Recording apparatus capable of checking positions of ink containers, and method for checking the positions

A printer comprising:

• N number of ink tanks each including a light emitting unit;
• a light receiving unit capable of receiving light from the light emitting unit of at least each of N-1 number of ink tanks;
• a carriage including N number of mounting positions to which the N number of ink tanks are detachably mountable, and the carriage being movable so that each of the N-1 number of mounting positions of the N number of mounting positions faces the light receiving unit;
• and
• a determining unit configured:
• (i) to determine, for each of the N-1 number of mounting positions, whether the ink tank is mounted at a correct mounting position, on the basis of (a) a first light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the light emitting unit of the ink tank in states that the correct mounting position for the ink tank faces the light receiving unit, and (b) a second light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the light emitting unit of the ink tank, in states that an adjacent mounting position which is provided adjacent to the correct mounting position for the ink tank faces the light receiving unit, and
• (ii) to determine that a remaining ink tank other than the N-1 number of ink tanks is mounted at a correct mounting position for the remaining ink tank, in a case where it is determined that the N-1 number of ink tanks are mounted at the correct mounting positions.

A printer comprising:

• a first ink tank, a second ink tank and a third ink tank, each of the first, second and third ink tanks including a light emitting unit;
• a light receiving unit capable of receiving light from the light emitting unit of each of the first, second and third ink tanks;
• a carriage movable in a moving direction and including a first mounting position for the first ink tank, a second mounting position for the second ink tank and a third mounting position for the third ink tank, the first, second and third mounting positions being arranged along the moving direction in this order and the carriage being movable along the moving direction so that each of the second and third mounting positions faces the light receiving unit;
• and
• a determining unit configured:
• (i) to determine whether the third ink tank is mounted at the third mounting position, on the basis of (a) a first light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the light emitting unit of the third ink tank in states that the third mounting position faces the light receiving unit and (b) a second light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the light emitting unit of the third ink tank in states that the second mounting position faces the light receiving unit;
• (ii) to determine whether the second ink tank is mounted at the second mounting position, on the basis of (c) a third light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the light emitting unit of the second ink tank in states that the third mounting position faces the light receiving unit, (d) a fourth light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the second ink tank in states the second mounting position faces the light receiving unit, and (e) a fifth light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the light emitting unit of the first ink tank in states the second mounting position faces the light receiving unit;
• and
• (iii) to determine that the first ink tank is mounted at the first mounting position, if the second ink tank is mounted at the second mounting position and the third ink tank is mounted at the third mounting position.

A printer comprising:

• a first ink tank, a second ink tank, a third ink tank and a fourth ink tank, each of the first, second, third and fourth ink tanks including a light emitting unit;
• a light receiving unit capable of receiving light from the light emitting unit of each of the first, second, third and fourth ink tanks;
• a carriage movable in a moving direction and including a first mounting position for the first ink tank, a second mounting position for the second ink tank, a third mounting position for the third ink tank and a fourth mounting position for the fourth ink tank, the first, second, third and fourth mounting positions being arranged along the moving direction in this order and the carriage being movable along the moving direction so that each of the second, third and fourth mounting positions faces the light receiving unit;
• and
• a determining unit configured:
• (i) to determine whether the fourth ink tank is mounted at the fourth mounting position, on the basis of (a) a first light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the light emitting unit of the fourth ink tank in states that the fourth mounting position faces the light receiving unit and (b) a second light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the light emitting unit of the fourth ink tank in states that the third mounting position faces the light receiving unit;
• (ii) to determine whether the third ink tank is mounted at the third mounting position, on the basis of (c) a third light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the light emitting unit of the third ink tank in states that the fourth mounting position faces the light receiving unit, (d) a fourth light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the third ink tank in states the third mounting position faces the light receiving unit, and (e) a fifth light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the light emitting unit of the third ink tank in states the second mounting position faces the light receiving unit;
• (iii) to determine whether the second ink tank is mounted at the second mounting position, on the basis of (f) a sixth light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the light emitting unit of the second ink tank in states that the third mounting position faces the light receiving unit, (g) a seventh light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the second ink tank in states the second mounting position faces the light receiving unit, and (h) an eighth light detection amount of the light receiving unit provided by light from the light emitting unit of the first ink tank in states the second mounting position faces the light receiving unit;
• and
• (iv) to determine that the first ink tank is mounted at the first mounting position, if the second ink tank is mounted at the second mounting position, the third ink tank mounted at the third mounting position and the fourth ink tank mounted at the fourth mounting position.