Seiko Epson Corporation

Akira Ichihashi

Satoshi Shinada

Taku Ishizawa

Minoru Yajima

Yasuto Sakai

Akihisa Wanibe

Yuichi Seki

Kenji Ito

Akihiko Kitazawa

Junhua Zhang

Hisashi Miyazawa

Koichi Toba

In an ink cartridge, a negative pressure generating mechanism is disposed between an ink storage region and an ink supply port, and has a wall surface having two through-holes for ink flow, and a valve member contacted with and separated from the through-hole by receiving a pressure in an ink supply port side. Ink flowing via the through-hole is supplied via the through-hole to the ink supply port.

Liquid detecting device, liquid container and method of manufacturing liquid detecting device

A liquid container includes: a container body attachable to a container attachment portion of an apparatus side; a liquid chamber, provided in the container body, for accommodating a liquid therein; a liquid supply hole connectable to a liquid receiving portion of the apparatus side; a liquid leading path for leading the liquid stored in the liquid chamber to the liquid supply hole; an air open hole for introducing outside air into the liquid chamber as the liquid in the liquid chamber is consumed; pressure regulating means, provided in a portion of the liquid leading path, for regulating a pressure of the liquid to be supplied to the liquid receiving portion through the liquid supply hole and hindering a reverse flow of the liquid from the liquid supply hole to the liquid chamber; a first bypass path for causing first and second liquid leading passages of the liquid leading path, provided respectively before and after the pressure regulating means, to communicate with each other; and a first bypass blocking portion capable of blocking the bypass path.

Liquid container and liquid filling method

A circuit board () has a board main body (M), a pair of first electrodes () for contact with and electrical connection to electrodes () of a liquid consuming apparatus, the first electrodes () being formed on a first surface of the board main body (M), and a pair of second electrodes () for contact with and electrical connection to terminal plates () of a sensor unit (), the second electrodes () being formed on an opposite, second surface of the board main body (M) and electrically connected respectively to the first electrodes ().

Liquid container and circuit board for liquid container

A liquid container () has: an outer electrode () contactable with an electrode () of a liquid consuming apparatus; an electrode supporting member () which supports the outer electrode () and is fixed to a container body (); a piezoelectric sensor unit () which is discrete from the electrode supporting member (), which is attached to the container body () for detecting liquid existing in a part of a liquid supply path and which includes a piezoelectric element () having an electrode (); and a connector () which has an elasticity and which electrically connects the outer electrode () to the electrode () of the piezoelectric element ().

A mis-assembly preventing structure is provided to a liquid container to allow assembly of parts when the parts are assembled in an adequate direction and to prevent the assembly of the parts when the part are assembled in an inadequate direction. For example the structure can be provided to a sensor unit () and a cartridge case (), and can be constructed by engagement hooks () and engagement concave portions () for receiving the engagement hooks ().

Container having liquid detecting function, and sensor unit

A liquid detecting device () including: a unit base (), provided with a recessed portion () on an upper face thereof and containing a first material; a sensor base (), accommodated in the recessed portion and containing a second material different from the first material; a sensor chip (), mounted on an upper face of the sensor base () and having a sensor cavity () for receiving a liquid as a detection target, in which a lower face of the sensor cavity () is formed to be opened for allowing the liquid to flow therein and an upper face thereof is closed by a vibration plate () and provided with a piezoelectric element () mounted on an upper face of the vibration plate (); an adhesive layer (), formed on the upper face of the sensor base and fixing and sealing the sensor chip () and the sensor base () to each other; and an adhesive film (), which fixes and seals the sensor base () and the unit base () to each other and of which an inner peripheral portion is adhered to the upper face of the sensor base () and an outer peripheral portion is adhered to the upper face of the unit base ().

An ink cartridge has a cartridge body having an opening part, which is opened, at a first side face, a lid attached to the first side face for covering the opening part, engaging parts having extending parts extending along a second side face adjacent to the first side face, end parts, provided at ends of the extending parts, of which heights are higher than the extending parts in a direction perpendicular to the second side face and penetrating parts, provided at the extending parts, penetrating in a direction perpendicular to the second side face, and caulking parts protruding from the cartridge body to penetrate the penetrating parts in a direction perpendicular to the second side face, being caulked over the extending parts.

Liquid cartridge and method for manufacturing liquid cartridge

A method for assembling an ink supply section having a supply valve for allowing an ink supplying opening and an ink containing chamber to communicate with each other by allowing the ink containing chamber, the ink supplying opening and an ink supply needle to be in contact with each other, a seal member for closing the ink supplying opening and the ink containing chamber by allowing the supplying valve to be in contact, and an urging member for urging the supply valve to the seal member, wherein the method includes the steps of inserting the urging member into the ink supply section from the ink supplying opening, mounting the seal member onto the ink supplying opening and allowing the supply valve to be in contact with the seal member by the urging force of the urging member by inserting the supply valve from the insertion opening of the seal member mounted on the supplying opening in the step of mounting.

Method for manufacturing liquid cartridge and a liquid cartridge

An ink cartridge is provided with an ink accommodating section for containing ink, an ink supplying part for supplying ink contained in the ink accommodating section to an inkjet type recording apparatus by inserting an ink supplying needle provided at a lower part of the inkjet type recording apparatus, and an atmospheric valve, which seals a communicating hole in order that the ink accommodating section and the atmosphere communicate, while opening a communicating hole, which allows the ink accommodating section to communicates with the atmosphere, by moving perpendicular to a direction in which the ink cartridge is inserted into the inkjet type recording apparatus by being pushed up by a contact member.

Liquid cartridge

A liquid cartridge is provided that supplies liquid to a liquid ejecting apparatus by being mounted in the liquid ejecting apparatus. The liquid cartridge includes a cartridge body having a side face in which an opening is formed; and a flexible film for forming an ink accommodating chamber that is a closed space for accommodating the liquid, with the cartridge body by covering the opening of the cartridge body. The flexible film is caused to deform toward the ink accommodating chamber by atmospheric pressure that acts on the flexible film when the liquid cartridge is got out from a vacuum bag in which the liquid cartridge is packaged, thereby increasing the pressure in the ink accommodating chamber.

In a liquid cartridge, a surface of a valve lid side of a valve member communicates with a liquid supplying part, a surface of a first part of a wall face side of a liquid containing section communicates with the liquid containing section, in regard to the valve member, and a surface of a second part communicates with the liquid supplying part, and if the pressure of the liquid supplying part is smaller than the pressure of the liquid containing section, the valve member is pressed to the valve lid side, the liquid containing section and the liquid supplying part communicate with each other over the first and second parts of the valve member, the valve member is formed of a material softer than the wall face of the liquid containing section, and a projection is provided on a surface being in contact with the valve member in regard to the wall face of the liquid containing section along an outer circumference surrounding the first and second parts of the valve member, being in pressure contact with the valve member.

Pressure differential regulating valve unit, a liquid cartridge and a method for assembling a liquid cartridge

An ink cartridge has an ink storage chamber, an ink supply port and a negative pressure generating mechanism which selectively blocks and opens fluid communication between the ink storage chamber and the ink supply port as a consequence of ink consumption. The negative pressure generating mechanism includes an elastic member having first and second surfaces and a sealing portion, the sealing portion having a through-hole, an ink flow path communicating with the ink supply port and having an opening portion at a position where the sealing portion of the elastic member contacts with and separates from the opening portion, the opening portion facing the through-hole, and a communicating portion facing the first surface of the elastic member and communicating with the ink storage chamber. A space portion faces the second surface of the elastic member and communicates with the ink supply port.

Growing community of inventors

Nagano, Japan

Akira Ichihashi