# US 9,039,154 B2 · Cartridge and printing material supply system

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- Number: US 9,039,154 B2
- Document ID: US9039154B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/242,518
- Filed: 2014-04-01
- Published: 2014-07-31
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2012-01-12
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Hidetoshi Kodama; Izumi Nozawa; Tadahiro Mizutani; Kazutoshi Matsuzaki; Kazumasa Harada; Satoshi Nakata; Hidetaka Kawata
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039154B2

## CPC

- B41J 2/1752: {Mounting within the printer}
- B41J 2/17526: {Electrical contacts to the cartridge}
- B41J 2/17546: {electronically}
- B41J 2/17553: {Outer structure}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A cartridge comprises an ink supply structure, a terminal bearing structure, and a first restriction portion. The terminal bearing structure has terminals arranged in a terminal plane which is neither parallel nor perpendicular to a plane defined by a mounting direction leading edge of the ink supply structure, so that the contact portions of the terminals receive a force in a direction opposite from the mounting direction. An engagement portion of the first restriction portion is provided at a position adjacent to the terminal bearing structure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cartridge configured to be detachably attached to a printing apparatus including a cartridge mounting structure configured to have: (i) an apparatus-side bottom wall member; (ii) a first apparatus-side side wall member provided to intersect the apparatus-side bottom wall member; and (iii) a second apparatus-side side wall member provided to intersect the apparatus-side bottom wall member opposed to the first apparatus-side side wall member;
a printing material supply tube structured to have a base end provided on the apparatus-side bottom wall member and a peripheral end to be connected with the cartridge and configured to supply a printing material contained in the cartridge to a head;
a plurality of apparatus-side terminals provided in an apparatus-side corner section where the apparatus-side bottom wall member intersects the first apparatus-side side wall member; and
a lever provided on the first apparatus-side side wall member in a rotatable manner and configured to be used to attach and detach the cartridge to and from the printing apparatus, wherein
a Z axis represents an axis parallel to a central axis C of the printing material supply tube, a Y axis represents an axis along a main scanning direction of the printing apparatus, an X axis represents an axis orthogonal to both the Z axis and the Y axis, wherein a +Z-axis direction represents a direction along the Z axis from the base end to the peripheral end of the printing material supply tube, a −Z-axis direction represents a reverse direction to the +Z-axis direction, a +X-axis direction represents a direction along the X axis from the printing material supply tube to the apparatus-side terminals, a −X-axis direction represents a reverse direction to the +X-axis direction, a +Y-axis direction represents a direction along the Y axis to one end, and −Y-axis direction represents a direction along the Y axis to the other end, wherein
the apparatus-side terminals are configured and adapted to be in contact with the cartridge to apply a force to the cartridge in a specified direction including the +Z-axis direction component when the cartridge is attached to the cartridge mounting structure, and
the lever has an operating member at the +Z-axis direction end and a first apparatus-side restriction element at the −Z-axis direction end to lock the cartridge and thereby restrict motion of the cartridge in the +Z-axis direction, the lever rotating about a specified position between the operating member and the first apparatus-side restriction element as an axis of rotation, wherein
the X axis, the Y axis and the Z axis with respect to the cartridge in the attached state respectively correspond to an X axis, a Y axis and a Z axis of the cartridge,
the cartridge comprising:
a first face located on the −Z-axis direction side and a second face located on the +Z-axis direction side, as two faces opposed to each other in the Z-axis direction;
a third face located on the +X-axis direction side and a fourth face located on the −X-axis direction side, as two faces opposed to each other in the X-axis direction and intersecting the first face and the second face;
a corner section arranged to connect the first face with the third face;
a sloped surface provided to form part of the corner section and inclined in a specific direction including the +X-axis direction component and the −Z-axis direction component;
a printing material supply structure provided on the first face to be connected with the printing material supply tube;
a plurality of cartridge-side terminals provided in locations corresponding to the respective apparatus-side terminals when the cartridge is attached to the cartridge mounting surface and located on the sloped surface to receive a force in a specified direction including the +Z-axis direction component from the apparatus-side terminals; and
a first cartridge-side restriction portion configured to be locked by the first apparatus-side restriction element and thereby restrict motion of the cartridge in the +Z-axis direction, wherein
the first cartridge-side restriction portion is located on the +X-axis direction side, and
the cartridge-side terminals comprise:
a first terminal including a first outer part located at the most +Y-axis direction end; and
a second terminal including a second outer part located at the most −Y-axis direction end, wherein
the first cartridge-side restriction portion is located not outside but inside a range between the first outer part and the second outer part in the Y-axis direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first cartridge-side restriction portion is provided at a specific position close to an intersecting part, where the third face intersects the sloped surface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising:
a circuit board configured to have the cartridge-side terminals provided on a front surface and a memory unit provided on a rear surface, wherein
the sloped surface is formed by the surface of the circuit board, and
the first cartridge-side restriction portion is located close to a board end on the +Z-axis direction side of the circuit board.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein
the first cartridge-side restriction portion is provided at a position intersecting a plane, which passes through the center of a width of the Y-axis direction length of the cartridge and is parallel to the Z axis and the X axis.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising:
a second cartridge-side restriction portion configured to be locked by a second apparatus-side restriction element provided on the second apparatus-side side wall member and thereby restrict motion of the cartridge in the +Z-axis direction, and
the second cartridge-side restriction portion is provided on the fourth face.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The cartridge according to claim 5, wherein
the second cartridge-side restriction portion comprises a projection to be inserted in the second apparatus-side restriction element, which comprises a recess or a through hole.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein
the first cartridge-side restriction portion is located on the −X-axis direction side of the axis of rotation of the lever.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein
the first cartridge-side restriction portion has a first abutting part configured to abut a first portion of the first apparatus-side restriction element to restrict motion of the cartridge in the +Z-axis direction, and a second abutting part configured to abut a second portion of the first apparatus-side restriction element to restrict motion of the cartridge in the +X-axis direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising:
a projection configured to abut the operating member of the lever and receive a force having a +Z-axis direction component during detachment of the cartridge from the cartridge mounting structure, and
the projection is provided on the +Z-axis direction side of the first cartridge-side restriction portion on the third face.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein
the corner section has a step extending from the first face in the +Z-axis direction,
the step is located on the −X-axis direction side and the −Z-axis direction side of the sloped surface, and
the step has a third cartridge-side restriction element that is configured to be in contact with a third apparatus-side restriction element provided on the cartridge mounting structure, so as to restrict motion of the cartridge in the Y-axis direction.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein
the third cartridge-side restriction element comprises a pair of projection members configured to receive the third apparatus-side restriction element protruding from the apparatus-side bottom wall member in the +Z-axis direction, and
the pair of projection members protruding from the step in the +X-axis direction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The cartridge according to claim 10, wherein
a portion of the third cartridge-side restriction element overlaps the sloped surface, when the cartridge is viewed from the first face side in the +Z-axis direction.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein
the printing material supply structure is provided at a specific position on the first face closer to the fourth face than the third face.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein
the first cartridge-side restriction portion is a projection.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein
the cartridge-side terminals include a cartridge-side ground terminal that is configured to be in contact with an apparatus-side ground terminal of the apparatus-side terminals, which is connected to a ground line, and
the cartridge-side ground terminal is provided on the center of the width of the Y-axis direction dimension of the cartridge and is configured to come into contact with the apparatus-side ground terminal before any other cartridge-side terminal comes into contact with a corresponding apparatus-side terminal during the course of attaching the cartridge to the cartridge mounting structure.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The cartridge according to claim 15, wherein
a Z-axis direction length of the cartridge-side ground terminal is longer than the Z-axis direction length of the other cartridge-side terminals.

### Claim 17

A cartridge configured to be detachably attached to a printing apparatus including a cartridge mounting structure configured to allow attachment and detachment of the cartridge;
a printing material supply tube structured to have a base end provided on a bottom of the cartridge mounting structure and a peripheral end to be connected with the cartridge and configured to supply a printing material contained in the cartridge to a head;
a plurality of apparatus-side terminals provided to be in contact with the cartridge; and
a lever provided to be used for attachment and detachment of the cartridge, wherein
a Z axis represents an axis parallel to a central axis C of the printing material supply tube, a Y axis represents an axis along a main scanning direction of the printing apparatus, an X axis is orthogonal to both the Z axis and the Y axis, wherein a +Z-axis direction represents a direction along the Z axis from the base end to the peripheral end of the printing material supply tube, a −Z-axis direction represents a reverse direction to the +Z-axis direction, a +X-axis direction represents a direction along the X axis from the printing material supply tube to the apparatus-side terminals, and a −X-axis direction represents a reverse direction to the +X-axis direction, wherein
the apparatus-side terminals are configured and adapted to be in contact with the cartridge to apply a force to the cartridge in a specified direction including the +Z-axis direction component when the cartridge is attached to the cartridge mounting structure, and
the lever has an operating member at the +Z-axis direction end and a first apparatus-side restriction element at the −Z-axis direction end to lock the cartridge and thereby restrict motion of the cartridge in the +Z-axis direction, the lever rotating about a specified position between the operating member and the first apparatus-side restriction element as an axis of rotation, wherein
the X axis, the Y axis and the Z axis with respect to the cartridge in the attached state respectively correspond to an X axis, a Y axis and a Z axis of the cartridge,
the cartridge comprising:
a printing material supply structure located at the −Z-axis direction end of the cartridge, configured to be connected with the printing material supply tube;
a plurality of cartridge-side terminals provided on the +X-axis direction side of the printing material supply structure and corresponding to the respective apparatus-side terminals and located on a sloped surface inclined in a specified direction including the +X-axis direction component and the −Z-axis direction component to receive a force in a specified direction including the +Z-axis direction component from the apparatus-side terminals; and
a first cartridge-side restriction portion configured to be locked by the first apparatus-side restriction element and thereby restrict motion of the cartridge in the +Z-axis direction and located on the +X-axis direction side of the printing material supply structure and on the −Z-axis direction side of the axis of rotation of the lever, wherein
the cartridge-side terminals comprise:
a first terminal including a first outer part located at the most +Y-axis direction end; and
a second terminal including a second outer part located at the most −Y-axis direction end, wherein
the first cartridge-side restriction portion is located not outside but inside a range between the first outer part and the second outer part in the Y-axis direction.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A printing material supply system, comprising:
a printing apparatus; and
the cartridge according to claim 17,
the printing apparatus comprising:
a cartridge mounting structure configured to have: (i) an apparatus-side bottom wall member; (ii) a first apparatus-side side wall member provided to intersect the apparatus-side bottom wall member; and (iii) a second apparatus-side side wall member provided to intersect the apparatus-side bottom wall member and to be opposed to the first apparatus-side side wall member;
a printing material supply tube structured to have a base end provided on the apparatus-side bottom wall member and a peripheral end connected with the cartridge and configured to supply a printing material contained in the cartridge to a head;
a plurality of apparatus-side terminals provided in an apparatus-side corner section where the apparatus-side bottom wall member intersects the first apparatus-side side wall member; and
a lever provided on the first apparatus-side side wall member in a rotatable manner to be used to attach and detach the cartridge to and from the printing apparatus, wherein
a lever provided on the first apparatus-side side wall member in a rotatable manner to be used to attach and detach the cartridge to and from the printing apparatus, wherein
a Z axis represents an axis parallel to a central axis C of the printing material supply tube, a Y axis represents an axis along a main scanning direction of the printing apparatus, an X axis is orthogonal to both the Z axis and the Y axis, wherein a +Z-axis direction represents a direction along the Z axis from the base end to the peripheral end of the printing material supply tube, a −Z-axis direction represents a reverse direction to the +Z-axis direction, a +X-axis direction represents a direction along the X axis from the printing material supply tube to the apparatus-side terminals, a −X-axis direction represents a reverse direction to the +X-axis direction, a +Y-axis direction represents a direction along the Y axis to one end, and −Y-axis direction represents a direction along the Y axis to the other end, wherein
the apparatus-side terminals are in contact with the cartridge to apply a force to the cartridge in a specified direction including the +Z-axis direction component in an attached state of the cartridge to the cartridge mounting structure, and
the lever has an operating member at the +Z-axis direction end and a first apparatus-side restriction element at the −Z-axis direction end to lock the cartridge and thereby restrict motion of the cartridge in the +Z-axis direction, the lever rotating about a specified position between the operating member and the first apparatus-side restriction element as an axis of rotation.