Abstract: A connection part is attached to an end of a liquid delivery tube, the connection part being provided with a flow path for changing the flowing direction of a liquid.

Abstract: A plurality of cylindrical port defining portions project from a passage defining member defining a plurality of passages. A supply line defining body defining a plurality of supply lines is formed of an elastic member. The supply line defining body includes a plurality of openings each communicating with a corresponding one of the liquid supply lines. Each of the port defining portions extends perpendicularly to the direction in which each of the passages extends. Each of the openings extends perpendicular to the direction in which each of the liquid supply lines extends. A securing member fastens the port defining portions with respect to the corresponding openings collectively, by applying fastening force to the passage defining member and the supply line defining body in the axial direction of each port defining portion. Accordingly, improved seal performance is reliably obtained.

Abstract: In a printing apparatus of an off-carriage type, when a pump motor is rotated regularly for delivering pressurizing air to an ink cartridge, rotation thereof is converted into a linear reciprocating movement of a pressing member by a cam mechanism and a pressurizing operation is executed by repeating to operate to expand and contract a diaphragm. On the other hand, the pump motor is started to rotate inversely, a driven part is rotated by a friction clutch mechanism, and a pressing portion of the driven part is brought into contact with a valve opening lever of an atmospheric release valve. At this occasion, the valve opening lever is pivoted to bring a valve hole into an opened state and pressurizing air is discharged to outside by bringing the atmospheric release valve into an opened state.

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: Provided is a liquid injecting apparatus equipped with a liquid injecting head, which is mounted on a carriage and moved reciprocally in a widthwise direction of a target, and a valve unit, which is mounted on the carriage to be supplied with liquid via a supply passage from a liquid retainer and to supply liquid to the liquid injecting head. The valve unit has a pressure chamber connected to the liquid retainer via the supply passage; a valve, which opens or closes the supply passage to supply liquid to the pressure chamber; and a flexible film member, which is displaced based on a negative pressure generated as liquid in the pressure chamber decreases to thereby operate the valve.

Abstract: An ink cartridge in which on one surface of a cartridge case, there are provided a positioning means used in case that the ink cartridge is attached to a recording apparatus, an ink outlet port from an ink pack, an inlet port of the pressurized air and a connection terminal of a circuit board having a data storage means that stores ink information of the cartridge therein, and an ink jet recording apparatus provided with its ink cartridge are provided. According to the ink cartridge of this mode, since the cartridge is exactly positioned and fixed to a holder three-dimentionally by the positioning means, mechanical positional adjustment and electrical connection can be exactly performed, so that operation reliability of the recording apparatus can be improved. Further, in the recording apparatus of this mode, in a state where the cartridge has been mounted on the recording apparatus by the positioning means, the connection terminal of the board is located at the upper portion of the ink outlet port.

Abstract: Ink from an ink cartridge is supplied along an ink supply tube to a sub-tank mounted on a carriage. Provided for the sub-tank is an ink level detector constituted by a float member on which a permanent magnet is mounted, and Hall devices. Further, a ink consumption counter is also included for calculating the quantity of ink ejected or discharged by a recording head. When a low ink state is detected by the ink level detector and when the value held by the ink consumption counter has reached a predetermined ink quantity total, the supply of ink from the ink cartridge to the sub-tank is initiated.

Abstract: A valve unit 36 is placed in an ink flow passage 35 between an ink cartridge 8 and a recording head 7 and can be controlled in association with the cleaning operation of the recording head 7. Under the control of a drive controller, the valve unit 36 holds for a predetermined time a state in which negative pressure produced by a suction pump is accumulated, and is opened after the expiration of the predetermined time or is opened with the negative pressure accumulated and driving the suction pump is continued. The air bubbles remaining in a stuck state in the ink flow passage can be peeled from the ink flow passage together with an instantaneous fast ink flow produced as the valve unit 36 is opened, and the peeled air bubbles can be discharged effectively from the ink flow passage following the subsequent ink flow.

Abstract: An information communicating member is adapted to be disposed on a liquid container for supplying a liquid to a liquid ejecting head of a liquid ejection apparatus. The information communicating member includes: an information storing portion storing therein liquid information with regard to the liquid contained in the liquid container; an antenna portion for communicating the liquid information stored in the information storing portion between the information communicating member and the liquid ejection apparatus in a wireless manner; and a base member on which the information storing portion and the antenna portion are disposed. The base member has an electric insulating property and an ultraviolet ray shielding property.

Abstract: An ink cartridge in which on one surface of a cartridge case, there are provided a positioning means used in case that the ink cartridge is attached to a recording apparatus, an ink outlet port from an ink pack, an inlet port of the pressurized air and a connection terminal of a circuit board having a data storage means that stores ink information of the cartridge therein, and an ink jet recording apparatus provided with its ink cartridge are provided. According to the ink cartridge of this mode, since the cartridge is exactly positioned and fixed to a holder three-dimentionally by the positioning means, mechanical positional adjustment and electrical connection can be exactly performed, so that operation reliability of the recording apparatus can be improved. Further, in the recording apparatus of this mode, in a state where the cartridge has been mounted on the recording apparatus by the positioning means, the connection terminal of the board is located at the upper portion of the ink outlet port.

Abstract: An ink cartridge includes an ink pack 21 which discharges ink from an ink outlet 22 upon reception of pressure by air pressure; an outer case 20a, 20b which houses the ink pack 21 therein with the ink outlet 22 exposed so that the ink pack 21 can be pressurized by the air pressure, and includes a pressurized air inlet 23 that is connectable to an air source for pressurizing the ink pack 21; and a pressure adjusting unit 30 which is housed in the outer case and discharges air in the outer case to the outside so that pressure in space of the outer case is kept at a setting value.

Abstract: In an ink jet recording apparatus, a recording head is mounted on a carriage which reciprocately moves in a widthwise direction of recording paper. A subtank is mounted on the carriage for supplying ink. A main tank stores ink which is replenished to the subtank. An ink amount detector detects an amount of ink stored in the subtank. A replenishment controller controls replenishment of ink stored in the main tank to the subtank, in accordance with the ink amount detected by the ink amount detector.

Abstract: A liquid injection apparatus having a liquid reservoir for containing liquid, a recording head for injecting the liquid, and a liquid supply passage for supplying the liquid in the liquid reservoir to the recording head is disclosed. A valve unit is located on the liquid supply passage. The valve unit has pressure chamber for temporarily retaining the liquid. As the recording head injects the liquid, the liquid in the pressure chamber decreases. In response to a negative pressure generated by the decrease of the liquid in the pressure chamber, a valve mechanism of the valve unit selectively establishes a supply state where the liquid is supplied from the liquid supply passage to the pressure chamber and a non-supply state where the liquid is not supplied from the liquid supply passage to the pressure chamber. An flow rate adjuster forcibly changes a flow rate of the liquid that flows through the liquid supply passage.

Abstract: An ink cartridge in which on one surface of a cartridge case, there are provided a positioning means used in case that the ink cartridge is attached to a recording apparatus, an ink outlet port from an ink pack, an inlet port of the pressurized air and a connection terminal of a circuit board having a data storage means that stores ink information of the cartridge therein, and an ink jet recording apparatus provided with its ink cartridge are provided.

Abstract: A circuit board on an ink cartridge has contact pads which are electrically conducted to a semiconductor storage element mounted on the circuit board. Connector terminals on an ink jet recording apparatus are brought into relative slide contact with a surface of this circuit board, and electrically connected to the contact pads. When the connector terminals come in contact with the contact pads, the dust adhering to the connector terminals is wiped and removed by step portions that are constituted by no-resist-film formation parts and that are adjacent to the contact pads. Consequently, the reliability of the electrical contact between the connector terminals and the contact pads is ensured.

Abstract: A valve unit 36 is placed in an ink flow passage 35 between an ink cartridge 8 and a recording head 7 and can be controlled in association with the cleaning operation of the recording head 7. Under the control of a drive controller, the valve unit 36 holds for a predetermined time a state in which negative pressure produced by a suction pump is accumulated, and is opened after the expiration of the predetermined time or is opened with the negative pressure accumulated and driving the suction pump is continued. The air bubbles remaining in a stuck state in the ink flow passage can be peeled from the ink flow passage together with an instantaneous fast ink flow produced as the valve unit 36 is opened, and the peeled air bubbles can be discharged effectively from the ink flow passage following the subsequent ink flow.

Abstract: A valve unit 36 is placed in an ink flow passage 35 between an ink cartridge 8 and a recording head 7 and can be controlled in association with the cleaning operation of the recording head 7. Under the control of a drive controller, the valve unit 36 holds for a predetermined time a state in which negative pressure produced by a suction pump is accumulated, and is opened after the expiration of the predetermined time or is opened with the negative pressure accumulated and driving the suction pump is continued. The air bubbles remaining in a stuck state in the ink flow passage can be peeled from the ink flow passage together with an instantaneous fast ink flow produced as the valve unit 36 is opened, and the peeled air bubbles can be discharged, effectively from the ink flow passage following the subsequent ink flow.

Abstract: An ink cartridge in which on one surface of a cartridge case, there are provided a positioning means used in case that the ink cartridge is attached to a recording apparatus, an ink outlet port from an ink pack, an inlet port of the pressurized air and a connection terminal of a circuit board having a data storage means that stores ink information of the cartridge therein, and an ink jet recording apparatus provided with its ink cartridge are provided.

Abstract: Ink from an ink cartridge (9) is supplied along an ink supply tube (10) to a sub-tank (7) mounted on a carriage. Provided for the sub-tank (7) is an ink level detector constituted by a float member (33) on which a permanent magnet (32) is mounted, and Hall devices (33a, 33b). Further, a ink consumption counter is also included for calculating the quantity of ink ejected or discharged by a recording head (6). When a low ink state is detected by the ink level detector and when the value held by the ink consumption counter has reached a predetermined ink quantity total, the supply of ink from the ink cartridge (9) to the sub-tank (7) is initiated.

Abstract: An ink storage chamber has an indicator formed from magnetic material. A float member whose upper position is limited is housed in the ink storage chamber. Two magnetic-field detection system are provided at a position on the exterior of a sub-tank at which the detection system can detect a magnetic flux of the indicator simultaneously, such that the longitudinal direction of the detection system is oriented vertically with a specified ink level of the sub-tank sandwiched between the detection system. On the basis of signals output from the magnetic-field detection system, it is determined whether the ink level is in any one of an excessively low ink level state, a state in which injection of ink must be started, a state in which injection of ink must be stopped, and an excessively supplied state. Thus, an ink level in the sub-tank can be controlled within a specific range without involvement of an undesired increase in the number of sensors.