Abstract: A second sealing film is thermally bonded onto a leading end portion of an ink lead-out member of an ink pack and an annular projecting portion provided on an ink casing. Thereby, a gap produced between the ink lead-out member and the ink casing can be closed from outside the ink casing. Accordingly, the air tightness of a space in the ink casing is kept, thus making it possible to raise the pressure in the space and generate such a force as to crush the ink pack.

Abstract: The invention provides a liquid container for storing liquid to be supplied to a liquid consuming apparatus. The liquid container is constructed such that pressurized fluid is sent to its inside so that the liquid in the inside is delivered to the outside. The liquid container includes a container body which stores the liquid in its inside. The container body includes a pressurized fluid introduction port for introducing the pressurized fluid to the inside and a liquid delivery port for delivering the liquid to the outside. A detection unit is provided in the container body and outputs an output signal which is changed in accordance with a change in pressure of the liquid in the inside of the container body.

Abstract: Since a bypass flowing passage which communicates with the inside of a bag part not through a second valve mechanism is provided for an outlet part, ink can be filled from the outlet part into the bag part in spite of the existence of the second valve mechanism. Further, after an empty ink pack has been housed in an inner case, the ink is filled into the ink pack. Therefore, when a first seal film is welded to the inner case, since the bag part is not bulky, the ends of the bag part are caught in a cartridge case. Therefore, the maximum amount of ink for the inner volume of the cartridge case can be filled. Further, since a bypass flowing passage is blocked after the ink has filled into the ink pack, contamination of air bubbles into the bag part through the bypass flowing passage is prevented.

Abstract: A second sealing film F2 is thermally bonded onto a leading end portion R1 of an ink lead-out member 32b of an ink pack and an annular projecting portion R2 provided on an ink casing 31. Thereby, a gap D produced between the ink lead-out member 32b and the ink casing 31 can be closed from outside the ink casing 31. Accordingly, the airtightness of a space S in the ink casing 31 is kept, thus making it possible to raise the pressure in the space S and generate such a force as to crush the ink pack.

Abstract: A liquid container includes a container body formed with a liquid supply port, and a container-side fixing structure which releasably regulates movement of the liquid container in an outward pulling direction in cooperation with apparatus-side fixing structure provided for the container mounting part in a state where the liquid container is mounted onto the container mounting part. The container-side fixing structure has a guide groove into which a fixing pin of the apparatus-side fixing structure can be inserted, and which guides the fixing pin in mounting and removal operations of the liquid container to and from the container mounting part. The guide groove includes a fixing part which engages the fixing pin to regulate the movement of the liquid container in the pulling direction in the state where the liquid container is mounted to the container mounting part.

Abstract: An ink cartridge having a container for storing ink therein and having an ink supply port formed at a leading end side in an insertion direction of the container, a memory device disposed on a first of two opposite surfaces parallel to the insertion direction of the container, the memory device having an electrode for electrical connection to the recording device; a retaining member disposed on the first surface and located at a trailing end side relative to the memory device in the insertion direction, the retaining member serving to selectively engage with the recording device; and another retaining member disposed on the second surface and which also serves to selectively engage with the recording device.

Abstract: An ink cartridge having a container for storing ink therein and having an ink supply port formed at a leading end side in an insertion direction of the container, a memory device disposed on a first of two opposite surfaces parallel to the insertion direction of the container, the memory device having an electrode for electrical connection to the recording device; a retaining member disposed on the first surface and located at a trailing end side relative to the memory device in the insertion direction, the retaining member serving to selectively engage with the recording device; and another retaining member disposed on the second surface and which also serves to selectively engage with the recording device.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus comprises a liquid cartridge for storing a liquid, a liquid ejection head for ejecting the liquid toward a target, a liquid supply path for guiding the liquid to the liquid ejection head from the liquid cartridge, and a capping device for drawing the liquid from the liquid ejection head. The liquid supply path comprises a plurality of wall surfaces, and a part of the wall surface is formed of a flexible member that is flexed by the inside-and-outside pressure difference of the liquid supply path. A pressure pump for adjusting the pressure of a fluid within the liquid supply path in the upstream side of the flexible member is provided.

Abstract: An ink cartridge for an ink jet printer having a housing having at least one wall. The ink cartridge further has at least two ink chambers for containing different ink accommodated in the housing. Ink supply ports are formed in one wall of the housing within each of the ink chambers. Each of the ink supply ports has an inner opening and an outer opening. The distance from the inner opening of a first ink supply port to that of a second ink supply port adjacent to the first ink supply port is different from a second distance from the outer opening of the first ink supply opening to that of the second ink supply port.

Abstract: An ink container which includes an ink supply port for supplying ink to a recording head, and is formed with a flexible member shaped like a bag, which deforms in accordance with an amount of remaining ink contained therein, the ink container including: a sensor module serving as vibration activating and detecting unit, provided on one of the surfaces of the ink container, for emitting a vibration to the ink; and a rigid member provided on a location of the other surface of the ink container, which is opposed to the sensor module; wherein an amount of remaining ink is detected based on a vibration characteristic of the vibration activating and detecting unit which depends on a distance between the vibration activating and detecting unit and the rigid member.

Abstract: A printer includes a recording head having a nozzle that ejects ink and a suction pump that draws the ink through the nozzle. A valve unit and a filter are arranged in a passage that supplies the ink to the recording head. A controller of the printer operates the suction pump to perform suction/suspension in which suction of the ink from the passage through the nozzle and suspension of the suction are alternately repeated with the valve unit maintained in a closed state, thus promoting joining of bubbles on the filter. The controller then operates to open the valve unit to drain the joint bubbles from the filter, together with the ink, using negative pressure accumulated in the passage.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention has a translationally movable member configured to be connected to a liquid container inserted in a container mounting unit, in link motion with a straight operation of the liquid container when inserting a liquid feed needle through a liquid feed port of the liquid container, translationally advance in the direction parallel with the straight operation, an apparatus side fixing structure for releasably restricting the movement of the liquid container in the mounting state in the pull-out direction, having a stopper pin to be stopped in a guide groove of a container side fixing structure formed in the liquid container, and apparatus side positioning structures installed in the translationally movable member, in cooperation with a container side positioning structure formed in the liquid container, for positioning the liquid container in a predetermined position to the translationally movable member.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head having a nozzle formation surface with a nozzle that discharges a liquid. A cleaning member wipes the nozzle formation surface to remove liquid that has adhered thereto. An absorption member of a porous material deforms under pressure and includes an absorption surface that contacts the cleaning member to absorb liquid that has adhered thereto. A pressure member moves between a pressure position, in which the pressure member applies pressure to the absorption surface of the absorption member, and a non-pressure position, in which the pressure member does not apply pressure to the absorption surface. A movement mechanism moves the pressure member from the non-pressure position to the pressure position to cause the absorption member to deform, thereby dispersing the liquid absorbed by the absorption member from the cleaning member via the absorption surface into the interior of the absorption member.

Abstract: An attachment is mountable on a carriage in place of a liquid container that contains liquid and that is mounted on the carriage having a liquid jet head for jetting liquid, so that the attachment can supply liquid introduced from outside to the liquid jet head. The attachment has a pressure control means provided in a flow passage which is formed in an attachment body and through which the liquid introduced from the outside is supplied to the liquid jet head.

Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus comprises a liquid cartridge for storing a liquid, a liquid ejection head for ejecting the liquid toward a target, a liquid supply path for guiding the liquid to the liquid ejection head from the liquid cartridge, and a capping device for drawing the liquid from the liquid ejection head. The liquid supply path comprises a plurality of wall surfaces, and a part of the wall surface is formed of a flexible member that is flexed by the inside-and-outside pressure difference of the liquid supply path. A pressure pump for adjusting the pressure of a fluid within the liquid supply path in the upstream side of the flexible member is provided.

Abstract: In an ink pack 24 stored in an ink cartridge 20 of a printer, a first welded portion is formed by bonding both end portions of a sheet of film to each other. A tube-shaped bag portion 31 is formed by the first welded portion. One opening of the bag portion 31 is thermally welded in a state where a supply member 27 is inserted into the film, thereby forming a second welded portion 38. The other opening of the bag portion is sealed through the thermal adhesion, thereby forming a third welded portion 39. The ink volume capable of being stored in the bag portion 31 of the ink pack 24 is larger than the volume in a frame 26c for storing the ink pack 24.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid transporting method in a liquid ejecting apparatus having a fluid ejecting head having a nozzle, a liquid storing unit connected through a flow passage to the fluid ejecting head, and a suction unit sucking an inner portion of the nozzle from a nozzle opening side, wherein a portion of the flow passage is used as a pump chamber, and a pump driven to change an internal volume of the pump chamber and an output valve opened only at the time when the output valve is pressed from the pump are provided, the liquid transporting method including: performing choke suction of charging the pump with the liquid, and performing a suction operation of sucking the inner portion of the nozzle by using the suction unit, and then, performing a transmission operation of pressing the liquid from the pump to the output valve.

Abstract: An ink cartridge having a container for storing ink therein and having an ink supply port formed at a leading end side in an insertion direction of the container, a memory device disposed on a first of two opposite surfaces parallel to the insertion direction of the container, the memory device having an electrode for electrical connection to the recording device; a retaining member disposed on the first surface and located at a trailing end side relative to the memory device in the insertion direction, the retaining member serving to selectively engage with the recording device; and another retaining member disposed on the second surface and which also serves to selectively engage with the recording device.

Abstract: An ink cartridge having a container for storing ink therein and having an ink supply port formed at a leading end side in an insertion direction of the container, a memory device disposed on a first of two opposite surfaces parallel to the insertion direction of the container, the memory device having an electrode for electrical connection to the recording device; a retaining member disposed on the first surface and located at a trailing end side relative to the memory device in the insertion direction, the retaining member serving to selectively engage with the recording device; and another retaining member disposed on the second surface and which also serves to selectively engage with the recording device.

Abstract: An ink cartridge has pivotable levers connected to walls of a container, and both pawls and protruded guide portions formed on the levers. The pawls are engageable with an ink cartridge holder. The protruded guide portions contact the ink cartridge holder to move the levers in the opening direction. Further, protruded stopper portions are formed to permit pivoting movement of the levers to such a degree as to disengage the pawls from the ink cartridge holder.