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AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsAtsushi Murakami, Masatoshi Yoshiyama
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The invention relates to an ink cartridge wherein a remaining amount of ink can be detected using an optical sensor. The ink cartridge has a window, for detection of an ink remaining amount, that is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction. Inside of the ink cartridge, a preventive member is vertically provided. When the ink level is up to the window, light irradiated from the optical sensor permeates the window. Then, the light passes through the ink and reaches the preventive member. Preferably, the window is inclined approximately 20 degrees with respect to the preventive member. Accordingly, an incident angle of the light that has reached the preventive member is different from an incident angle of the light to the window. Thus, most of the light that has reached the preventive member is absorbed or is reflected by the preventive member in a direction different from the incident direction, so that the light reflected toward the optical sensor can be restricted. When the ink level is not up to the window, the light irradiated from the optical sensor is reflected at an inner surface of the inclined portion, and travels toward the optical sensor. Consequently, the remaining amount of the ink is detected based on the amount of the reflected light. With this structure, detection accuracy of the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge can be improved.
An ink cartridge for use with ink and detachable from an image forming apparatus that forms an image using the ink, comprising:
An ink cartridge for use with ink and detachable from an image forming apparatus that forms an image using the ink, comprising:
An ink cartridge for use with ink and detachable from an image forming apparatus that forms an image using the ink, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.