(19)
(11) EP 1 772 276 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
16.05.2007 Bulletin 2007/20

(43) Date of publication A2:
11.04.2007 Bulletin 2007/15

(21) Application number: 06013004.4

(22) Date of filing: 23.06.2006
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
B41J 2/175(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL BA HR MK YU

(30) Priority: 29.09.2005 JP 2005284646
28.11.2005 JP 2005342697
28.12.2005 JP 2005377987
09.03.2006 JP 2006064866
23.03.2006 JP 2006081806

(71) Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken 467-0841 (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Hattori, Shingo, Brother Kogyo K.K
    Nagoya-shi Aichi 467-8562 (JP)
  • Kanbe, Tomohiro, Brother Kogyo K.K
    Nagoya-shi Aichi 467-8562 (JP)
  • Sasaki, Toyonori, Brother Kogyo K.K
    Nagoya-shi Aichi 467-8562 (JP)

(74) Representative: Hofer, Dorothea et al
Prüfer & Partner GbR Patentanwälte Sohnckestrasse 12
81479 München
81479 München (DE)

   


(54) Ink cartridge with light-receiving and light-blocking portion


(57) An ink cartridge (14) for being mounted in the ink-jet recording apparatus (1) comprising:
an ink chamber (111) accommodating ink;
a front wall (210b, 220b) that serves as a front-end wall;
a bottom wall (210a);
an ink supply part (120) provided at the front wall (210b, 220b), an ink supply opening (600) being formed in the ink supply part (120);
an ink supply path located in rear of the ink supply opening (600), the ink supply path communicating the ink supply opening (600) and the ink chamber (111);
a valve mechanism (500) provided in the ink supply path and capable of opening and closing the ink supply path;
a light-receiving part (141) provided at the front wall (210b, 220b) and above the ink supply part (120), an inner space being formed in the light receiving part (141) to communicate with the ink chamber (111), and
a pivot member (470) including:
a light-blocking portion (473c) provided at one end of the pivot member (470) and located in the inner space of the light receiving part (141);
a float (471) provided at the other end of the pivot member (470) and movable in response to a change in an amount of ink in the ink chamber (111); and
a pivot center provided between the light-blocking portion (473c) and the float (471), the pivot center being located in rear of the ink supply path, the pivot member (470) being pivotable around the pivot center in response to the change in an amount of ink in the ink chamber (111).







Search report