Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Satoru Oki

Naoya Okazaki

Masahiro Hayashi

Nanami Abe

Nanami Ashida

Sadaaki Miyazaki

Tetsunori Mori

Yoshinori Osakabe

Akinari Ishibe

Fumio Nakazawa

Yuma Tanabe

Taichiro Kimoto

Genki Hoshino

Yuji Fukuta

A liquid consuming device includes a liquid container, an air tank, a liquid tank, and an ejection head. The liquid container is connectable to the air tank and the liquid tank. The air tank includes: an air flow path; an air chamber configured to communicate with a first storage chamber of the liquid container through the air flow path; and a first air communicating portion. The liquid tank includes: a liquid flow path; a second storage chamber configured to communicate with the first storage chamber through the liquid flow path; a liquid outlet port to allow liquid in the second storage chamber to flow out therefrom; and a second air communicating portion. The air flow path is configured to provide communication between the first storage chamber and the air chamber in a state where the liquid container is connected to the air tank and the liquid tank.

Liquid consuming device including air tank and liquid tank each communicable with atmosphere when connected to liquid container

A tank includes: a tank body defining a storage chamber; a recessed portion provided at the tank body; a slider positioned in the recessed portion; a fitting portion provided at the slider; and a sealing member. The recessed portion has an injection opening in communication with the storage chamber, and a connection opening through which a liquid container is connectable. The slider includes a nozzle extending toward the connection opening in an extending direction and having a communication opening communicable with the injection opening. The slider is movable toward and away from the connection opening in the extending direction while rotating relative to the recessed portion. The fitting portion can be fitted with the liquid container. The sealing member can provide a liquid tight sealing to a gap between the slider and the recessed portion, and allow liquid flow between the communication opening and the injection opening.

Tank connectable to liquid container, and liquid supplying system including tank and liquid container

A printing liquid container fits to one of first and second tanks each including a fitted portion. The printing liquid container includes a first member having a supply port, and a second member having a valve configured to open or close the supply port. The first member and the second member are rotatable with respect to each other between a first state and a second state. The valve closes the supply port in the first state and opens the supply port in the second state. The first member has a fitting portion configured to fit to the fitted portion. The second member is rotatable with respect to the fitted portion when at least a portion of the second member is inserted into the fitted portion. The first member does not rotate by the rotation of the second member due to the fitting between the fitted portion and the fitting portion.

Printing liquid container, container set, and system including printing liquid containers and tanks

There is provided a printing apparatus including: an installing part; a printer; and a controller. The printing apparatus is configured to operate in a contract mode. The consumable item includes a memory. Consumable item information includes first type information indicating that the consumable item has a first type corresponding to the contract mode or second type information indicating that the consumable item has a second type corresponding to a non-contract mode. The controller is configured to execute an information writing process of writing, in the memory, a predetermined information for treating the consumable item as the consumable item of the first type, in a case that the second type information is included in the consumable item information stored in the memory of the consumable item installed in the installing part and that the printing apparatus is required to operate in the contract mode.

Printing apparatus and printing apparatus with consumable item

There is provided a liquid container including: a main body having an internal space configured to store liquid to be supplied to a tank of a liquid consuming apparatus; and a cap configured to be attached to the main body. The main body has: an upper surface, a nozzle projecting upward from the upper surface and having an opening formed in a forward end surface of the nozzle, and a circular wall positioned in a surrounding of the nozzle with a spacing distance with respect to the nozzle, and projecting upward from the upper surface; and a key member corresponding to a receiver key member provided on surrounding of a respective supply port of the tank. The cap has a circular contacting part configured to liquid-tightly make contact with the circular wall in an attached state in which the cap is attached to the main body.

Liquid container

A liquid containment bottle includes: a bottle body defining an internal space configured to contain liquid; and a cap configured to be attached to the bottle body. The bottle body has: a base end surface, a nozzle projecting from the base end surface in a first direction, and a circular wall positioned in a surrounding of the nozzle and projecting from the base end surface in the first direction. The nozzle has: a forward end surface formed with an opening through which the liquid in the internal space flows out, a seat surface located at a position which is closer to the circular wall than the forward end surface, and which is closer to the internal space than the forward end surface in the first direction, and a groove formed in the seat surface and having an end part connected to a space between the nozzle and the circular wall.

Liquid containment bottle and liquid supply apparatus

A liquid containment bottle includes a bottle body. An internal space in which liquid to be supplied to a tank of a liquid consuming apparatus is contained is formed in the bottle body. The bottle body has: an upper surface, a nozzle projecting upward from the upper surface, the nozzle having a forward end surface in which an opening is formed, a circular wall positioned in a surrounding of the nozzle with a spacing distance from the nozzle, and projecting upward from the upper surface, and a key member which is formed in the circular wall and which conforms to a receiver key member provided on a surrounding of an inlet of the tank. The circular wall has a cylindrical shape. The circular wall includes a curved plate and a connecting plate connected to each other to form a part in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical shape.

There is provided a liquid supplying apparatus including: a liquid container including an internal space, and a tank having a storing chamber. The liquid container has: an upper surface, a nozzle, and a circular wall projecting upward from the upper surface. The tank has: a body; a projecting wall defining a tank recessed part, and a communicating tube positioned in the tank recessed part and having first and second channels which communicate the storing chamber with outside. The circular wall is inserted into the tank recessed part, and the communicating tube is inserted into the opening of the nozzle so as to allow the liquid to flow out from the internal space to the storing chamber. In a case that the liquid container is connected to the tank, the circular wall is positioned inside the projecting wall.

Liquid supplying apparatus

A printing liquid container includes first and second members having a supply port and a valve, respectively. The members rotate with respect to each other between first and second states. The valve closes and opens the supply port in the first and second states, respectively. The first and second members have first and second fitting portions, respectively. The fitting portions fit to a fitted portion of a tank in the first state. The second fitting portion allows rotation of the second member with respect to the fitted portion when the first fitting portion are fitted to the fitting portion. The first member does not rotate together with the second member due to fitting between the fitted portion and the first fitting portion. The second member cannot be removed from the fitted portion due to fitting of the second fitting portion to the fitted portion in the second state.

Printing liquid container, and system including printing liquid container and tank

A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge case defining therein a liquid storage chamber; a liquid supply portion; a circuit board; a plate member; and a residual-amount detecting portion. The residual-amount detecting portion is configured to change a state of incident light according to an amount of the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber, and includes an optical access portion on which light traveling in a left-right direction is incident. The plate member is pivotally movable between: a first posture where a portion of the plate member is positioned upward relative to the optical access portion; and a second posture where the plate member is positioned downward relative to the optical access portion. The plate member in the first posture and the residual-amount detecting portion define a light transmissive region therebetween in the front-rear direction. The light transmissive region has a light transmittance greater than that of the plate member.

Liquid cartridge including plate member pivotally movable between first posture and second posture

An information management system includes: an information handling apparatus; and an information management apparatus which communicates with the information handling apparatus via a network. The information handling apparatus executes: an identification information obtaining process; and an identification information sending process. The information management apparatus executes: an identification information receiving process; a recipient associating process; a collection information obtaining process; a privilege information generating process; a recipient determining process; and a privilege information granting process.

Consumables collection information management system

There is provided a printing apparatus including: an installing part in which a consumable item to be used in printing is to be installed; a printer configured to print an image on a printing medium by using the consumable item installed in the installing part; and a controller. The printing apparatus is configured to operate in a contract mode based on content of a contract regarding the consumable item to be used in the printing. The controller is configured to execute a profit returning process of performing profit return according to the content of the contract in a case that the consumable item installed in the installing part has a type corresponding to a non-contract mode not based on the content of the contract and that the printing apparatus is operated in the contract mode.

Printing apparatus to operate in a contract mode with consumable item to be used in printing and execute profit returning process according to content of the contract

A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge case defining a liquid storage chamber; a liquid supply portion provided at the cartridge case; a residual-amount detecting portion configured to change a state of incident light according to an amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber; and a plate member. The residual-amount detecting portion includes an optical access portion accessible by light traveling in a left-right direction in an attached posture of the liquid cartridge. The plate member is positioned above the liquid storage chamber and frontward of the optical access portion in the attached posture. The plate member is pivotable between a first position and a second position about an axis extending in an up-down direction. In the attached posture of the liquid cartridge, the plate member extends in a front-rear direction at the first position, and extends in a direction crossing the front-rear direction at the second position.

Liquid cartridge including pivotable plate member for optical detection

A liquid cartridge includes a case, a liquid supplying portion, a circuit board, a plate member, and a residual-amount detecting portion. The plate member is positioned rearward and above electrodes of the circuit board in an attached posture. The residual-amount detecting portion includes an optical access portion configured to receive light traveling in a left-right direction. The plate member is movable between a first position and a second position. At the first position, a portion of the plate member is positioned frontward of the optical access portion and upward of the electrode group. At the second position, a front end of the plate member is positioned closer to the residual-amount detecting portion than at the first position. The plate member at the first position and the residual-amount detecting portion define therebetween in the front-rear direction a light transmissive region whose light transmittance is higher than the plate member.

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Nagoya, Japan

Satoru Oki