Ink cartridge accommodating device
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHirotake Nakamura, Yasuhiro Kato, Hirofumi Kondo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ink cartridge accommodating device is provided. The ink cartridge accommodating device includes: an accommodating portion which is configured to accommodate a plurality of ink cartridges arranged in an arrangement direction; and a plurality of sensors which are provided correspondingly to the plurality of ink cartridges, and which optically detect information related to the plurality of ink cartridges, respectively. Each of the sensors includes a light-emitting element which emits light and a light-receiving element which receives light. The light-emitting elements or the light-receiving elements of adjacent sensors are arranged adjacent to each other.
Claims17
An ink cartridge accommodating device comprising:
- an accommodating portion which is configured to accommodate a plurality of ink cartridges arranged in an arrangement direction;
- and
- a plurality of sensors which are provided correspondingly to the plurality of ink cartridges, and which optically detect information related to the plurality of ink cartridges, respectively;
- wherein each of the sensors includes:
- a light-emitting element which emits light;
- and
- a light-receiving element which receives light emitted from the light emitting element;
- wherein:
- the light-emitting elements of the sensors provided for adjacent ink cartridges are arranged adjacent to each other without the light-receiving elements of the sensors provided for the adjacent ink cartridges interposed therebetween;
- or
- the light-receiving elements of the sensors provided for adjacent ink cartridges are arranged adjacent to each other without the light-emitting elements of the sensors provided for the adjacent ink cartridges interposed therebetween;
- and
- wherein the ink cartridge accommodating device further comprises:
- a first supply unit which supplies power to the light-emitting elements of the sensors so that the light-emitting elements of adjacent sensors emit light at the same time;
- and
- a first output unit which outputs signals from the light-receiving elements of the sensors through a plurality of lines connected to the light-receiving elements of the sensors, respectively.
An ink cartridge accommodating device comprising:
- an accommodating portion which is configured to accommodate a plurality of ink cartridges arranged in an arrangement direction;
- and
- a plurality of sensors which are provided correspondingly to the plurality of ink cartridges, and which optically detect information related to the plurality of ink cartridges, respectively;
- wherein each of the sensors includes:
- a light-emitting element which emits light;
- and
- a light-receiving element which receives light emitted from the light emitting element;
- wherein:
- th light-emitting elements of the sensors provided for adjacent ink cartridges are arranged adjacent to each other without the light-receiving elements of the sensors provided for the adjacent ink cartridges interposed therebetween;
- or
- the light-receiving elements of the sensors provided for adjacent ink cartridges are arranged adjacent to each other without the light-emitting elements of the sensors provided for the adjacent ink cartridges interposed therebetween;
- and
- wherein the ink cartridge accommodating device further comprises:
- a second supply unit which supplies power to the light-emitting elements of the sensors so that the light-emitting elements of the sensors emit light at different timings;
- and
- a second output unit which outputs signals from the light-receiving elements of the sensors through a common line connected to the plurality of light-receiving elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.