Patent ID: 6454400
Filing Date: 2002-09-24
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A liquid container used in a printing apparatus which includes scanning means for holding and scanning the liquid container, comprising:a liquid containing portion in which liquid is contained; a liquid supply orifice which supplies the liquid contained in said liquid containing portion to outside; an approximately-polygonal prism made of light transmitting material, having a surface integrated with an external wall surface of said liquid containing portion as well as a plurality of reflection surfaces different from said external wall surface which serve as an optical interface with respect to the liquid and which have a predetermined angle with respect to an optical path of light emitted from a light source in a predetermined position outside the liquid containing portion, wherein said liquid container has a shape with a flat lengthwise direction, wherein a lengthwise direction of said prism is in the same direction as the flat lengthwise direction of said liquid container, wherein a scanning direction of said scanning means is perpendicular to a top edge direction of said prism when said scanning means holds the liquid container, and wherein the top edge direction of said prism is the same as the lengthwise direction of said prism.