Cartridge and printing material supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9248656-B2
Application number	US-201414459901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2014
Priority date	Jan 12, 2012
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

A printing material supply system includes a printing device and a cartridge. The printing device has a cartridge mounting structure. The cartridge is removably attached to the cartridge mounting structure. The cartridge mounting structure has a device-side terminal, a lever, a first device-side locking element and a second device-side locking element. The device-side terminal is configured to contact with a cartridge-side terminal. The first device-side locking element is configured as part of the lever. The second device-side locking element is configured to engage with a second locking surface of a second cartridge-side locking element. The cartridge-side terminal has a cartridge-side contact portion configured to be in contact with the device-side terminal. The cartridge-side contact portion is provided on the negative Z-axis side of the second locking surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ink cartridge for mounting on an ink jet printing apparatus, the ink jet printing apparatus comprising a plurality of apparatus-side contact forming members constructed and arranged to apply elastic force to the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is pressed against said apparatus-side contact forming members, the ink jet printing apparatus also comprising an apparatus-side lever having an apparatus-side engagement portion, the ink cartridge comprising:
a cartridge body including a plurality of external surfaces and an ink chamber for storing ink,
an electrical device;
an ink supply structure adapted and configured to supply ink from the ink chamber to the ink jet printing apparatus, the ink supply structure defining a mounting direction leading edge, the mounting direction leading edge defining a leading edge plane of the ink cartridge;
a plurality of electrically conductive terminals coupled to the electrical device, the plurality of electrically conductive terminals adapted and arranged to make contact with and receive elastic force from the contact forming members when the ink cartridge is mounted on the printing apparatus, the plurality of electrically conductive terminals arranged substantially in a terminal plane which is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the leading edge plane;
a first restriction portion including a first engagement portion adapted and configured to engage with the apparatus-side engagement portion of the apparatus-side lever, so as to restrict movement of the ink cartridge in a direction opposite the mounting direction; and
a second restriction portion on an opposite location of the ink cartridge than the first restriction portion, the second restriction portion including a second engagement portion adapted and configured to be engaged with a respective portion of the printing apparatus, the second restriction portion functioning as a pivot point of rotation of the ink cartridge during detachment of the ink cartridge
wherein a second distance between the second engagement portion and the leading edge plane is greater than a first distance between the first engagement portion and the leading edge plane, when the first and second distances are measured in an orthogonal direction to the leading edge plane.

2. The ink cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the terminal plane is at an angle of between about 25 and 40 degrees to the leading edge plane.

3. The ink cartridge of claim 1 , wherein a first surface of the cartridge body has the terminal bearing structure proximate thereto and when the first surface of the cartridge body is viewed with the ink supply structure facing down, the first engagement portion is located to the left of a right edge of a rightmost terminal of the plurality of terminals and to the right of a left edge of a leftmost terminal of the plurality of terminals.

4. The ink cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the first engagement portion and the second restriction portion are positioned on the cartridge body such that a plane can simultaneously intersect the ink supply structure, the first engagement portion, the second restriction portion and the widthwise center of the cartridge body.

5. The ink cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the ink supply structure is closer to the second engagement portion than to the first restriction portion.

6. The ink cartridge of claim 1 , wherein when viewing the ink cartridge from the side with the first engagement portion to the right and the ink supply structure facing down, the distance between the first engagement portion and the leading edge plane is less than the distance between a pivot point of the lever and the leading edge plane, when the distances are measured in an orthogonal direction to the leading edge plane.

7. The ink cartridge of claim 1 , wherein when viewing the ink cartridge from the side with the first engagement portion to the right and the ink supply structure facing down, the first engagement portion is to the left of a pivot point of the lever when the cartridge is mounted.

8. The ink cartridge of claim 1 , wherein when the first surface is viewed with the ink supply structure facing down, at least a portion of the first engagement portion is located substantially at the widthwise center of the ink cartridge when the cartridge is mounted.

9. The ink cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the leading edge plane is substantially flush with a bottom surface of the cartridge body.

10. An ink cartridge for mounting on an ink jet printing apparatus, the ink jet printing apparatus comprising a plurality of apparatus-side contact forming members constructed and arranged to apply elastic force to the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is pressed against said apparatus-side contact forming members, the ink jet printing apparatus also comprising an apparatus-side lever having an apparatus-side engagement portion, the ink cartridge comprising:
a cartridge body including a plurality of external surfaces and an ink chamber for storing ink;
an ink supply structure adapted and configured to supply ink from the ink chamber to the ink jet printing apparatus, the ink supply structure defining a mounting direction leading edge, the mounting direction leading edge defining a leading edge plane of the ink cartridge;
a plurality of electrically conductive terminals adapted and arranged to make contact with and receive elastic force from the contact forming members when the ink cartridge is mounted on the printing apparatus, the plurality of electrically conductive terminals arranged substantially in a terminal plane which is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the leading edge plane;
a first restriction portion including a first engagement portion with the apparatus-side engagement portion of the apparatus-side lever, so as to restrict movement of the ink cartridge in a direction opposite the mounting direction; and
a second restriction portion on an opposite location of the ink cartridge than the first restriction portion, the second restriction portion including a second engagement portion adapted configured to be engaged with a respective portion of the printing apparatus, the second restriction portion functioning as a pivot point of rotation of the ink cartridge during detachment of the ink cartridge,
wherein a second distance between the second engagement portion and the leading edge plane is greater than a first distance between the first engagement portion and the leading edge plane, when the first and second distances are measured in an orthogonal direction to the leading edge plane.

11. An ink cartridge for mounting on an ink jet printing apparatus, the ink jet printing apparatus comprising an apparatus-side lever having an apparatus-side engagement portion, the ink cartridge comprising:
a cartridge body including a plurality of external surfaces and an ink chamber for storing ink;
an ink supply structure adapted and configured to supply ink from the ink chamber to the ink jet printing apparatus, the ink supply structure defining a mounting direction leading edge, the mounting direction leading edge defining a leading edge plane of the ink cartridge;
a first restriction portion including a first engagement portion adapted and configured to be engaged with the apparatus-side engagement portion of the apparatus-side lever, so as to restrict movement of the ink cartridge in a direction opposite the mounting direction; and
a second restriction portion on an opposite location of the ink cartridge than the first restriction portion, the second restriction portion including a second engagement portion adapted and configured to be engaged with a respective portion of the printing apparatus, the second res

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Nozawa Izumi
• Kodama Hidetoshi
• Mizutani Tadahiro
• Matsuzaki Kazutoshi
• Harada Kazumasa
• Nakata Satoshi
• Kawata Hidetaka

Classifications

• B41J2/17503 Primary

  Ink cartridges · CPC title

• B41J2/17526 Primary

  Electrical contacts to the cartridge · CPC title

• B41J29/54

  Locking devices applied to printing mechanisms · CPC title

• B41J2/1752 Primary

  Mounting within the printer · CPC title

• B41J2/175

  Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} · CPC title