WO2013014805A1

WO2013014805A1 - Liquid cartridge for a liquid-ejecting device

Info

Publication number: WO2013014805A1
Application number: PCT/JP2011/067820
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mutsumi Otobe
Original assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Priority date: 2011-07-28
Filing date: 2011-07-28
Publication date: 2013-01-31

Abstract

A liquid cartridge (40) includes: an accommodating unit (40B, 40P) that accommodates a liquid; an electrical element (71, 141) that performs at least one of a transmitting of a signal to an external and a receiving of a signal from the external; and a circuit board (142) including a plurality of terminals (170c-177c) and a board body (142a) on which the plurality of terminals is disposed, the board body having a plurality of regions (161-168) arranged in a matrix having at least two rows and three columns, the plurality of regions including four corner regions (161, 164, 165, 168) and remaining regions (162, 163, 166, 167) other than the four corner regions. The plurality of terminals includes: a signal terminal (170c-173c) through which the electrical element performs at least one of the transmitting of a signal and the receiving of a signal; a power input terminal (174c) through which a driving power is supplied to the electrical element from an external; and a ground terminal (175c-177c). Any one of the plurality of terminals is disposed at each of the remaining regions, and either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of at least two corner regions among the four corner regions.

Description

DESCRIPTION

LIQUID CARTRIDGE FOR A LIQUID-EJECTING DEVICE

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid cartridge that accommodates a liquid such as ink, a liquid-ejecting device that includes the liquid cartridge and a device body in which the liquid cartridge is mounted, and a circuit board that can be mounted on the liquid cartridge.

Background Art

[0002] Liquid cartridges that can be mounted in the body of a liquid-ejecting device are well known in the art (for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. HEI 7-52400). One such liquid cartridge is provided with a plurality of terminals arranged in a matrix formation that are simultaneously electrically connected to similar terminals on the device body side when the liquid cartridge is mounted in the body of the liquid-ejecting device.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[0003] However, if the liquid cartridge is in an electrostatically charged state when mounted in the liquid-ejecting device, static electricity may flow from the liquid cartridge to the liquid-ejecting device through the terminals on the liquid cartridge that initially contact the terminals on the liquid-ejecting device. If the static electricity flows through signal terminals, the controller of the liquid-ejecting device may be damaged.

Technical Solution

[0004] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid cartridge, a liquid-ejecting device, and a circuit board that can limit damage to the controller of the liquid-ejecting device.

[0005] In order to attain the above and other objects, the invention provides a liquid cartridge including: an accommodating unit that accommodates a liquid; an electrical element that performs at least one of a transmitting of a signal to an external and a receiving of a signal from the external; and a circuit board including: a plurality of terminals; and a board body on which the plurality of terminals is disposed, the board body having a plurality of regions arranged in a matrix having at least two rows and three columns, the plurality of regions including four corner regions and remaining regions other than the four corner regions. The plurality of terminals includes: a signal terminal through which the electrical element performs at least one of the transmitting of a signal and the receiving of a signal; a power input terminal through which a driving power is supplied to the electrical element from an external; and a ground terminal. Any one of the plurality of terminals is disposed at each of the remaining regions, and either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of at least two corner regions among the four corner regions.

[0006] Preferably, the liquid cartridge further includes a casing that accommodates the accommodating unit and has an outer surface on which a recess part is formed. The circuit board is disposed in the recess part to position the plurality of terminals inside the outer surface in the casing.

[0007] Preferably, either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of two corner regions positioned farthest apart from each other among the four corner regions.

[0008] Preferably, the ground terminal is disposed on each of two corner regions positioned farthest apart from each other among the four corner regions.

[0009] Preferably, either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of the four corner regions.

[0010] Preferably, the ground terminal is disposed on each of the four corner regions.

[0011] Preferably, the plurality of regions is arranged in a matrix having two rows and at least three columns, a corner region at which neither the power input terminal nor the ground terminal is disposed being a blank region.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention provides a liquid cartridge including: an accommodating unit that accommodates a liquid; an electrical element that performs at least one of a transmitting of a signal to an external and a receiving of a signal from the external; and a circuit board including: a plurality of terminals; and a board body on which the plurality of terminals is disposed. The plurality of terminals includes: a signal terminal through which the electrical element performs at least one of the transmitting of a signal and the receiving of a signal; a power input terminal through which a driving power is supplied to the electrical element from an external; and a ground terminal. The plurality of terminal is disposed on the board body to form a single row along a predetermined direction, a terminal disposed at each of two ends of the single row being either the power input terminal or the ground terminal.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention provides a liquid-ejecting device including: a device body; and a liquid cartridge mountable on the liquid cartridge. The device body includes: an inject head that ejects a liquid supplied from the liquid cartridge; a body side signal terminal; a controller electrically connected to the body side signal terminal; a power supply that supplies a driving power; a power output terminal electrically connected to the power supply; and a body side ground terminal. The liquid cartridge includes: an accommodating unit that accommodates the liquid; an electrical element that performs at least one of a transmitting of a signal to an external and a receiving of a signal from the external; and a circuit board including: a plurality of terminals; and a board body on which the plurality of terminals is disposed, the board body having a plurality of regions arranged in a matrix having at least two rows and three columns, the plurality of regions including four corner regions and remaining regions other than the four corner regions, a signal terminal electrically connected to the electrical element and electrically contacting the body side signal terminal to perform at least one of the transmitting of a signal and the receiving of a signal for the controller; a power input terminal electrically connected to the electrical element and electrically contacting the power output terminal to supply the driving power to the electrical element; and a ground terminal electrically contacting the body side ground terminal. Any one of the plurality of terminals is disposed at each of the remaining regions, and either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of at least two corner regions among the four corner regions.

[0014] Preferably, the liquid cartridge further includes a casing that accommodates the accommodating unit and has an outer surface on which a recess part is formed. The circuit board is disposed in the recess part to position the plurality of terminals inside the outer surface in the casing. The device body includes a body side board body on which the body side signal terminal, the power output terminal, and the body side ground terminal are mounted, and protruding to an outside, the body side board body being guided by the recess part when being connected to the circuit board.

[0015] Preferably, the plurality of regions is arranged in a matrix having two rows and at least three columns, a corner region at which neither the power input terminal nor the ground terminal is disposed being a blank region. [0016] Another aspect of the present invention provides a liquid-ejecting device including: a device body; and a liquid cartridge mountable on the liquid cartridge. The device body includes: an inject head that ejects a liquid supplied from the liquid cartridge; a body side signal terminal; a controller electrically connected to the body side signal terminal; a power supply that supplies a driving power; a power output terminal electrically connected to the power supply; and a body side ground terminal. The liquid cartridge includes: an accommodating unit that accommodates the liquid; an electrical element that performs at least one of a transmitting of a signal to an external and a receiving of a signal from the external; and a circuit board including: a plurality of terminals; and a board body on which the plurality of terminals is disposed. The plurality of terminals includes: a signal terminal electrically connected to the electrical element and electrically contacting the body side signal terminal to perform at least one of the transmitting of a signal and the receiving of a signal for the controller; a power input terminal electrically connected to the electrical element and electrically contacting the power output terminal to supply the driving power to the electrical element; and a ground terminal electrically contacting the body side ground terminal. The plurality of terminal is disposed on the board body to form a single row along a predetermined direction, a terminal disposed at each of two ends of the single row being either the power input terminal or the ground terminal.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention provides a circuit board mountable on a liquid cartridge including: an accommodating unit that accommodates a liquid; and an electrical element that performs at least one of a transmitting of a signal to an external and a receiving of a signal from the external. The circuit board includes: a plurality of terminals; and a board body on which the plurality of terminals is disposed, the board body having a plurality of regions arranged in a matrix having at least two rows and three columns, the plurality of regions including four corner regions and remaining regions other than the four corner regions. The plurality of terminals includes: a signal terminal through which the electrical element performs at least one of the transmitting of a signal and the receiving of a signal; a power input terminal through which a driving power is supplied to the electrical element from an external; and a ground terminal. Any one of the plurality of terminals is disposed at each of the remaining regions, and either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of at least two corner regions among the four corner regions. [0018] Preferably, the plurality of regions is arranged in a matrix having two rows and at least three columns, a corner region at which neither the power input terminal nor the ground terminal is disposed being a blank region.

[0019] Another aspect of the present invention provides a circuit board mountable on a liquid cartridge including: an accommodating unit that accommodates a liquid; and an electrical element that performs at least one of a transmitting of a signal to an external and a receiving of a signal from the external. The circuit board includes: a plurality of terminals; and a board body on which the plurality of terminals is disposed. The plurality of terminals includes: a signal terminal through which the electrical element performs at least one of the transmitting of a signal and the receiving of a signal; a power input terminal through which a driving power is supplied to the electrical element from an external; and a ground terminal. The plurality of terminal is disposed on the board body to form a single row along a predetermined direction, a terminal disposed at each of two ends of the single row being either the power input terminal or the ground terminal.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention provides a liquid cartridge including: a first accommodating unit that accommodates a main liquid, a communication between the first accommodating unit and an external being allowed when a first channel formed between the first accommodating unit and the external is opened; a second accommodating unit that accommodates a sub liquid, a communication between the second accommodating unit and an external being allowed when a second channel formed between the second accommodating unit and the external is opened; a first sensor that generates a signal based on an opening/closing state of the first channel; a second sensor that generates a signal based on an opening/closing state of the second channel; a storage unit that stores data; and a circuit board including a plurality of terminals and a board body on which the plurality of terminals is disposed, the board body having a plurality of regions arranged in a matrix having at least two rows and three columns, the plurality of regions including four corner regions and remaining regions other than the four corner regions. The plurality of terminals includes: a first sensor signal output terminal electrically connected to the first sensor to output a signal to an external; a second sensor signal output terminal electrically connected to the second sensor to output a signal to an external; a data output terminal connected to the storage unit to output the data stored in the storage unit to an external; a data input terminal thorough which data is inputted to the storage unit from an external; a power input terminal through which a driving power is supplied to both the first sensor and the second sensor from an external; and a ground terminal. The first sensor signal output terminal, the second sensor signal output terminal, the data output terminal, and the data input terminal are disposed at the remaining regions, respectively, and either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of at least two corner regions among the four corner regions.

[0021] Another aspect of the present invention provides a circuit board mountable of a liquid cartridge including: a first accommodating unit that accommodates a main liquid, a communication between the first accommodating unit and an external being allowed when a first channel formed between the first accommodating unit and the external is opened; a second accommodating unit that accommodates a sub liquid, a communication between the second accommodating unit and an external being allowed when a second channel formed between the second accommodating unit and the external is opened; a first sensor that generates a signal based on an opening/closing state of the first channel; a second sensor that generates a signal based on an opening/closing state of the second channel; and a storage unit that stores data. The circuit board includes: a plurality of terminals; and a board body on which the plurality of terminals is disposed, the board body having a plurality of regions arranged in a matrix having at least two rows and three columns, the plurality of regions including four corner regions and remaining regions other than the four corner regions. The plurality of terminals includes: a first sensor signal output terminal electrically connected to the first sensor to output a signal to an external; a second sensor signal output terminal electrically connected to the second sensor to output a signal to an external; a data output terminal connected to the storage unit to output the data stored in the storage unit to an external; a data input terminal thorough which data is inputted to the storage unit from an external; a power input terminal through which a driving power is supplied to both the first sensor and the second sensor from an external; and a ground terminal. The first sensor signal output terminal, the second sensor signal output terminal, the data output terminal, and the data input terminal are disposed at the remaining regions, respectively, and either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of at least two corner regions among the four corner regions.

Advantageous Effects

[0022] The present invention can prevent a controller from damaging due to a static electricity.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0023] In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view illustrating the general internal structure of the printer;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a cartridge according to the preferred embodiment;

Fig. 4(a) is a schematic diagram showing the general internal structure of the cartridge;

Fig. 4(b) is an explanation diagram showing the arrangement of a circuit;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V in Fig. 4(a);

Fig. 6(a) is a partial cross-sectional view of the cartridge taken along the line VI(a)(b)-VI(a)(b) in Fig. 5 when the valve is in a closed state;

Fig. 6(b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the cartridge taken along the line VI(a)(b)-VI(a)(b) in Fig. 5 when the valve is in an open state;

Fig. 6(c) is a partial cross-sectional view of the cartridge taken along the line VI(c)(d)-VI(c)(d) in Fig. 5 when the valve is in a closed state;

Fig. 6(d) is a partial cross-sectional view of the cartridge taken along the line VI(c)(d)-VI(c)(d) in Fig. 5 when the valve is in an open state;

Fig. 7(a) is an explanatory diagram showing terminals provided on the cartridge side;

Fig. 7(b) is an explanatory diagram showing terminals provided on the printer side;

Fig. 7(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII(c)-VII(c) in

Fig. 7(b);

Fig. 8 is a plan view illustrating the process of mounting the cartridge in the printer; Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of the cartridge and the printer;

Fig. 10 is a functional block diagram showing the various unit configured by a controller of the printer;

Fig. 11 is a flowchart illustrating steps in a control process executed by the controller of the printer when the cartridge is mounted in the printer;

Fig. 12 is a graph showing the relationship between movement of the valve and the value output from a Hall element in the cartridge;

Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing terminals on the cartridge according to a first variation of the preferred embodiment;

Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing terminals on the cartridge according to a second variation of the preferred embodiment;

Fig. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing terminals on the cartridge according to a third variation of the preferred embodiment;

Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing terminals on the cartridge according to a fourth variation of the preferred embodiment;

Fig. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing terminals on the cartridge according to a fifth variation of the preferred embodiment;

Fig. 18 is a plan view illustrating an adapter-type circuit board according to a sixth variation of the preferred embodiment; and

Fig. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the terminals on a cartridge connected to the adapter-type circuit.

Explanation of Reference

1 liquid-ejecting device

40 liquid cartridge

40B first accommodating unit

40P second accommodating unit

71 first sensor, second sensor

142 circuit board

242 circuit board

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described while referring to the accompanying drawings. [0025] First, the general structure of an inkjet printer 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The following inkjet printer 1 is the preferred embodiment of the liquid-ejecting device according to the present invention.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 1, the inkjet printer 1 has a casing la formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. A paper discharge unit 31 is provided on a top plate constituting the casing la. Three openings lOd, 10b, and 10c are formed in order from top to bottom in the front surface of the casing la (a surface on the near left side in Fig. 1). The opening 10b is provided for inserting a sheet- feeding unit lb into the casing la, while the opening 10c is formed for inserting a cartridge unit lc into the casing la. A door Id is fitted into the opening lOd and is capable of pivoting about a horizontal axis passing through its lower edge. The door Id is provided in the casing la at a position confronting a conveying unit 21 described later (see Fig. 2) in a main scanning direction of the inkjet printer 1 (a direction orthogonal to the front surface of the casing la).

[0027] Next, the internal structure of the inkjet printer 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 2, the interior of the casing la is partitioned into three spaces A, B, and C in order from top to bottom. Within the space A are disposed an inkjet head 2 A and a coating head 2B (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "heads 2") for respectively ejecting black ink and a pretreatment liquid (hereinafter collectively referred to as "liquids"); a conveying unit 21 that conveys sheets of a paper P; and a controller 100 that controls operations of various components in the inkjet printer 1. The sheet-feeding unit lb is disposed in the space B, and the cartridge unit lc is disposed in the space C. As indicated by the bold arrows in Fig. 2, a paper- conveying path is also formed in the inkjet printer 1 for guiding sheets of paper P conveyed from the sheet-feeding unit lb to the paper discharge unit 31.

[0029] In addition to a central processing unit (CPU), the controller 100 includes a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM; including nonvolatile RAM), and an interface. The ROM stores programs executed by the CPU, various fixed data, and the like. The RAM temporarily stores data (image data and the like) required by the CPU when executing programs. Through its interface, the controller 100 exchanges data with a memory unit 141 and a Hall element 71 of a cartridge 40 described later and exchanges data with external devices, such as a PC connected to the inkjet printer 1.

[0030] The sheet-feeding unit lb includes a paper tray 23, and a feeding roller 25. The paper tray 23 can be mounted in and removed from the casing la in the main scanning direction. The paper tray 23 is box-shaped with an open top and can accommodate sheets of paper P in a variety of sizes. The feeding roller 25 is driven to rotate by a feeding motor 125 (see Fig. 9) under control of the controller 100 in order to feed the topmost sheet of paper P in the paper tray 23. A sheet fed by the feeding roller 25 is guided along guides 27a and 27b, and a pair of conveying rollers 26 grip and convey the sheet to the conveying unit 21.

[0031] The conveying unit 21 includes two belt rollers 6 and 7 and an endless conveying belt 8 looped around the belt rollers 6 and 7 and stretched therebetween. The belt roller 7 is the drive roller. A conveying motor 127 (see Fig. 9) coupled with a shaft of the belt roller 7 drives the belt roller 7 to rotate clockwise in Fig. 2 under control of the controller 100. The belt roller 6 is a follow roller that rotates clockwise in Fig. 2 when the conveying belt 8 is circulated by the belt roller 7.

[0032] A platen 19 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape is disposed within the loop of the conveying belt 8 at a position opposite the two heads 2 and supports the upper loop portion of the conveying belt 8 so that an outer surface 8a on the upper loop portion is maintained parallel to bottom surfaces 2a of the heads 2, with a gap of a prescribed distance formed between the bottom surfaces 2a and the outer surface 8a. The bottom surfaces 2a of the heads 2 are ejection surfaces on which are formed a plurality of ejection holes for ejecting liquid.

[0033] The outer surface 8a of the conveying belt 8 is coated with mildly adhesive silicone. When a sheet of paper P is conveyed from the sheet-feeding unit lb onto the conveying unit 21 , a nip roller 4 disposed above the belt roller 6 holds the sheet against the outer surface 8a of the conveying belt 8. Thereafter, the conveying belt 8 conveys the sheet in a sub scanning direction indicated by the bold arrows, while the sheet is held on the outer surface 8a by its adhesive coating. In the preferred embodiment, the sub scanning direction is parallel to the direction that the conveying unit 21 conveys the paper P. The main scanning direction follows a horizontal plane orthogonal to the sub scanning direction.

[0034] As the sheet of paper P held on the outer surface 8a of the conveying belt 8 passes directly beneath the heads 2, the controller 100 sequentially controls the heads 2 to eject liquid droplets (black ink droplets and, depending on the situation, pretreatment liquid droplets) through the bottom surfaces 2a of the heads 2 onto the top surface of the paper P, thereby recording a desired image on the paper P. A separating plate 5 disposed above the belt roller 7 separates the sheet from the outer surface 8a of the conveying belt 8 after the sheet has passed beneath the heads 2. Guides 29a and 29b disposed downstream of the separating plate 5 guide the sheet upward toward an opening 30 formed in the top of the casing la, while two pairs of conveying rollers 28 grip and convey the sheet toward and through the opening 30 and discharge the sheet into the paper discharge unit 31. A feeding motor 128 (see Fig. 9) controlled by the controller 100 drives one of the conveying rollers 28 in each pair to rotate.

[0035] Each of the heads 2 is a line-type print head elongated in the main scanning direction. Externally, the inkjet head 2 is shaped substantially like a rectangular parallelepiped. The two heads 2 are juxtaposed at a prescribed pitch in the sub scanning direction and are supported in the casing la on a frame 3. Although not shown in the drawings, a joint is provided on the top surface of each head 2 for attaching a flexible tube. A plurality of ejection holes is formed in the bottom surface 2a of each head 2. An ink channel is formed in each head 2 for conveying a liquid supplied from a corresponding reservoir 42 of a cartridge 40 described later to the ejection holes through the flexible tubes and joints. The coating head 2B for ejecting pretreatment liquid is disposed farther upstream in the paper-conveying direction than the inkjet head 2 A for ejecting black ink.

[0036] The pretreatment liquid functions to enhance ink densities (improve the density of ink ejected onto the paper P), to prevent ink bleeding and bleed-through (a phenomenon in which ink impacting the surface of the paper P penetrates the thickness of the paper P and bleeds through to the back surface), to improve ink color reproducibility and speed up drying, and to suppress wrinkling and curling of the paper P after ink impact, for example. Examples of such a pretreatment liquid are liquids containing cationic polymers or multivalent metal salts such as magnesium salts.

[0037] The cartridge unit lc includes a cartridge tray 35, and a single cartridge 40 disposed inside the cartridge tray 35. With the cartridge 40 disposed inside the cartridge tray 35, the cartridge tray 35 can be mounted in and removed from the casing la in the main scanning direction. Accordingly, the user of the inkjet printer 1 can replace the cartridge 40 after removing the cartridge tray 35 from the casing la. The cartridge 40 has two reservoirs 42 (see Fig. 4(a)) respectively accommodating the black ink and the pretreatment liquid. The liquids accommodated in the reservoirs 42 are supplied to the corresponding heads 2 via the corresponding flexible tubes and joints.

[0038] Next, the structure of the cartridge 40 will be described with reference to Figs. 3 through 7.

[0039] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4(a), the cartridge 40 includes a case 41, a black ink unit 40B for black ink, a pretreatment liquid unit 40P for the pretreatment liquid, a memory unit 141 (see Fig. 9), and a circuit board 142 (see Fig. 7(a)). The units 40B and 40P have the same structure. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 4(a) and 5(a)-5(d), each of the units 40B and 40P includes a reservoir 42, an ink delivery tube 43, a stopper 50, a valve 60, and a sensor unit 70.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 3, the case 41 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the interior of the case 41 is partitioned into two chambers 41a and 41b. The reservoirs 42 for both of the units 40B and 40P are disposed in the right chamber 41a, while the ink delivery tubes 43 of the units 40B and 40P are disposed in the left chamber 41b. As shown in Fig. 4(b), a recessed part 41c is formed in the outer surface of a side wall defining the left chamber 41b at the downstream end of the case 41 with respect to the direction that the cartridge 40 is mounted into the space C (see Fig. 2; hereinafter referred to as the "mounting direction"). In the preferred embodiment, the mounting direction is parallel to the main scanning direction.

[0041] The reservoir 42 is a baglike member for accommodating a liquid.

The reservoir 42 of the black ink unit 40B accommodates black ink, and the reservoir 42 of the pretreatment liquid unit 40P accommodates pretreatment liquid. Each reservoir 42 has an opening 42a formed in the left end in Fig. 4.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 4(a), the ink delivery tube 43 has a base end 43c that is connected to the opening in the corresponding reservoir 42. As shown in Figs. 4(a) and 6(a)-6(d), the ink delivery tube 43 also has a distal end 43d that protrudes out of the case 41. As shown in Figs. 6(a)-6(d), an opening 43b is formed in the distal end 43d of the ink delivery tube 43. The stopper 50 is formed of a rubber or other elastic member and is fitted into the opening 43b of the distal end 43 d in a compressed state. A cap 46 is fitted over the outside of this distal end 43d of the ink delivery tube 43 and the stopper 50. A hole 46a is formed in the center of the cap 46, exposing a portion of the stopper 50. A supply channel 43a is formed inside the ink delivery tube 43 for supplying liquid accommodated in the reservoir 42 to the corresponding head 2.

[0043] Next, the relationship between the ink delivery tube 43 and the valve 60 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6(a)-6(d). Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the region X in Fig. 4(a) taken along the line V-V. Fig. 6(a) is a partial cross- sectional view of the cartridge taken along the line VI(a)(b)-VI(a)(b) in Fig. 5 when the valve is in a closed state. Fig. 6(b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the cartridge taken along the line VI(a)(b)-VI(a)(b) in Fig. 5 when the valve is in an open state. Fig. 6(c) is a partial cross-sectional view of the cartridge taken along the line VI(c)(d)- VI(c)(d) in Fig. 5 when the valve is in a closed state. Fig. 6(d) is a partial cross- sectional view of the cartridge taken along the line VI(c)(d)-VI(c)(d) in Fig. 5 when the valve is in an open state.

[0044] As shown in Figs. 6(a)-6(d), the valve 60 is disposed in the supply channel 43a. The valve 60 includes an O-ring 61 , and a valve body 62.

[0045] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6(a)-6(d), the valve body 62 is a columnar- shaped magnetic body with its axis extending in the sub scanning direction. As shown in Fig. 5, the portion of the ink delivery tube 43 forming the supply channel 43 a is cylindrical in shape, with flattened top and bottom walls. A cross section of the ink delivery tube 43 taken orthogonal to the sub scanning direction is elongated in the main scanning direction. One protrusion 43p is formed on each inner side wall of the ink delivery tube 43 with respect to the main scanning direction and protrudes inward in the main scanning direction. The valve body 62 is positioned in the center of the supply channel 43a in a cross-sectional view, held between the protrusions 43p and the top and bottom walls of the ink delivery tube 43. The valve body 62 can move in the sub scanning direction. The protrusions 43p extend in the sub scanning direction over the range in which the valve body 62 moves.

[0046] With this construction, a channel 43 e is formed in the supply channel

43a between the valve body 62 and ink delivery tube 43, excluding the regions in which the valve body 62 contacts the protrusions 43p and top and bottom walls of the ink delivery tube 43. Note that Figs. 6(a) and 6(c) show the state of the valve 60 when the channel 43 e is not in external communication, while Figs. 6(b) and 6(d) show the state of the valve 60 when the channel 43 e is in external communication. [0047] The O-ring 61 is formed of a rubber or other elastic material and is fixed to the front surface (the surface opposing the stopper 50) of the valve body 62.

[0048] A coil spring 63 is provided for urging the valve 60 toward an opening 43y formed in the end of the ink delivery tube 43 nearest the stopper 50. One end of the coil spring 63 is fixed to a fixing part 43f that protrudes inward from the base end 43 c of the ink delivery tube 43, while the other end contacts the rear surface of the valve body 62 (i.e., the surface opposing the base end 43c of the ink delivery tube 43).

[0049] The outlet tube 43 has a diameter-restricting part 43x near the distal end of the outlet tube 43 forming an inward step in the wall that serves as a valve seat 43z. In other words, the valve seat 43z is the portion of the diameter-restricting part 43x that protrudes radially inward. The opening 43y in the narrowest portion of the diameter-restricting part 43x has a smaller diameter than the diameter of the outlet path 43a on the base end side of the diameter-restricting part 43x. When the valve 60 is in the closed position shown in Figs. 6(a) and 6(c), the coil spring 63 urges the valve body 62 toward the stopper 50 so that the O-ring 61 contacts the valve seat 43z of the diameter-restricting part 43x and seals the opening 43y. Consequently, the O-ring 61 interrupts external communication with the channel 43e, as shown in Fig. 6(c). Further, the O-ring 61 is elastically deformed by the urging force of the coil spring 63. However, when the valve 60 is in the open position shown in Fig. 6(b) and 6(d), the O- ring 61 no longer contacts the valve seat 43 z, allowing external communication with the channel 43e, as shown in Fig. 6(d).

[0050] The sensor unit 70 includes a Hall element 71 and a magnet 72.

[0051] The Hall element 71 is a magnetic sensor that detects a magnetic field and converts this magnetic field to an electric signal. As shown in Fig. 6(a), the Hall element 71 is disposed at a position for detecting the magnetic field produced by the magnet 72 and valve body 62.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 6(a), the Hall element 71 and magnet 72 are respectively fixed in the upper and lower walls of the ink delivery tube 43 and oppose each other vertically. The Hall element 71 and magnet 72 need not be disposed in the upper and lower walls of the ink delivery tube 43, provided that the Hall element 71 can detect a magnetic field produced by the magnet 72 and valve body 62. For example, the Hall element 71 and magnet 72 may be fixed to the outer surfaces of the upper and lower walls. [0053] When the valve 60 is in the closed position shown in Fig. 6(a), i.e., when the valve body 62 is positioned between the Hall element 71 and magnet 72, the magnetic field produced by the magnet 72 is efficiently applied to the Hall element 71 through the valve body 62. Consequently, the Hall element 71 detects a large magnetic field and produces a signal specifying a high voltage.

[0054] However, when the valve 60 is shifted from its closed position shown in Fig. 6(a) to its open position shown in Fig. 6(b), i.e., when the valve body 62 is in a position not vertically confronting the Hall element 71 and magnet 72 (a position not between the Hall element 71 and magnet 72), the magnetic field detected by the Hall element 71 increases, reducing the voltage indicated by the signal produced by the Hall element 71. The controller 100 determines whether the valve 60 is in the open position or the closed position based on the specified voltage.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 4(b), the circuit board 142 is disposed on a bottom surface 41cl of the recessed part 41c.

[0056] The memory unit 141 is disposed on the underside of the circuit board 142. The memory unit 141 is configured of EEPROM or the like and functions to store data related to the cartridge 40. More specifically, the memory unit 141 is preloaded with data specifying liquid capacities (the liquid capacity of each reservoir 42 in a new cartridge 40), sensor output values (values Vmax and Vmin outputted from each Hall element 71; see Fig. 12), the manufactured date (date on which the cartridge 40 was manufactured), and the like. Further, when the cartridge 40 is mounted in the inkjet printer 1, the controller 100 can write data to the memory unit 141 and read data stored in the memory unit 141. Examples of data that the controller 100 might write to the memory unit 141 include liquid usage (the quantity of liquid used from each reservoir 42; i.e., the amount of liquid ejected from each head 2), needle insertion numbers (the number of times hollow needles 153 described later were inserted through the corresponding stoppers 50), number of recorded pages (number of sheets of paper P recorded using liquid in the cartridge 40), and cumulative usage time (total time that the cartridge 40 has been mounted in the inkjet printer 1; i.e., the time during which the hollow needles 153 have been inserted into the corresponding supply channels 43a.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 7(a), the circuit board 142 includes a board body

142a having eight regions 161-168 disposed in a matrix, and eight terminals 170c- 177c provided in eight regions 161-168, respectively. The terminals 170c- 177c all have the same size and shape. The circuit board 142 is disposed on the bottom surface 41cl of the recessed part 41c to position the eight terminals 170c- 177c inside the outer surface of the cartridge 40 in the casing 41. The terminals 170c- 177c are rectangular in shape with their two parallel short sides aligned in the sub scanning direction and their two parallel long sides aligned with the vertical.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 9, the first sensor signal output terminal (SB) 170c is electrically connected to the Hall element 71 of the black ink unit 40B, while the second sensor signal output terminal (SP) 171c is electrically connected to the Hall element 71 of the pretreatment liquid unit 40P. The data output terminal (DO) 172c and the data input terminal (DI) 173 c are electrically connected to the memory unit 141. The power input terminal (V) 174c is electrically connected to both Hall elements 71 and the memory unit 141. The three ground terminals (G) 175c, 176c, and 177c are respectively connected to the memory unit 141, the Hall element 71 of the black ink unit 40B, and the Hall element 71 of the pretreatment liquid unit 40P.

[0059] As shown in Figs. 8(a)-8(c), a circuit board 182 is provided on one of the wall surfaces of the casing la defining the space C, and specifically a wall surface orthogonal to the mounting direction (main scanning direction).

[0060] The circuit board 182 is approximately the same size as the circuit board 142 and is disposed in a position on the casing la that opposes the circuit board 142 when the cartridge 40 is mounted in a prescribed position within the space C (see Fig. 8(b)). As shown in Figs. 7(b) and 7(c), a base material 201 is provided on the surface of the circuit board 182. Eight terminals 170p-177p corresponding to the eight terminals 170c- 177c are provided on the base material 201.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 7(c), the terminals 170p-177p are each configured of a leaf spring that is substantially C-shaped in cross section. Each of the terminals 170p-177p has a fixed end 205 that is fixed to the circuit board 182, and a free end 203 that is urged upward in Fig. 7(c) (i.e., toward the terminals 170c- 177c of the cartridge 40 mounted in a prescribed position within the space C). The free end 203 can bend about a support part 204.

[0062] The terminals 170p-177p are arranged in a pattern that mirrors the pattern of the terminals 170c- 177c shown in Fig. 7(a). Thus, when the cartridge 40 is mounted in a prescribed position within the space C, crown parts 202 constituting the topmost parts of the terminals 170p-177p in Fig. 7(c) contact the sensors of the corresponding terminals 170c- 177c.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 9, the first sensor signal receiving terminal (SB)

170p, the second sensor signal receiving terminal (SP) 171p, the data receiving terminal (DO) 172p, and the data transmitting terminal (DI) 173p are electrically connected to the controller 100. The power output terminal (V) 174p is electrically connected to a power supply 158 disposed in the casing la. The three ground terminals (G) 175p, 176p, and 177p are all grounded.

[0064] Next, the process for mounting the cartridge 40 in the inkjet printer 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 through 12. Note that the cartridge tray 35 has been omitted from Figs. 8(a)-8(c). Further, the bold lines in Fig. 9 represent power supply lines, while the fine lines represent signal lines.

[0065] As shown in Fig. 8(a), the terminals 170c- 177c are not electrically connected to the terminals 170p-177p before the cartridge 40 is mounted in the inkjet printer 1. Therefore, the controller 100 on the inkjet printer 1 side is incapable of exchanging signals with the Hall elements 71 and the memory unit 141 on the cartridge 40 side at this time.

[0066] To mount the cartridge 40 in the inkjet printer 1 , the user of the inkjet printer 1 places the cartridge 40 in the cartridge tray 35 (see Fig. 2) and subsequently inserts the cartridge tray 35 into the space C of the casing la by moving the cartridge tray 35 in the main scanning direction indicated by the white arrow in Fig. 8(a). The cartridge 40 is inserted to a position at which the terminals 170c- 177c contact the corresponding terminals 170p-177p, as shown in Fig. 8(b).

[0067] Just before the cartridge 40 is completely mounted in the inkjet printer 1, the centers of the terminals 170c- 177c contact the crown parts 202 of the corresponding terminals 170p-177p. In the subsequent interval until the cartridge 40 is completely mounted, the terminals 170p-177p press against the terminals 170c- 177c, causing the free ends 203 to flex downward about the corresponding support parts 204. That is, the free ends 203 are shifted from the state indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 7(C) to the state indicated by the two-dot chain lines.

[0068] Note that before the cartridge 40 is fully mounted, the crown parts

202 of the terminals in the top row (the terminals 175p, 170p, 171p, and 174p) are positioned slightly lower than the positions shown in Fig. 7(b), while the crown parts 202 of the terminals in the bottom row (the terminals 176p, 173p, 172p, and 177p) are positioned slightly higher than the positions shown in Fig. 7(b). However, all of the crown parts 202 slide into the positions shown in Fig. 7(b) when the free ends 203 flex during mounting.

[0069] When the terminals 170c- 177c are connected to the terminals 170p- 177p, the power supply 158 is capable of supplying power to the Hall elements 71 and memory unit 141 via the power output terminal (V) 174p and power input terminal (V) 174c. Consequently, the controller 100 is capable of receiving a signal from the Hall element 71 of the black ink unit 40B via the first sensor signal output terminal (SB) 170c and first sensor signal receiving terminal (SB) 170p; capable of receiving a signal from the Hall element 71 of the pretreatment liquid unit 40P via the second sensor signal output terminal (SP) 171c and second sensor signal receiving terminal (SP) 171p; capable of acquiring data from the memory unit 141 via the data output terminal (DO) 172c and data receiving terminal (DO) 172p; and capable of writing data to the memory unit 141 via the data input terminal (DI) 173c and data transmitting terminal (DI) 173p.

[0070] As shown in Figs. 8(a)-8(c), a support body 154 is disposed on a wall surface of the casing la defining the space C that opposes the two caps 46 when the cartridge 40 is mounted in a prescribed position within the space C. The support body 154 supports two hollow needles 153 and is capable of moving in the sub scanning direction relative to the casing la. The two hollow needles 153 correspond to the two heads 2 for ejecting black ink and pretreatment liquid, respectively, and are in fluid communication with flexible tubes attached to the joints of the corresponding heads 2. By inserting the hollow needles 153 through the stoppers 50 of the units 40B and 40P, the corresponding valves 60 can be moved to their open positions (see Figs. 5(b) and 5(d)) for supplying liquid to the corresponding heads 2.

[0071] A mounting detection switch 159 (see Fig. 9) is provided on a wall surface of the casing la defining the space C that is orthogonal to the mounting direction (near the circuit board 182, for example). The mounting detection switch 159 has a protruding shape for detecting when the cartridge 40 has been mounted to the prescribed position in the space C. The mounting detection switch 159 is in a protruded state prior to the cartridge 40 being mounted in the space C. When the cartridge 40 is inserted into the space C to the position shown in Fig. 8(b), the mounting detection switch 159 is pressed by the case 41 of the cartridge 40 and retracts into the wall surface. The mounting detection switch 159 outputs an OFF signal to the controller 100 when in the protruded state and outputs an ON signal to the controller 100 when retracted into the wall surface.

[0072] When an electrostatically charged cartridge 40 is mounted in the inkjet printer 1, static electricity in the cartridge 40 can flow from the terminals on the cartridge 40 side that initially contact the inkjet printer 1 side to the corresponding terminals or the like that are contacted. When the contacted terminals are connected to delicate components, such as the controller 100, the static electricity can cause damage to the delicate components. However, in the preferred embodiment the terminals of the cartridge 40 that make initial contact with the inkjet printer 1 side when the cartridge 40 is mounted in the inkjet printer 1 are any of the terminals disposed in four corner regions 161, 164, 165, 168, as will be described below.

[0073] Specifically, one (the terminals 170c- 173 c in the present embodiment) of the plurality of terminals is disposed at each of remaining regions 162, 163, 166, 167 other than the four corner regions 161, 164, 165, 168, and either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of at least two corner regions (all of the corner regions 161, 164, 165, 168 in the present embodiment) among the four corner regions. This arrangement ensures that static electricity retained in the cartridge 40 can escape through one of the power input terminal (V) 174c and ground terminals (G) 175c, 176c, and 177c, thereby preventing damage to the controller 100.

[0074] Next, a control process performed by the controller 100 upon receiving the ON signal from the mounting detection switch 159 will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. As shown in Fig. 10, the controller 100 operates as communication unit for communicating with the cartridge 40 mounted in the space C, as well as various other unit corresponding to the steps in Fig. 1 1.

[0075] In SI of Fig. 11 the controller 100 determines whether the cartridge

40 has been mounted in the prescribed position within the space C based on the signal received from the mounting detection switch 159. If the controller 100 determines that the cartridge 40 has been mounted in the prescribed position (SI: YES), in S2 the controller 100 stores the current time (mounting time) in its RAM. In S3 the controller 100 reads the data stored in the memory unit 141 of the cartridge 40, the data including such information as the liquid capacities, sensor output values, manufactured date, liquid usages, needle insertion numbers, number of printed pages, and accumulated usage time. [0076] In S4 the controller 100 determines whether there were any reading abnormalities in S3. If the controller 100 determines that the reading was not performed normally (S4: YES), then in S5 the controller 100 issues an error notification to the user through an output device 160 (see Fig. 9) of the inkjet printer 1, such as a display or a speaker, and in S6 halts operations of the components in the inkjet printer 1. Reading errors that occur at this time may be caused by damage to the memory unit 141 due to a short circuit between the data output terminal (DO) 172c and power input terminal (V) 174c or a problem in the communication function of the controller 100 due to a short circuit between the data input terminal (DI) 173 c and power input terminal (V) 174c.

[0077] However, if the controller 100 determines that reading was performed normally (S4: NO), in S7 the controller 100 controls a moving mechanism 155 (see Fig. 9) to begin moving the support body 154 and the hollow needles 153 supported by the support body 154 in the sub scanning direction indicated by the black arrow in Fig. 8(c).

[0078] The hollow needles 153 first penetrate the corresponding holes 46a of the caps 46 and the approximate centers of the stoppers 50 in the corresponding units 40B and 40P in the main scanning direction. When the hollow needles 153 are inserted until a hole 153b formed in the distal end of each hollow needle 153 is positioned inside the corresponding supply channel 43a, a channel 153a formed in the hollow needle 153 is in communication with the supply channel 43a via the hole 153b. Although a hole is formed in the stopper 50 by the hollow needle 153 through this operation, the elasticity of the stopper 50 allows the region of the stopper 50 surrounding the hole to form a tight seal with the outer surface of the hollow needle 153, thereby preventing ink from leaking out through the hole between the stopper 50 and hollow needle 153.

[0079] As the moving mechanism 155 continues to move the hollow needles

153, the distal end of each hollow needle 153 contacts the corresponding valve body 62 and continues inward into the supply channel 43a, pushing the valve body 62 also inward. The O-ring 61 moves together with the valve body 62 and separates from the valve seat 43z (see Figs. 6(b) and 6(d)). At this time, the valve 60 shifts from the closed position to the open position, allowing external communication with the reservoir 42 via the channel 43 e. [0080] In S8 the controller 100 receives signals from the Hall elements 71 in the units 40B and 40P. In S9 the controller 100 determines whether the valve 60 of each ink unit 40 and 40P is in the open position (i.e., whether communication has been established between the reservoir 42 of each ink unit 40 and the corresponding head 2) based on the output values Vmax and Vmin read from the memory unit 141 in S3 and the signal received in S8.

[0081] The graph in Fig. 12 shows the relationship between movement of the valve 60 and the output value from the Hall element 71. The horizontal axis in the graph denotes the distance over which the valve 60 has moved away from the stopper 50 in the sub scanning direction from its closed position shown in Figs. 6(a) and 6(c). Vmax and Vmin are values outputted from the Hall element 71 when the valve 60 is in the closed position and open position, respectively, and when a prescribed drive voltage is applied to the Hall element 71. The controller 100 determines that the valve 60 is in the open position when the output value received from the Hall element 71 in S 8 is no greater than a threshold value Vt calculated based on the output values Vmax and Vmin read in S3 (for example, Vt = (Vmax + Vmin)/2) and determines that the valve 60 is in the closed position when the output value received from the Hall element 71 exceeds the threshold value Vt.

[0082] While the controller 100 determines in S9 that the valve 60 has not shifted to the open position (S9: NO), in S10 the controller 100 determines whether a prescribed time has elapsed. While the prescribed time has not elapsed (S10: NO), the controller 100 repeats the process in S8 and S9 described above. However, if the prescribed time elapses before the valve 60 is shifted to the open position (S10: YES), in S5 the controller 100 issues an error notification and in S6 halts operations of the components in the inkjet printer 1.

[0083] On the other hand, when the controller 100 determines in S9 that the valve 60 of the black ink unit 40B is disposed in the open position (S9: YES), in SI 1 the controller 100 writes data to the memory unit 141 indicating the number of hollow needle insertions in S3 incremented by 1. In S 12 the controller 100 determines whether a print command was received from an external device.

[0084] When a print command was received (S12: YES), in S13 the controller 100 drives the feeding motor 125, conveying motor 127, feeding motor 128, heads 2, and the like to record one page worth of a sheet of paper P. [0085] In S14 the controller 100 calculates the quantity of liquid usage for printing one page worth of paper P (i.e., the quantities of black ink and pretreatment liquid that will be ejected onto a sheet of paper P for one page worth). In S15 the controller 100 writes data to the memory unit 141 indicating the usage amount for each liquid (the amount of liquid used in each reservoir 42 since the cartridge 40 was new; i.e., a value obtained by adding the liquid usage for one page worth calculated in S 14 to the liquid usage read in S3) and the number of printed pages (the number of sheets of paper P recorded using the cartridge 40 since the cartridge 40 was new; i.e., a value obtained by incrementing the number of printed sheets read in S3 by 1).

[0086] In S16 the controller 100 determines whether any abnormalities occurred when writing in SI 5. If writing was not performed normally (SI 6: YES), in S5 the controller 100 issues an error notification and in S6 halts operations of the components in the inkjet printer 1.

[0087] However, when writing was performed normally (SI 6: NO), in SI 7 the controller 100 determines whether there is a succeeding page to record based on the image data included in the print command received in SI 2.

[0088] If there is a succeeding page to record (SI 7: YES), the controller 100 returns to S13 and repeats the process in S13-S16 described above. If there is no succeeding page to record (SI 7: NO), the controller 100 returns to S12 and waits until another print command is received.

[0089] The inkjet printer 1 also possesses a locking mechanism (not shown) for locking the cartridge 40. When the controller 100 determines in SI that a cartridge 40 has been mounted in the prescribed position within the space C (SI : YES), the controller 100 drives the locking mechanism at the same time the process in S2 is performed, for example, in order to lock the cartridge 40 together with the cartridge tray

35 in the prescribed position.

[0090] In order to remove the cartridge 40 from the inkjet printer 1, the user presses a release button. When the controller 100 detects the release button being pressed, first the controller 100 controls the moving mechanism 155 (see Fig. 9) to move the support body 154 in the direction opposite the direction indicated by the black arrow in Fig. 8(c), returning the support body 154 from the position shown in Fig. 8(c) to the position shown in Fig. 8(b). As the hollow needles 153 in both the units 40B and 40P move leftward in Fig. 6(b), the urging force of the corresponding coil springs 63 moves the valves 60 leftward in Fig. 6(b) until the valves 60 contact the valve seats 43z, thereby moving the valves 60 from their open positions to their closed positions.

[0091] When the output value from the Hall element 71 in each of the units

40B and 40P exceeds the threshold value Vt, the controller 100 determines that the corresponding valve 60 has switched to the closed position and calculates the cumulative usage time based on the current time (i.e., removal time) and the mounting time stored in S2 (i.e., the duration from the mounting time to the removal time). The controller 100 also writes data to the memory unit 141 indicating a value obtained by adding the cumulative usage time read in S3 to the cumulative usage time calculated above (i.e., the cumulative usage time in which the cartridge 40 has been mounted in the inkjet printer 1 since the cartridge 40 was new). Subsequently, the hollow needles 153 are extracted from the stoppers 50. Further, the portion of each stopper 50 surrounded by the hole formed by the hollow needle 153 springs back to its original state due to the elasticity of the stopper 50, reducing the hole sufficiently to suppress ink leakage.

[0092] Subsequently, the controller 100 drives the locking mechanism in order to release the lock on the cartridge 40, enabling the user to remove the cartridge tray 35 from the space C. When the cartridge tray 35 is removed from the space C, the circuit board 142 separates from the circuit board 182, disconnecting the terminals 170c-177c from the terminals 170p-177p. Accordingly, the controller 100 can no longer exchange signals with the Hall elements 71 and memory unit 141.

[0093] Finally, the controller 100 displays values on the display of the inkjet printer 1 indicating the residual quantity of each liquid. These values are calculated by subtracting the liquid usage quantities written to the memory unit 141 in S15 from the liquid capacities read in S3.

[0094] As described above, one (the terminals 170c- 173c in the present embodiment) of the plurality of terminals is disposed at each of remaining regions 162, 163, 166, 167 other than the four corner regions 161, 164, 165, 168, and either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of at least two corner regions (all of the corner regions 161, 164, 165, 168 in the present embodiment) among the four corner regions. This arrangement allows static electricity built up in the cartridge 40 to escape via the power input terminal (V) 174c and ground terminals (G) 175c, 176c, and 177c, preventing damage to the controller 100.

[0095] More particularly, by arranging the power input terminal (V) 174c and ground terminals (G) 175c, 176c, and 177c arbitrarily in all of the corner regions 161, 164, 165, 168, as in the preferred embodiment, one or more of the power input terminal (V) 174c and ground terminals (G) 175c, 176c, and 177c will always make initial contact with the terminals 170p-177p on the inkjet printer 1 side, thereby preventing damage to the controller 100.

[0096] Further, in the preferred embodiment, the circuit board 142 is disposed on the bottom surface 41cl of the recessed part 41c formed in an outer surface of the case 41 at the downstream end in the mounting direction to position the eight terminals 170c- 177c inside the outer surface of the cartridge 40 in the casing 41, as shown in Fig. 4(b). The base material 201 supporting the terminals 170p-177p (see Figs. 7(b) and 7(c)) protrudes upstream in the mounting direction from the casing la at a position opposing the recessed part 41c, as shown in Fig. 8. With this construction, the terminals on the cartridge 40 side are guided by the recessed part 41c as the cartridge 40 is mounted in the space C, thereby preventing the terminals on the cartridge 40 side from contacting non-corresponding terminals on the inkjet printer 1 side and, hence, more reliably preventing damage to the controller 100.

[0097] Of the various unit shown in Fig. 10, the mounting detection unit Ml corresponds to SI, the reading unit M2 corresponds to S3, the read abnormality determining unit M3 corresponds to S4, the notifying unit M4 corresponds to S5, the record preventing unit M5 corresponds to S6, the moving unit M6 corresponds to S7, the receiving unit M7 corresponds to S8, the reception abnormality determining unit M8 corresponds to S9 and S10, the writing unit M9 corresponds to Sl l and SI 5, the write abnormality determining unit M10 corresponds to SI 6, the print controlling unit Mi l corresponds to S13, and the communication determining unit M12 corresponds to S9. Further, the reading unit M2 receives signals from the memory unit 141, the writing unit

M9 transmits signals to the memory unit 141, and the receiving unit M7 receives signals from the Hall element 71.

[0098] While the invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the attached claims.

[0099] For example, as shown in Figs. 13 through 15, some of the ground terminals may be omitted from the terminals 170c- 177c in Fig. 7(a) (the ground terminals (G) 175c and 176c are omitted in Fig. 13, the ground terminals 176c and 177c are omitted in Fig. 14, and the ground terminals 175c and 177c are omitted in Fig. 15). In these cases, the terminals in the casing la include terminals that do not contact terminals on the cartridge 40. In other words, a blank region at which the terminal is not disposed exists. Since terminals from among the power input terminal (V) 174c and ground terminals (G) 175c, 176c, and 177c are disposed in at least two of the corner regions in this case, these configurations can still allow static electricity retained by the cartridge 40 to escape via the power input terminal (V) 174c and ground terminal (G) 175c, 176c, or 177c, as described in the preferred embodiment, preventing damage to the controller 100. Especially, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15, by make a corner region at which neither the power input terminal nor the ground terminal is disposed blank when the plurality of regions is arranged in a matrix having two rows and at least three columns (in the present embodiment, two rows and three columns), the terminals 170p- 177p have more chance to contact the power input terminal and the ground terminal rather than the signal terminals.

[00100] As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, one of the power input terminal and the ground terminal is disposed in each of two corner regions positioned farthest apart from each other (the corner regions 161 and 164 in Fig. 14, and the corner regions 164 and 165 in Fig. 15). This configuration increases the probability that one of the power input terminal (V) 174c and ground terminal (G) 175c or 176c will initially contact the terminals 170p-177p in the casing la, thereby effectively preventing damage to the controller 100.

[00101] If an excessive amount of static electricity flows through the power input terminal (V) 174c, capacitors and other components disposed between the power input terminal (V) 174c and a grounding surface may incur damage. Accordingly, it is possible to dispose the ground terminals (G) 175c- 178c in all of the corner regions 161, 164, 165, 168, as shown in Fig. 16. In Fig. 16, the data output terminal (DO) 172c and data input terminal (DI) 173 c are combined into a single data input/output terminal (D) 574c. Additionally, the power input terminal (V) 174c is disposed in the position previously occupied by the data output terminal (DO) 172c, and the ground terminal 178c is disposed in the position previously occupied by the power input terminal (V) 174c. This construction can prevent damage to both the controller 100 and the capacitors and other components disposed between the power input terminal (V) 174c and the grounding surface. Further, combining the data output terminal and data input terminal into the same terminal 574c simplifies the structure of the terminals and their wiring.

[00102] The terminals 170c-177c in Fig. 7(a) may also be arranged in a single row rather than two rows, as shown in Fig. 17. In the example of Fig. 17, the ground terminal 175c is disposed at one end of the row, and the power input terminal (V) 174c is disposed at the other end. With this construction, static electricity retained in the cartridge 40 can escape through one of the power input terminal (V) 174c and ground terminal 175c, thereby preventing damage to the controller 100. Although the structure in Fig. 17 shows only a single ground terminal (G), the structure may include two or more ground terminals (G), and the ground terminals may be disposed in both ends of the row in place of the power input terminal (V) 174c.

[00103] Note that the terminals and the circuit board in the casing la of the variation described above are configured to correspond to the terminals and the circuit board on the cartridge 40.

[00104] While the circuit board 142 is fixed to the cartridge 40 in the preferred embodiment described above, an adapter-type circuit board 242 may be detachably mounted on the cartridge 40, as shown in Fig. 18. In this case, the terminals provided on a surface 242a of the adapter-type circuit board 242 that connects to the inkjet printer 1 may be arranged as described in the preferred embodiment (as shown in Fig. 7(a), for example), while the terminals of the circuit board 243 provided on the side of the cartridge 40 that connects to the other surface 242b of the adapter- type circuit board 242 may be arranged and shaped differently from the preferred embodiment described above, as in the example of Fig. 19.

[00105] The following are other possible variations to the terminals of the cartridge.

• The terminals may be separately arranged over a plurality of circuit boards.

• The terminals may be formed in a shape other than a rectangular shape, such as a circular shape.

· The distance between terminals need not be uniform, and the relationships among distances between terminals may be modified as desired.

• The number of sensors and the number of sensor signal output terminals connected to the sensors may be modified. • The number of ground terminals is arbitrary.

• The power input terminal may be electrically connected to at least one electric element so that power can be inputted into at least one electric element. For example, of the two electric elements in the preferred embodiment (the Hall element 71 and memory unit 141), it is possible to connect the power input terminal only to the Hall element 71 and to input power to the memory unit 141 through the data input terminal.

• The size and arrangement of the terminals may be modified as desired, provided that one of the power input terminal and ground terminals is disposed in each of two or more corner regions or each end of a row. Using the example of Fig. 7(a), the positions of the data input terminal (DI) 173c and data output terminal (DO) 172c may be switched; the positions of the first sensor signal output terminal (SB) 170c and second sensor signal output terminal (SP) 171c may be switched; and the power input terminal (V) 174c may be positioned in one of the corner regions 161, 165, 168 rather than the corner region 164, or may be disposed in the region other than the corner regions. Further, the terminals may be arranged in a matrix comprising two or more rows and three or more columns.

[00106] The following are some possible variations to the terminals provided in the device body.

• The terminals provided in the device body may be formed at the same size or greater than the terminals on the cartridge.

• The number and arrangement of terminals in the device body may correspond to the terminals on the cartridge, but need not correspond to the terminals on the cartridge, as in the second through fourth variations of the embodiment. Likewise, the terminals on the cartridge may be of a number and arrangement that partially do not correspond to the terminals in the device body, and may include terminals that do not contact the terminals in the device body.

• The terminals in the device body may have a leaf spring structure (i.e., terminals that are urged by leaf springs toward the terminals on the cartridge side) or a non-leaf spring structure.

· The terminals in the device body and the terminals on the cartridge may be designed so that their contact portions are at positions offset from the center positions.

[00107] The following are other possible variations to the cartridge structure.

• The circuit board need not be disposed on the bottom surface of a recessed part formed in the case of the cartridge. The recessed part also need not be formed in the outer surface of the cartridge at the downstream end in the mounting direction.

• The electric elements should be capable of performing at least one of an operation to transmit a signal externally and an operation to receive a signal from an external source. In the preferred embodiment described above, a sensor for detecting insertion of the hollow needle 153 into the supply channel 43a (the Hall element 71) and storage unit for storing information related to the cartridge (the memory unit 141) serve as examples of the electric elements, but other elements may serve as electric elements.

• One or more of the electric elements may be provided in the cartridge.

· The sensor employed in the liquid cartridge for detecting insertion of the hollow needle 153 into the supply channel 43a need not be a magnetic sensor, such as the Hall element 71, but may be configured of one of various types, such as a reflective photosensor, a transmissive photosensor, or a mechanical sensor for detecting an object through contact.

· The sensor may detect the presence of the hollow needle 153 inserted into the supply channel 43 a either directly or indirectly. For example, while the sensor employed in the preferred embodiment is the Hall element 71 for detecting opening and closing of the valve 60, a mounting detection sensor for detecting when the liquid cartridge is mounted in the mounting unit may be employed when the hollow needle 153 is inserted into the supply channel 43 a at substantially the same time that the liquid cartridge is mounted in the mounting unit. The mounting detection switch 159 described in the preferred embodiment, a photosensor, or other sensor may be employed as the mounting detection sensor.

• There is no particular restriction on the data that is stored in the storage unit. Further, data related to signals generated by the sensors, quantities of liquid contained in the liquid accommodating units, and the like stored in the storage unit is not limited to the values outputted from the sensors or values indicating the quantities of liquids in the liquid accommodating units, but may be data from which these output values and quantities can be derived.

· Although the cartridge of the preferred embodiment separately accommodates two types of liquids (black ink and pretreatment liquid), the cartridge may be configured to accommodate only one type of liquid instead.

• The structure of the cartridge according to the present invention may be modified in a variety of ways within the scope of the claims. For example, it is possible to suitably modify the configuration (shape, position, and the like) of the case 41, reservoir 42, ink delivery tube 43, stopper 50, valve 60, sensor unit 70, memory unit 141, circuit board 142, and the like. It is also possible to add new components and to eliminate some of the components described in the preferred embodiment.

[00108] The following are possible variations of the control process performed on the device body side.

• The controller in the device body may halt operations of components in the device (ejection operations of the heads, etc.) without issuing an error notification.

· The timing at which the cartridge and the device body are able to exchange signals and the timing at which the device body can supply power to the cartridge may be modified as desired and are not limited to the timings described in the preferred embodiment.

• While a mechanical sensor type mounting detection switch 159 is used in the preferred embodiment as the mounting detection unit for detecting when a cartridge is mounted in the mounting unit, the mounting detection unit may be configured of a photosensor or switch or the like capable of outputting an ON signal when the printer and cartridge are electrically connected.

• Writing of data performed by the writing unit and determinations of abnormality performed by the write abnormality determining unit may be executed prior to receiving a print command from an external device.

• The timing at which each unit implements a function may be suitably modified. These timings include the timing at which the reading unit reads data stored in the storage unit of the cartridge; the timing at which the writing unit writes data to the storage unit of the cartridge; the timing at which the receiving unit receives signals from the sensors; the timing at which the write abnormality determining unit determines whether a write abnormality occurred; the timing at which the reception abnormality determining unit determines whether a reception abnormality occurred; and the timing at which the moving unit moves the hollow members.

[00109] It is not necessary that the surface of the cartridge on which the circuit board is disposed be maintained parallel to the surface of the device body on which the terminals are disposed when mounting the cartridge in the mounting unit. For example, the surface of the cartridge on which the terminals are disposed may be rotated into the surface of the device body possessing terminals. [00110] The hollow members are also not limited to members having ends sharpened into needle-like points.

[00111] The liquids accommodated in the liquid cartridge are not limited to ink and pretreatment liquid, but may include a post-treatment liquid ejected onto the recording medium after image recording in order to improve image quality or a cleaning liquid for cleaning the conveying belt, for example. Further, the liquid may be directly accommodated in the casing 41 rather than the reservoir 42.

[00112] The number of cartridges included in the liquid-ejecting device according to the present invention may be one or more.

[00113] The number of liquid-ejecting heads included in the liquid-ejecting device according to the present invention is not limited to two, but may be one or more.

For example, the liquid-ejecting device according to the present invention may be a color inkjet printer that includes heads for ejecting black ink, as well as ink in the three colors magenta, cyan, and yellow.

[00114] The liquid-ejecting device according to the present invention may be a line-type or a serial-type device. Further, the liquid-ejecting device is not limited to a printer, but may be another liquid-ejecting device, such as a facsimile machine or a copier.

[00115] The circuit board according to the present invention covers an adapter-type circuit board that can be mounted on the cartridge.

[00116] When employing an adapter-type circuit board, the arrangement of terminals on the circuit board should conform to the arrangement described in the preferred embodiment. However, the arrangement of terminals provided on the cartridge on which the circuit board is mounted has no particular limitation.

Claims

1. A liquid cartridge comprising:

an accommodating unit that accommodates a liquid;

an electrical element that performs at least one of a transmitting of a signal to an external and a receiving of a signal from the external; and

a circuit board including:

a plurality of terminals; and

a board body on which the plurality of terminals is disposed, the board body having a plurality of regions arranged in a matrix having at least two rows and three columns, the plurality of regions including four corner regions and remaining regions other than the four corner regions,

wherein the plurality of terminals includes:

a signal terminal through which the electrical element performs at least one of the transmitting of a signal and the receiving of a signal;

a power input terminal through which a driving power is supplied to the electrical element from an external; and

a ground terminal,

wherein any one of the plurality of terminals is disposed at each of the remaining regions, and either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of at least two corner regions among the four corner regions.

2. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a casing that accommodates the accommodating unit and has an outer surface on which a recess part is formed,

wherein the circuit board is disposed in the recess part to position the plurality of terminals inside the outer surface in the casing.

3. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of two corner regions positioned farthest apart from each other among the four corner regions.

4. The liquid cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the ground terminal is disposed on each of two corner regions positioned farthest apart from each other among the four corner regions.

5. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of the four corner regions.

6. The liquid cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the ground terminal is disposed on each of the four corner regions.

7. The liquid cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of regions is arranged in a matrix having two rows and at least three columns, a corner region at which neither the power input terminal nor the ground terminal is disposed being a blank region.

8. A liquid cartridge comprising:

an accommodating unit that accommodates a liquid;

a circuit board including:

a plurality of terminals; and

a board body on which the plurality of terminals is disposed, wherein the plurality of terminals includes:

a ground terminal,

wherein the plurality of terminal is disposed on the board body to form a single row along a predetermined direction, a terminal disposed at each of two ends of the single row being either the power input terminal or the ground terminal.

9. A liquid-ejecting device comprising:

a device body; and

a liquid cartridge mountable on the liquid cartridge,

wherein the device body comprises:

an inject head that ejects a liquid supplied from the liquid cartridge; a body side signal terminal;

a controller electrically connected to the body side signal terminal; a power supply that supplies a driving power;

a power output terminal electrically connected to the power supply; and

a body side ground terminal, wherein the liquid cartridge comprises:

an accommodating unit that accommodates the liquid; an electrical element that performs at least one of a transmitting of a signal to an external and a receiving of a signal from the external; and

a circuit board including:

a plurality of terminals; and

a signal terminal electrically connected to the electrical element and electrically contacting the body side signal terminal to perform at least one of the transmitting of a signal and the receiving of a signal for the controller;

a power input terminal electrically connected to the electrical element and electrically contacting the power output terminal to supply the driving power to the electrical element; and

a ground terminal electrically contacting the body side ground terminal,

10. The liquid cartridge according to claim 8, further comprising a casing that accommodates the accommodating unit and has an outer surface on which a recess part is formed,

wherein the circuit board is disposed in the recess part to position the plurality of terminals inside the outer surface in the casing,

wherein the device body includes a body side board body on which the body side signal terminal, the power output terminal, and the body side ground terminal are mounted, and protruding to an outside, the body side board body being guided by the recess part when being connected to the circuit board.

11. The liquid cartridge according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of regions is arranged in a matrix having two rows and at least three columns, a corner region at which neither the power input terminal nor the ground terminal is disposed being a blank region.

12. A liquid-ejecting device comprising:

a device body; and

a liquid cartridge mountable on the liquid cartridge,

wherein the device body comprises:

a power output terminal electrically connected to the power supply; and

a body side ground terminal,

wherein the liquid cartridge comprises:

a circuit board including:

a plurality of terminals; and

a ground terminal electrically contacting the body side ground terminal,

13. A circuit board mountable on a liquid cartridge including: an accommodating unit that accommodates a liquid; and an electrical element that performs at least one of a transmitting of a signal to an external and a receiving of a signal from the external,

the circuit board comprising:

a plurality of terminals; and

wherein the plurality of terminals includes:

a ground terminal,

14. The circuit board according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of regions is arranged in a matrix having two rows and at least three columns, a corner region at which neither the power input terminal nor the ground terminal is disposed being a blank region.

15. A circuit board mountable on a liquid cartridge including: an accommodating unit that accommodates a liquid; and an electrical element that performs at least one of a transmitting of a signal to an external and a receiving of a signal from the external,

the circuit board comprising:

a plurality of terminals; and

a power input terminal through which a driving power is supplied to the electrical element from an external; and a ground terminal,

16. A liquid cartridge comprising:

a first accommodating unit that accommodates a main liquid, a communication between the first accommodating unit and an external being allowed when a first channel formed between the first accommodating unit and the external is opened;

a second accommodating unit that accommodates a sub liquid, a communication between the second accommodating unit and an external being allowed when a second channel formed between the second accommodating unit and the external is opened;

a first sensor that generates a signal based on an opening/closing state of the first channel;

a second sensor that generates a signal based on an opening/closing state of the second channel;

a storage unit that stores data; and

a circuit board including a plurality of terminals and a board body on which the plurality of terminals is disposed, the board body having a plurality of regions arranged in a matrix having at least two rows and three columns, the plurality of regions including four corner regions and remaining regions other than the four corner regions, wherein the plurality of terminals includes:

a first sensor signal output terminal electrically connected to the first sensor to output a signal to an external;

a second sensor signal output terminal electrically connected to the second sensor to output a signal to an external;

a data output terminal connected to the storage unit to output the data stored in the storage unit to an external;

a data input terminal thorough which data is inputted to the storage unit from an external;

a power input terminal through which a driving power is supplied to both the first sensor and the second sensor from an external; and

a ground terminal, wherein the first sensor signal output terminal, the second sensor signal output terminal, the data output terminal, and the data input terminal are disposed at the remaining regions, respectively, and either the power input terminal or the ground terminal is disposed on each of at least two corner regions among the four corner regions.

17. A circuit board mountable of a liquid cartridge including: a first accommodating unit that accommodates a main liquid, a communication between the first accommodating unit and an external being allowed when a first channel formed between the first accommodating unit and the external is opened; a second accommodating unit that accommodates a sub liquid, a communication between the second accommodating unit and an external being allowed when a second channel formed between the second accommodating unit and the external is opened; a first sensor that generates a signal based on an opening/closing state of the first channel; a second sensor that generates a signal based on an opening/closing state of the second channel; and a storage unit that stores data,

the circuit board comprising:

a plurality of terminals; and

wherein the plurality of terminals includes: