Liquid cartridge

A liquid cartridge for supplying liquid to a liquid ejecting apparatus when mounted thereon, comprising:

• a liquid accommodating chamber;
• a supply portion for supplying liquid accommodated in said liquid accommodating chamber to said liquid ejecting apparatus;
• a partitioning wall, provided between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion, having a communication hole communicating said liquid accommodating chamber with said supply portion;
• a membrane valve, arranged on a supply-portion side of said partitioning wall, for controlling communication or non-communication between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion, wherein said membrane valve closes by coming into contact with said communication hole of said partitioning wall;
• and
• a deformation regulating portion allowing said membrane valve to be closed and to regulate elastic deformation of said membrane valve toward said liquid accommodating chamber caused by increase of a pressure on a supply-portion side of said membrane valve.

A liquid cartridge for supplying liquid to a liquid ejecting apparatus when mounted thereon, comprising:

• a liquid accommodating chamber for accommodating liquid;
• a supply portion for supplying liquid accommodated in said liquid accommodating chamber to said liquid ejecting apparatus;
• and
• a membrane valve, provided between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion, for controlling communication or non-communication between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion,
• wherein said liquid cartridge is filled with said liquid in such a manner that a pressure on a supply-portion side of said membrane valve is higher than a pressure on a liquid-accommodating portion side of said membrane valve to a degree allowing elastic deformation of said membrane valve, and
• wherein the control of the communication or non-communication between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion is performed by moving said membrane valve closer to or away from a communication hole formed in a partitioning wall for sectioning said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion to open and close said communication hole.

A liquid cartridge for supplying liquid to a liquid ejecting apparatus when mounted thereon, comprising:

• a liquid accommodating chamber for accommodating liquid;
• a supply portion for supplying liquid accommodated in said liquid accommodating chamber to said liquid ejecting apparatus;
• and
• a membrane valve, provided between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion, for controlling communication or non-communication between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion,
• wherein said liquid cartridge is filled with said liquid in such a manner that a pressure on a supply-portion side of said membrane valve is higher than a pressure on a liquid-accommodating portion side of said membrane valve to a degree allowing elastic deformation of said membrane valve, and
• wherein the control of the communication or non-communication between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion is performed by forming a communication hole in said membrane valve, sectioning said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion by said membrane valve, and moving said communication hole of said membrane valve away from a sealing member to open said communication hole or closing said communication hole with said sealing member.

A liquid cartridge for supplying liquid to a liquid ejecting apparatus when mounted thereon, comprising:

• a liquid accommodating chamber for accommodating liquid;
• a supply portion for supplying liquid accommodated in said liquid accommodating chamber to said liquid ejecting apparatus;
• a membrane valve, provided between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion, for controlling communication or non-communication between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion;
• and
• an opening portion for communicating said liquid accommodating chamber with ambient air in accordance with a state of liquid consumption in said liquid accommodating chamber,
• wherein said liquid cartridge is filled with said liquid in such a manner that a pressure on a supply-portion side of said membrane valve is higher than a pressure on a liquid-accommodating portion side of said membrane valve to a degree allowing elastic deformation of said membrane valve, and
• wherein said opening portion is operated by a pressing member formed on a holder onto which said liquid cartridge is mounted.

A method of manufacturing a liquid cartridge including:

• a liquid accommodating chamber;
• a supply portion for supplying liquid accommodated in said liquid accommodating chamber to a liquid ejecting apparatus;
• and a membrane valve, provided between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion, for controlling communication or non-communication between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion, wherein said liquid cartridge supplies said liquid to said liquid ejecting apparatus when mounted thereon, the method comprising:
• a first step for injecting liquid to said liquid accommodating chamber;
• and
• a second step for loading a connector for liquid injection into said supply portion and injecting said liquid until a pressure in a space from said supply portion to said membrane valve is increased to cause elastic deformation of said membrane valve and to close a communication hole through which the liquid accommodating chamber communicates with the supply portion.

A method of manufacturing a liquid cartridge including:

• a liquid accommodating chamber;
• a supply portion for supplying said liquid accommodated in said liquid accommodating chamber to a liquid ejecting apparatus;
• and a membrane valve, provided between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion, for controlling communication or non-communication between said liquid accommodating chamber and said supply portion, wherein said liquid cartridge supplies said liquid to said liquid ejecting apparatus when mounted thereon, said method comprising:
• a first step for injecting liquid into said liquid accommodating chamber while said liquid is pressurized;
• and
• a second step for communicating said liquid accommodating chamber with ambient air to relatively increase a pressure in a space from said supply portion to said membrane valve to cause elastic deformation of said membrane valve and to close a communication hole through which the liquid accommodating chamber communicates with the supply portion.

A liquid cartridge for supplying liquid to a liquid ejecting apparatus when mounted thereon, comprising:

• a liquid accommodating chamber;
• a supply portion for supplying liquid accommodated in said liquid accommodating chamber to the liquid ejecting apparatus;
• an atmospheric valve selectively opening and sealing a communication hole through which said liquid accommodating chamber communicates with ambient air;
• and
• a biasing member for biasing said atmospheric valve toward said communication hole for sealing the communication hole,
• wherein a biasing force of said biasing member is determined so that said atmospheric valve opens the communication hole when the liquid cartridge with the liquid accommodating chamber, which is packed and sealed in a vacuum package under a negative pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, is exposed to atmosphere by opening the package, and
• wherein said vacuum package is sealed under a pressure lower than a pressure within said liquid cartridge.