 80-4 to 80-6 contact the contact portions 85-4 to 85-6 near the other side of the circuit board 83 so that all the contacts become conductive.

Therefore, conduction is first made through the contact portions 80-1 to 80-3 and 85-1 to 85-3, and power is supplied to the semiconductor storage means 84 to be initialized. After this conduction, data stored in the semiconductor storage means 84 can be accessed through the contact portions 80-4 to 80-6 and 85-4 to 85-6, which become conductive paths, thereby preventing data loss. .

On the other hand, when the ink cartridge 40 is withdrawn from the carriage, the termination process may be performed by the power supplied by the contact portions 80-1 to 80-3, and then the contact portions 80-4 to 85-6. The power may be turned off even when (85-4 to 85-6) is cut first. As described above, when the processing for the semiconductor storage means 84 is completed, the ink supply needle 6 is drawn out from the ink supply port 14.

20A shows another embodiment of the contact portions 85-1 to 85-5 formed in the ink cartridge 40. FIG. When the ink cartridge 40 is inserted, the conductor pattern 86 (between the columns of the contact portions 85-1 to 85-3 where conductivity is first obtained and then the columns of the contact portions 85-4 to 85-5 where conductivity is obtained ( 87) is obtained.

For example, the contact portion 85-1 and the contact portion 85-3 are selected as the detection terminals, and the two tip portions 85-4 to 85-5 are selected as the power supply terminals.

In the above configuration, when the ink K is attached between the terminals 85-4 to 85-5 used as the power supply terminal as shown in Fig. 20B, the resistance between the terminals 85-4 and 85-5 is reduced. It is detected by the contact portions 85-1 and 85-3, thereby becoming conductive together with the contact portions 80-1 through 80-3 of the holder 4 when the ink cartridge is inserted. When the detection resistance is lower than the predetermined value, the power supply is stopped for the contact portions 80-4 to 80-5, which are subsequently conductive together with the power terminals 85-4 to 85-5, Accidents caused by short circuits can be prevented.

Fig. 21 is another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein contact portions 85-1 'to 85-6' are formed on the circuit board 83 'as fixed horizontally to the bottom of the ink cartridge 40. Figs. On the other hand, the circuit board is always configured to be pressed upward by a spring or the like. Two columns consisting of the contact portions 80-1 'to 80-3' and the contact portions 80-4 'to 80-6' are arranged on the board 81 ', and the level difference g between the two column ends. Is formed.

In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 22, the first columns of the contact portions 85-1 'to 85-3' and the contact portions 80-1 'and 80-3' are first conductive. Next, the second column of the short contact portions 80-4 'to 80-6' contacts the contact portions 85-4 'to 85-6' to obtain conductivity, and as a result, You get the same effect.

In the above embodiment, the contact portions 80-1 to 80-6 (85-1 to 85-6) are divided into a plurality of columns, and a time difference occurs until conductivity is obtained between these columns. However, the contact portions 80-1 to 80-6 and the contact portions 85-1 to 85-6 are arranged in a row as shown in Figs. 23A and 23B, respectively, and the contact portions 85-1 to 85-6 are formed. Even if the board 83 is inclined at an angle as shown in FIGS. 23C and 23D, the conduction time is different between the contact portions 80-1 and 85-1 on one side and the contact portions 80-6 and 85-6 on the other side. It is obvious to get. Similarly, even if the positions of the respective ends of the contact portions 80-1 to 80-6 are designed differently, the same function is obtained.

In the above embodiment, the mode in which the ink cartridge is mounted on the carriage has been described as an example. However, the same effect can be obtained even if the present invention is applied to a recording apparatus of the type in which the ink cartridge is accommodated in the cartridge housing of the apparatus body and connected to the print head via the ink supply tube.

That is, the contact portion is formed only at the required position on the exposed surface of the ink cartridge, and the contact portions 85-1 to 85-6 are formed only at the touchable position facing the contact portion of the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is installed.

As shown in Figs. 24 and 25, the coil spring 86 and the arc-shaped leaf spring 87 are inserted into the recesses, and then the board 83 is provided at the bottom of the ink cartridge 40 via the mounting plate 88. The same effect can be obtained even if the mounting plate 88 is mounted, where the mounting plate 88 has an elastically deformable pawl 88a protruding from both ends of the opening. Alternatively, the same effect can be obtained when the semiconductor storage means 84 is mounted on the mounting plate 88 to form the contact portions 85-1 to 85-6. According to this configuration, when the jig is provided, useless detachment of the user can be prevented, and the pawl 88a is retracted by the jig to separate the substrate 83 from the cartridge 40. Can be.

In the above embodiment, the position adjustment protrusion is formed in the ink cartridge to adjust the position of the circuit board. However, in another configuration, as shown in FIG. 26A, the recess 93a is formed on the wall of the ink cartridge 90, the ink supply port 91 is formed on the wall 93 near the bottom 92, and the recess 93a is formed. Similar effect can be obtained by the configuration in which the circuit board 83 is accommodated and fixed).

In addition, as shown in Fig. 26B, if necessary, the film 94 that can be peeled off from the one end 94a may be covered and sealed until use.

According to the present invention, as the ink supply needle is located near one side of the carriage in a direction perpendicular to the reciprocating direction of the carriage, a circuit board is mounted on a wall near the side where the ink supply port is formed in the ink cartridge, and a plurality of contact portions connected to the external control means. Is formed on the exposed surface of the circuit board, the semiconductor storage means is accessed from the external control means via the contact portion, and the circuit board is located on the ink supply port side, while the surface on which the circuit board is fixed moves along the ink supply needle. do. Therefore, even if there is a clearance between the carriage and the cartridge, the cartridge moves according to the portion formed by the ink supply needle and the ink supply port, and the contact portion is connected to the external control means in a predetermined order so that the data stored in the semiconductor storage means is in an unexpected order. It is possible to reliably prevent the loss due to the application of the signal to be made.

Claims (16)

An ink cartridge detachably mounted to a recording apparatus having an ink supply needle, a recording head in communication with the ink supply needle, and a plurality of contact forming members, At the bottom of the ink cartridge, an ink supply port into which the ink supply needle is inserted is provided, On the side of the ink cartridge, a circuit board is provided with a plurality of electrodes connectable with the contact forming member, When the surface provided with the plurality of electrodes is viewed vertically, a part of the plurality of electrodes is arranged to overlap with the central axis of the ink supply port Ink cartridge. The method of claim 1, An ink cartridge, characterized in that different electrodes are formed on both sides of the electrode arranged to overlap the central axis of the ink supply port. The method of claim 1, And the plurality of electrodes are arranged symmetrically with respect to a central axis of the ink supply port when the surface in which the plurality of electrodes is formed is viewed vertically. The method of claim 1, The circuit board is located in the center of the width direction of the side portion, the ink cartridge. The method of claim 1, Positioning recesses or through holes are formed in the circuit board, The ink cartridge is provided with an ink cartridge, wherein the concave portion or the projection which is fitted with the through hole is formed. The method of claim 1, The electrode is divided into a plurality of electrode groups arranged at intervals in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge, When looking at the surface on which the electrode is provided vertically, an electrode located at the center of one of the electrode groups among the electrodes is disposed to overlap the central axis of the ink supply port. Ink cartridge. The method of claim 1, An ink cartridge, characterized in that an overhang portion is further provided on the side portion on which the circuit board is formed. The method of claim 1, The side cartridge is formed with a recess, the ink substrate, characterized in that the circuit board is located in the recess. The method of claim 8, The recess is located in the width direction center of the side portion, the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein An ink cartridge, characterized in that the semiconductor storage means is disposed on the back surface of the circuit board on which the electrode is disposed. The method of claim 1, The electrode is divided into a plurality of electrode groups arranged at intervals in the insertion direction of the cartridge, Among the electrode groups, the length in the width direction of the side of the electrode group disposed near the bottom is longer than the length in the width direction of the side of the electrode group disposed farther from the ink supply port. Ink cartridge. The method of claim 10, And the semiconductor storage means is molded by an ink resistant material. The method of claim 10, And the semiconductor storage means stores data corresponding to the ink amount. The method of claim 1, The plurality of electrodes each include a contact area in contact with the contact forming member, wherein the contact areas are disposed in an upper row and a lower row with respect to an insertion direction of the ink cartridge, The upper row has three contact areas, The lower row has four contact areas, and two contact areas located at the center of the four contact areas of the lower row are disposed symmetrically with respect to a central axis of the ink supply port. Ink cartridge. The method of claim 1, And the circuit board is located close to the bottom of the side parts. The method of claim 1, And the circuit board is located at a side close to the ink supply port.

Images