Liquid consumption apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016271963-A1
Application number	US-201614995734-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A liquid consumption apparatus that detects a liquid surface level of a liquid inside a liquid container (ink tank), including: a circuit substrate; a substrate holder that holds the circuit substrate; and a control unit that detects the liquid surface level. A pair of electrically-conductive members consisting of a first electrically-conductive member and a second electrically-conductive member are provided for the liquid container. The circuit substrate is provided with a pair of terminals corresponding to the pair of electrically-conductive members. The substrate holder is provided with an elastic contact for connecting the pair of electrically-conductive members and the pair of terminals with each other. The elastic contact is a contact that is elastic in a first direction, where the first direction is a longitudinal direction of the pair of electrically-conductive members.

First claim

1 . A liquid consumption apparatus that detects a liquid surface level of a liquid inside each of 1 st to k th liquid containers, where k is an integer greater than or equal to 4, comprising:
a circuit substrate; and a control unit that detects the liquid surface level, wherein each of the liquid containers is provided with a pair of electrically-conductive members including a first electrically-conductive member and a second electrically-conductive member, the circuit substrate is provided with 1 st to k th pairs of terminals corresponding to the 1 st to k th liquid containers each of which is provided with the pair of electrically-conductive members, the circuit substrate is provided with a selection circuit configured and arranged to supply an alternating current voltage to the pair of electrically-conductive members provided for a liquid container selected from among the 1 st to k th liquid containers, and the selection circuit is positioned in an area of the circuit substrate corresponding to an area between i th pair of terminals and i+1 th pair of terminals among the 1 st to k th pairs of terminals on the circuit substrate, where i is an integer which satisfies 2≦i≦k−2.

2 . (canceled)

3 . The liquid consumption apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a substrate holder that holds the circuit substrate,
wherein the substrate holder is fixed to the liquid containers with fixing members.

4 - 7 . (canceled)

8 . The liquid consumption apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuit substrate is provided with at least a portion of an alternating current generation circuit configured to be able to supply an alternating current voltage to the liquid inside the liquid containers via the pairs of electrically-conductive members provided for the liquid containers.

9 . The liquid consumption apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the alternating current generation circuit includes: a first resistor having one end that is connected to the first electrically-conductive member; a reference electric potential supply unit that includes at least one electrical element connected between the other end of the first resistor and a reference electric potential, and that connects the first electrically-conductive member to the reference electric potential via the first resistor; and at least one capacitor connected between the second electrically-conductive member and the reference electric potential, wherein the circuit substrate is provided with at least the first resistor, the reference electric potential supply unit, and the capacitor.

10 . The liquid consumption apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the alternating current generation circuit includes: a periodic signal generation unit that generates a predetermined periodic signal; and a predetermined-electric potential supply unit connected to the other end of the first resistor of the alternating current generation circuit, and the predetermined-electric potential supply unit connects the first electrically-conductive member to a predetermined electric potential that is higher than the reference electric potential via at least the first resistor during a first interval within one cycle of the predetermined periodic signal, and disconnects a connection between the first electrically-conductive member and the predetermined electric potential during a second interval within the one cycle of the predetermined periodic signal.

11 . The liquid consumption apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuit substrate is provided with a determination voltage generation unit that generates a determination voltage used for detecting the liquid surface level based on a detection voltage that is based on an electric potential of the first electrically-conductive member.

12 . The liquid consumption apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the determination voltage generation unit includes: a smoothing circuit that smooths the detection voltage; and a switch circuit that switches an output of the detection voltage to the smoothing circuit ON and OFF.

13 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . The liquid consumption apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the circuit substrate is provided with a connector that connects a flexible flat cable, the determination voltage generation unit is connected to the control unit via the flexible flat cable, and the control unit detect the liquid surface level based on the determination voltage acquired via the flexible flat cable.

16 . The liquid consumption apparatus according to claim 15 ,
wherein the selection circuit is connected to the control unit via the flexible flat cable, and the selection circuit supplies the alternating current voltage to the pair of electrically-conductive members provided for a liquid container selected from among the 1 st to k th liquid containers based on a selection signal received from the control unit via the flexible flat cable.

17 . The liquid consumption apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the selection circuit is an analogue switch.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Maruyama Hisanori
• Yoshida Junpei

Classifications

• B41J2/1752

  Mounting within the printer · CPC title

• B41J2002/17579

  Measuring electrical impedance for ink level indication · CPC title

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title

• B41J2/1753

  Details of contacts on the cartridge, e.g. protection of contacts · CPC title

• B41J2/17509

  Whilst mounted in the printer · CPC title