Liquid detecting device, liquid container and method of manufacturing liquid detecting device

A method of manufacturing a liquid detecting device comprising:

• a unit base, provided with a recessed portion on an upper face thereof and containing a first material;
• a sensor base, accommodated in the recessed portion and containing a second material different from the first material;
• a sensor chip, mounted on an upper face of the sensor base and having a sensor cavity for receiving a liquid as a detection target, in which a lower face of the sensor cavity is formed to be opened for allowing the liquid to flow therein and an upper face thereof is closed by a vibration plate and provided with a piezoelectric element mounted on an upper face of the vibration plate;
• the method comprising:
• forming an adhesive layer on the upper face of the sensor base;
• mounting the sensor chip on the adhesive layer to fix the sensor chip and the sensor base integrally by the adhesive layer and seal the sensor chip and the sensor base;
• accommodating the sensor base integrated with the sensor chip in the recessed portion;
• and
• putting an adhesive film from above in that state to adhere an inner peripheral portion of the adhesive film to the upper face of the sensor base and to adhere an outer peripheral portion of the adhesive film to the upper face of the unit base, thereby integrally fixing and sealing the sensor base and the unit base.

A liquid container comprising:

• a container body having a liquid reservoir therein, a delivery passage for sending out a liquid from the liquid reservoir to an outside, and a sensor accommodating portion disposed in the delivery passage;
• a sensor unit, mounted in the sensor accommodating portion for detecting the liquid;
• a buffer chamber, disposed adjacent to the sensor accommodating portion through a sensor receiving wall in the container body, and disposed in series in the delivery passage so as to communicate with an upstream of the delivery passage and a downstream thereof;
• a ring-shaped seal member, having elasticity and sealing the sensor unit and the sensor receiving wall;
• and
• a pressurizing spring, pressurizing the sensor unit against the sensor receiving wall to press the seal member and give a pressure necessary for sealing the seal member, the sensor unit, and the sensor receiving wall.

A liquid container comprising:

• a container body having a liquid reservoir therein, a delivery passage for sending out a liquid from the liquid reservoir to an outside, and a sensor accommodating portion;
• a sensor unit, mounted in the sensor accommodating portion for detecting the liquid in a portion of the delivery passage, the sensor unit having a sensor cavity in fluid communication with the delivery passage;
• a deformable seal member for sealing the sensor unit and a sensor receiving wall of the sensor accommodating portion while maintaining the fluid communication with the sensor cavity and the delivery passage;
• and
• a pressurizing spring for pressurizing the sensor unit against the sensor receiving wall to give a pressure necessary for sealing the sensor unit and the sensor receiving wall to the deformable seal member.