Seiko Epson Corporation

Takayoshi Katsumura

Taku Ishizawa

Akihisa Wanibe

Satoshi Shinada

Munehide Kanaya

Hiroshige Owaki

Hisashi Koike

Masahide Matsuyama

Yuichi Seki

Chiaki Miyajima

Takahiro Katakura

Junhua Zhang

A method of injecting a liquid into a liquid container detachably mounted on a liquid consuming device, the liquid container including: a liquid containing chamber in which the liquid can be contained; a liquid supply hole connectable to the liquid consuming device; a liquid guide passage for guiding the liquid contained in the liquid containing chamber to the liquid supply hole; an air communicating passage communicating the liquid containing chamber with an air; and a liquid residual quantity sensor provided in the liquid guide passage and for outputting different signals between in a case where the liquid guide passage is filled with the liquid and in a case where the liquid guide passage includes air entered thereinto, wherein the liquid containing chamber including at least three liquid containing chambers, and wherein the liquid containing chambers are mutually connected so as to have a descending connection where a pair of the liquid containing chambers are mutually connected so that a liquid flow in the liquid guide passage is a descending flow from above to below and an ascending connection where a pair of the liquid containing chambers are mutually connected so that the liquid flow in the liquid guide passage is an ascending flow from below to above, the method includes: forming an injection port, which communicates with the liquid containing chamber, in the air communicating passage; injecting a predetermined amount of liquid through the injection port; and sealing the injection port after injecting the liquid.

Liquid injecting method and liquid container

A method of injecting a liquid into a liquid container detachably mounted on a liquid consuming apparatus, the liquid container including a liquid containing portion, a liquid supply portion connectable to a liquid ejecting portion of the liquid consuming apparatus, a liquid guide passage for guiding the liquid stored in the liquid containing portion to the liquid supply portion, an air communicating passage communicating the liquid containing chamber with air, a liquid detection unit provided in the liquid guide passage and for outputting different signals between in a case where the liquid guide passage is filled with the liquid and in a case where the liquid guide passage includes air entered thereinto, and a bubble trapping passage provided in the liquid guide passage between a detection position of the liquid detection unit and the liquid containing portion to trap bubbles in the liquid, the method includes: forming an injection port communicating with the liquid containing portion in the air communicating passage; injecting a predetermined amount of the liquid through the injection port; and sealing the injection port after injecting the liquid.

Ink cartridge

A liquid container detachably mounted on a liquid consuming device, the liquid container includes: a liquid containing portion; a liquid supply portion that is connected to the liquid consuming device; a liquid guide path that guides a liquid stored in the liquid containing portion to the liquid supply portion; an air communicating opening that introduces air from the outside into the liquid containing portion according to consumption of the liquid in the liquid containing portion; and a liquid detecting unit that is provided in the middle of the liquid guide path and detects an inflow of the air into the liquid guide path so as to detect that the liquid of the liquid containing portion is exhausted to a predetermined amount, wherein, a dam portion is provided in the liquid guide path such that its upper end is disposed above in a vertical direction a circumferential upper portion of a liquid inflow opening causing the liquid to flow into the liquid detecting unit.

Liquid container with liquid detecting unit

A liquid container includes, in a container body, an ink containing portion, an ink supply portion, an ink leading pathfor leading an ink stored in the ink containing portionto the ink supply portion, and an atmosphere communication port, and an ink end sensorfor detecting an inflow of a gas to the ink leading path, thereby detecting that a residual amount of the ink in the ink containing portionis zero is provided in the middle of the ink leading path, and furthermore, an air bubble trap passagefor catching air bubbles mixed in the ink is provided in the ink leading pathbetween a detecting position of the ink end sensorand the ink containing portion

Liquid container with bent air bubble trap passage

A liquid container detachably mounted on a liquid consuming device, the liquid container includes: a liquid containing portion; a liquid supply portion that is connected to the liquid consuming device; a liquid guide path that guides a liquid stored in the liquid containing portion to the liquid supply portion; and an air communicating hole that introduces air from the outside into the liquid containing portion according to consumption of the liquid in the liquid containing portion, wherein the liquid containing portion includes a first inner wall surface, a second inner wall surface that crosses the first inner wall surface, and a liquid containing portion outlet port that is provided in the first inner wall surface close to the second inner wall surface so as to cause the liquid containing portion to communicate with the liquid guide path.

Liquid container

A liquid detecting container includes a cartridge case having a sending passage for sending out liquid, buffer chambers by the end of the sending passage, and a sensor unit disposed facing the buffer chambers. A sensor chip in the sensor unit includes a sensor cavity communicating with the buffer chambers, a vibration plate closing an opening side of the sensor cavity opposite to the side communicating with the buffer chambers, and a piezoelectric element disposed on the surface of the vibration plate opposite to the surface facing the sensor cavity; emits a vibration wave to the sensor cavity and the buffer chambers through the vibration plate, receives a reflected wave from the buffer chambers through the vibration plate, and then converts the reflected wave into an electrical signal. The compliance values of the buffer chambers are set ten times greater than the compliance value of the sensor cavity.

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Nagano, Japan

Takayoshi Katsumura