Abstract: A liquid storage unit including a first liquid storage chamber having a constant volume and being capable of holding liquid supplied from a liquid tank; a second liquid storage chamber communicating with the first liquid storage chamber; a pressure control chamber configured to change a pressure of the pressure control chamber through actuation of a pressure control unit; and an elastic member being configured to tightly partition the second liquid storage chamber and the pressure control chamber from each other and being deformable so as to increase and decrease a volume of the second liquid storage chamber in accordance with the pressure of the pressure control chamber. The elastic member is capable of removing bubbles in the first liquid storage chamber by increasing and decreasing the volume of the second liquid storage chamber through the deformation.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head including a liquid storage chamber capable of holding a liquid, a liquid communication pipe communicating with the liquid storage chamber and being configured to supply the liquid from a liquid tank to the liquid storage chamber by installing the liquid tank to the pipe to communicate with the liquid tank, an discharge port communicating with the liquid storage chamber to discharge the liquid, an electrode pair each having an outside end portion located outside the liquid storage chamber and detecting a liquid level of the liquid storage chamber, and an electric contact portion connected to the outside end portion of each of the electrode pair. The electric contact portion is located above the liquid communication pipe with an discharge port surface on which the discharge port opens taking a position facing perpendicularly downward.

Abstract: A ink tank includes a casing having a partition wall configured to divide from each other an absorber storage chamber for storing an absorber capable of retaining ink and an ink storage chamber for storing ink to be supplied to the absorber storage chamber, and an ink supply port provided at the bottom surface of the absorber storage chamber and configured to supply the ink in the absorber storage chamber to an outside, wherein the sectional configuration when the absorber storage chamber is cut by a plane parallel to the partition wall and passing through the ink supply port is substantially T-shaped.

Abstract: An ink tank includes a light-emitting portion and a light-guiding portion for guiding light emitted from the light-emitting portion, wherein the light-guiding portion includes an output portion configured to output the guided light to project individual information about the ink tank and a display portion formed on a side surface different from the output portion and configured to display information about a status of the ink tank by outputting the guided light.

Abstract: A liquid container includes an air-tight liquid-storage chamber or reservoir, a movable member for agitating liquid, and a protrusion portion for supporting the movable member. The movable member and the protrusion portion are disposed in the liquid-storage chamber. The movable member includes a first end that is linearly movable along the protrusion portion and a second end that is free.

Abstract: An ink container for retaining ink includes an ink containing body, an elastically displaceable supporting member, a light emitting portion, a light receiving portion for receiving light from the light emitting portion, a display portion for displaying the received light, and a light guide portion for optically connecting the light receiving portion and the display portion so as to guide the light received by the receiving portion to the display portion. The supporting member at least partly functions as the light guide portion. The light receiving portion is located, with a gap with respect to the light emitting portion, so as to cover the light emitting portion. The light receiving portion approaches the light emitting portion when the supporting member approaches the ink containing body by being subjected to urging toward the ink containing body.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus is provided which can stir ink efficiently and reduce user stresses by specifying the time for stirring ink in an ink tank. A stir operation that reciprocally moves a carriage for stirring ink in the ink tank is executed in parallel with a suction-based operation of sucking out ink from a cap after a print operation.

Abstract: An ink tank includes a stirrer supported in a freely moveable manner near an inner wall of an ink storage chamber. When the stirrer moves closest to the inner wall, a predetermined gap is formed between opposing surfaces of the inner wall and the stirrer.

Abstract: An ink tank containing ink including a pigment component effectively prevents a problem that an ink having a higher concentration and including a sedimentary pigment is led out, even in a case where the ink tank is left unused on a printing apparatus for a long time. To this end, an ink leading-out port placed in an ink containing chamber, and used to supply the ink to a printing head is located higher than a lowermost portion of the ink containing chamber, and is also formed in an inclined surface inclined to a gravitational direction. Thereby, the sedimentary pigment slides the inclined surface, and thus is settled down in a position away from the ink leading-out port.

Abstract: A liquid container includes an air-tight liquid-storage chamber or reservoir, a movable member for agitating liquid, and a protrusion portion for supporting the movable member. The movable member and the protrusion portion are disposed in the liquid-storage chamber. The movable member includes a first end that is linearly movable along the protrusion portion and a second end that is free.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus and a method for controlling an ink jet printing apparatus which, during a non-print operation excluding a print operation, can stir ink at a required time and to a required level according to the state of the ink in the ink tank. During a non-print operation excluding a print operation accompanied by a reciprocal movement of the carriage, a stir operation is executed to stir the ink in the ink tank by reciprocating the carriage according to a stir mode. As the stir mode, one of different modes is set according to an elapsed time from the previous stir operation.

Abstract: When a package in which a tank 1 is wrapped is opened, caused is an action of reversing vertical positions of an end face of the tank 1 having an ink supply portion 10, and an end face opposite to the foregoing end face. Along with this action, air existing inside the tank 1 ascends, and then is separated by air separating portions. Thus, a coloring material component inside the tank is stirred.

Abstract: An ink tank with a high volume efficiency and a printing apparatus which are capable of completely using up ink stored in the ink tank. A meniscus holding force (Pm1) of a non-compressed portion (22b) of an ink guide member (22) is set higher than an initial ink-storage-portion negative pressure (P1), and lower than a used-up ink-storage-portion negative pressure (P2). In addition, a meniscus holding force (Pm2) caused under compression is set stronger than the used-up ink-storage-portion negative pressure (P2), and weaker than a meniscus holding force (Phf) of a head filter (50).

Abstract: A liquid storage container capable of ensuring a sufficient ink storage space and preventing liquid leakage without large variations in liquid pressure even when the container is deformed by an external force during shipping or in operating time. The container includes a protection member positioned outside of a flexible member, and an opening is defined on a plane member arranged in contact with the flexible member so as to face the protection member.

Abstract: An ink container usable for recording heads different in flow rate without being affected by a pigment particle concentration of ink held in an ink supply portion is provided. In correspondence with a size of a filter of a recording head used, ink non-conducting areas are provided to a press-contact member, whereby movement of settled ink remaining in the press-contact member is blocked. As a result, common use of the ink container with respect to the recording heads different in flow rate is realized.

Abstract: An ink tank with a high volume efficiency and a printing apparatus which are capable of completely using up ink stored in the ink tank. A meniscus holding force (Pm1) of a non-compressed portion (22b) of an ink guide member (22) is set higher than an initial ink-storage-portion negative pressure (P1), and lower than a used-up ink-storage-portion negative pressure (P2). In addition, a meniscus holding force (Pm2) caused under compression is set stronger than the used-up ink-storage-portion negative pressure (P2), and weaker than a meniscus holding force (Phf) of a head filter (50).

Abstract: There is disclosed a solid semiconductor element which very efficiently detects information about a liquid and bidirectionally exchanges the information with the outside. The solid semiconductor element is disposed in a liquid container, and includes at least energy converting unit, information acquiring unit, and information communicating unit. The energy converting unit converts an electromotive force from the outside to a power, and operates the information acquiring unit and information communicating unit. The information acquiring unit acquires the information about the liquid in which the solid semiconductor element is disposed from the liquid, and the information communicating unit transmits the information acquired by the information acquiring unit to the outside.