# US 12,759,302 B2 · Liquid cartridge including fixed plate member having light-shielding region and light-transmissive region > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,759,302 B2 - Document ID: US12759302B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/817,026 - Filed: 2022-08-03 - Published: 2023-02-09 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-04 - Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Satoru Oki; Masahiro Hayashi; Nanami Abe; Naoya Okazaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759302B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/17553: {Outer structure} - B41J 2/17546: {electronically} - B41J 2/17566: {Ink level or ink residue control} - B41J 2002/17573: {using optical means for ink level indication} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A liquid cartridge includes a case, a liquid supply portion, a circuit board, a residual-amount detecting portion, a base surface, and a plate member. The residual-amount detecting portion includes an optical access portion accessible by light traveling in a left-right direction. The optical access portion has a portion positioned above and away from electrodes of the circuit board by a first distance in an attached posture. The plate member extends frontward from the base surface, and provides a light-shielding region and a light-transmissive region. The light-shielding region is positioned rearward of the electrodes and frontward of the residual-amount detecting portion. The light-transmissive region is positioned rearward of the light-shielding region and frontward of the residual-amount detecting portion. Each of the light-transmissive region and the light-transmissive region has a portion positioned above and away from the electrodes by the first distance in the attached posture. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid cartridge attachable to a printer in an attached posture by being moved in a front-rear direction crossing an up-down direction along a gravitational direction, the liquid cartridge comprising: a cartridge case defining a liquid storage chamber therein; a liquid supply portion protruding frontward from a front surface of the cartridge case and configured to supply liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to an outside of the liquid storage chamber; a circuit board comprising an electrode group comprising at least three electrodes, the at least three electrodes facing upward and being exposed to the outside in the attached posture; a residual-amount detecting portion that accommodates an optical access portion accessible by light traveling in a left-right direction crossing the up-down direction and the front-rear direction in the attached posture and configured to change a state of the light according to an amount of the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber, the optical access portion including a portion positioned above and away from the electrode group by a first distance in the attached posture; a base surface, the base surface being positioned above and rearward of the electrode group and facing frontward in the attached posture; and a plate member, the plate member extending frontward from the base surface in the attached posture, the plate member defining: a light-shielding region plate capable of interrupting the light, the light-shielding region plate being positioned rearward of the electrode group and frontward of the residual-amount detecting portion in the attached posture, the light-shielding region plate being positioned above and away from the electrode group by the first distance in the attached posture; and a light-transmissive region plate having higher light transmittance than the light-shielding region plate, the light-transmissive region plate being positioned rearward of the light-shielding region plate and frontward of the residual-amount detecting portion in the attached posture, the light-transmissive region plate being positioned above and away from the electrode group by the first distance, wherein the plate member is immovable relative to the optical access portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the residual-amount detecting portion further comprises a prism having a reflection surface whose reflection manner is dependent on whether or not the reflection surface is in contact with the liquid, wherein the optical access portion comprises: a first reflecting portion configured to reflect the light incident thereon toward the prism; and a second reflecting portion configured to reflect the light from the prism outward in the left-right direction, and wherein the base surface is provided at the optical access portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the electrode group comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode arrayed in the left-right direction such that the third electrode is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode in the left-right direction, each of the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode being configured to be electrically connected to the printer when the liquid cartridge is attached to the printer, wherein the third electrode is a ground electrode for grounding, and wherein the third electrode and an upper end of the plate member are arranged to intersect an imaginary plane extending in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the light traveling in the left-right direction is configured to be incident on each of the light-shielding region plate, the light-transmissive region plate and the optical access portion during a process for attaching the liquid cartridge to the printer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the base surface is positioned forward of the optical access portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the base surface is provided at the cartridge case, wherein the optical access portion is provided as a protrusion extending frontward from the base surface, and wherein the plate member has: a first portion extending frontward from the base surface beyond the optical access portion; and a second portion providing the light-transmissive region plate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the plate member is separated from an upper surface of the cartridge case. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The liquid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge case includes an upper wall, wherein the optical access portion comprises a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface positioned above the upper wall of the cartridge case, the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface being positioned above and away from the electrode group by the first distance in the attached posture, and wherein the residual-amount detecting portion further comprises a prism positioned below the upper wall of the cartridge case and inside the cartridge case, the first reflecting surface being configured to reflect light incident on the first reflecting surface toward the prism, the second reflecting surface being configured to reflect the light from the prism outward in the left-right direction, the prism being configured to either direct the light incident on the prism from the first reflecting surface toward the second reflecting surface or not depending on the amount of the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The liquid cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the upper wall of the cartridge case has a through-hole through which the light incident on the first reflecting surface travels toward the prism and through which the light from the prism travels toward the second reflecting surface. ### Claim 10 A liquid cartridge comprising: a cartridge case defining a liquid storage chamber therein; a liquid supply portion protruding frontward from a front surface of the cartridge case in a front-rear direction and configured to supply liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to an outside of the liquid storage chamber; a circuit board positioned upward relative to and away from the liquid supply portion in an up-down direction crossing the front-rear direction, the circuit board comprising an electrode group comprising at least three electrodes facing upward in the up-down direction and being exposed to the outside; a cartridge detecting portion comprising an optical access portion positioned upward relative to and away from the liquid supply portion in the up-down direction, the optical access portion being accessible by light traveling in a left-right direction crossing the up-down direction and the front-rear direction and configured to change a state of the light according to an amount of the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber, the optical access portion including a portion positioned above and away from the electrode group by a first distance in the up-down direction; a base surface positioned above and rearward of the electrode group and facing frontward; and a plate member extending frontward from the base surface, the plate member defining: a light-shielding region plate capable of interrupting the light, the light-shielding region plate being positioned rearward of the electrode group and frontward of the cartridge detecting portion, the light-shielding region plate being positioned above and away from the electrode group by the first distance in the up-down direction; and a light-transmissive region plate having higher light transmittance than the light-shielding region plate, the light-transmissive region plate being positioned rearward of the light-shielding region plate and frontward of the cartridge detecting portion in the front-rear direction, the light-transmissive region plate being positioned above and away from the electrode group by the first distance in the up-down direction, wherein the plate member is immovable relative to the optical access portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The liquid cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the cartridge detecting portion further comprises a prism having a reflection surface whose reflection manner is dependent on whether or not the reflection surface is in contact with the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber, wherein the optical access portion comprises: a first reflecting portion configured to reflect the light incident thereon toward the prism; and a second reflecting portion configured to reflect the light from the prism outward in the left-right direction, and wherein the base surface is provided at the optical access portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The liquid cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the electrode group comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode arrayed in the left-right direction such that the third electrode is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode in the left-right direction, wherein the third electrode is a ground electrode for grounding, and wherein the third electrode and an upper end of the plate member are arranged to intersect an imaginary plane extending in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The liquid cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the light traveling in the left-right direction is configured to be incident on each of the light-shielding region plate, the light-transmissive region plate and the optical access portion during a process for attaching the liquid cartridge to a printer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The liquid cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the base surface is positioned forward of the optical access portion in the front-rear direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The liquid cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the base surface is provided at the cartridge case, wherein the optical access portion is provided as a protrusion extending frontward from the base surface, and wherein the plate member has: a first portion extending frontward from the base surface beyond the optical access portion; and a second portion providing the light-transmissive region plate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The liquid cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the plate member is separated from an upper surface of the cartridge case in the up-down direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The liquid cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the cartridge case includes an upper wall, wherein the optical access portion comprises a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface positioned above the upper wall of the cartridge case, the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface being positioned above and away from the electrode group by the first distance in an attached posture, and wherein the cartridge detecting portion further comprises a prism positioned below the upper wall of the cartridge case and inside the cartridge case, the first reflecting surface being configured to reflect light incident on the first reflecting surface toward the prism, the second reflecting surface being configured to reflect the light from the prism outward in the left-right direction, the prism being configured to either direct the light incident on the prism from the first reflecting surface toward the second reflecting surface or not depending on the amount of the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The liquid cartridge according to claim 17, wherein the upper wall of the cartridge case has a through-hole through which the light incident on the first reflecting surface travels toward the prism and through which the light from the prism travels toward the second reflecting surface.