Liquid container and manufacturing method therefor

An ink container detachably mountable to a mounting portion of an ink jet printer, said ink container comprising:

• a casing forming a chamber configured to contain ink;
• an ink supply port provided in a first surface of the casing and configured to supply ink in the chamber to an ink jet head;
• a memory configured to store discrimination information of the ink container;
• a container contact electrically connectable to an apparatus contact provided in the mounting portion;
• a light emitting portion;
• a controller configured to (a) receive, from the apparatus contact through the container contact, control data including a driving command code for driving the light emitting portion and including individual information corresponding to the ink container, and (b) control driving of the light emitting portion, based on the discrimination information stored in the memory and the individual information included in the received control data;
• a substrate provided at a neighborhood of the first surface and having the memory, the container contact, the light emitting portion and the controller;
• and
• a light guide member configured to receive light emitted from the light emitting portion driven by the controller and configured to guide the received light toward a second surface of the casing opposed to the first surface.

An ink container detachably mountable to a mounting portion of an ink jet printer, said ink container comprising:

• a casing forming a chamber configured to contain ink;
• an ink supply port provided in a first surface of the casing and configured to supply ink in the chamber to an ink jet head;
• a memory configured to store discrimination information of the ink container;
• a container contact electrically connectable to an apparatus contact provided in the mounting portion;
• a light emitting portion provided at a neighborhood of the first surface;
• a controller configured to control light emission of the light emitting portion, based on the discrimination information stored in the memory and individual information corresponding to the ink container supplied through the container contact from the apparatus contact;
• and
• a light guide member configured to receive light emitted from the light emitting portion and configured to guide the received light toward a second surface of the casing opposed to the first surface.

An ink container detachably mountable to a main assembly, having an inkjet head, of an ink jet printer, said ink container comprising:

• a casing forming a chamber containing ink;
• an ink supply port provided in a first surface of the casing and configured to supply ink in the chamber to the inkjet head;
• a memory storing color information corresponding to a color of the ink in the chamber;
• an electrical contact electrically connectable to the main assembly;
• a light emitting portion;
• a controller configured to (a) receive control data including color information from the main assembly through the electrical contact, and (b) control light emission of the light emitting portion based on the color information stored in the memory and the color information in the received control data when the received control data includes a light emitting command code;
• and
• a light guide member configured to receive light emitted from the light emitting portion and configured to guide the received light toward a second surface of the casing opposed to the first surface.

An ink container detachably mountable to a main assembly, having an inkjet head, of an ink jet printer, said ink container comprising:

• a casing forming a chamber containing ink;
• an ink supply port provided in a first surface of the casing and configured to supply ink in the chamber to the inkjet head;
• a memory storing discrimination information of the ink container;
• an electrical contact electrically connectable to the main assembly;
• a light emitting portion;
• a controller configured to (a) receive, from the main assembly through the electrical contact, light emitting control data including a light emitting command code, and (b) cause the light emitting portion to emit light when the received light emitting control data includes information corresponding to the discrimination information stored in the memory;
• and
• a light guide member configured to receive light emitted from the light emitting portion and configured to guide the received light toward a second surface of the casing opposed to the first surface.

An ink container detachably mountable to a mounting portion of an ink jet printer including an apparatus contact provided in the mounting portion and a light receptor configured to obtain light reception information used for discriminating properness of position of the ink container mounted in the mounting portion, said ink container comprising:

• a memory storing discrimination information of the ink container;
• a container contact electrically connectable to the apparatus contact provided in the mounting portion;
• a light emitting portion;
• a controller configured to (a) receive, from the apparatus contact through the electrical contact, light emitting control data including a light emitting code, and (b) cause the light emitting portion to emit light when the received light emitting control data includes information corresponding to the discrimination information stored in the memory;
• and
• a light guide member having a light incident portion into which the light emitted from the light emitting portion is entered and a light emergence portion, the light guide member configured to guide the light entered from the light incident portion to the light emergence portion so that the light emerged from the light emergence portion is capable of reaching the light receptor.

An ink container detachably mountable to a mounting portion of an ink jet printer having an ink jet head, said ink container comprising:

• a casing defining an ink containing chamber;
• a first engaging portion engageable with a first locking portion provided in the mounting portion, said first engaging portion being disposed on a first side of said casing;
• a second engaging portion engageable with a second locking portion provided in the mounting portion;
• a supporting member supporting said second engaging portion and disposed on a second side of said casing which is opposite said first side, said supporting member elastically deformable toward the second side;
• a light emitting portion;
• an electrical contact electrically connectable with an apparatus contact provided in the mounting portion and capable of receiving a signal for actuating said light emitting portion from the apparatus contact;
• a display portion for directing the light emitted from said emitting portion to an outside of said ink container;
• and
• a supply port, provided in a third side of said casing, for supplying ink contained in the ink containing chamber to the ink jet head,
• wherein said electrical contact is disposed in a region of a corner portion between said second side and said third side, and
• wherein said display portion is disposed adjacent to an upper, in use, portion in said second side.

An ink container detachably mountable to a mounting portion of an ink jet printer having an ink jet head, said ink container comprising:

• a casing defining an ink containing chamber;
• a first engaging portion engageable with a first locking portion provided in the mounting portion, said first engaging portion being disposed on a first side of said casing;
• a second engaging portion engageable with a second locking portion provided in the mounting portion;
• a supporting member supporting said second engaging portion and disposed on a second side of said casing which is opposite said first side, said supporting member elastically deformable toward the second side;
• a light emitting portion;
• an electrical contact electrically connectable with an apparatus contact provided in the mounting portion;
• an information storing portion storing individual information of said ink container;
• a controller configured to control actuation of said light emitting portion based on the individual information stored in said information storing portion and information supplied through said electrical contact;
• a display portion for directing the light emitted from said emitting portion to an outside of said ink container;
• and
• a supply port, provided in a third side of said casing, for supplying ink contained in the ink containing chamber to the ink jet head,
• wherein said electrical contact is disposed in a region of a corner portion between said second side and said third side, and
• wherein said display portion is disposed adjacent to an upper, in use, portion in said second side.