Patent ID: 7290843
Filing Date: 2007-11-06
Classification: B41J,G01F

Abstract:
1. An ink tank for supplying ink to a recording means that ejects ink and is fixed on or removably mounted on a recording apparatus for recording input image information on a recording medium using the recording means, said ink tank comprising: a casing forming a chamber for storing the ink, said casing having a plurality of rectangular walls; an engagement member by which said ink tank engages with the recording means, said engagement member being provided on a first one of said walls; and a reflecting portion arranged at a predetermined position on a second one of said walls, said reflecting portion comprising two sides, each of said sides having a surface on an inside of said ink tank, said two sides being configured to reflect an amount of light incident from outside said ink tank according to an amount of ink inside said ink tank, the reflected amount of light indicating a presence of ink when said two surfaces are in contact with ink inside said ink tank and indicating an absence of ink when said two surfaces are not in contact with ink inside said ink tank, wherein said two sides are formed at predetermined angles with respect to said second wall to form a dihedral angle having a vertex line parallel to said second wall, each of said two sides is rectangular, longer edges of said two sides are parallel to longer edges of said second wall, said second wall is different from said first wall, on which said engagement member is provided, and said first wall shares a shorter edge of said second wall as a border with said second wall, wherein a surface on which an ejection opening of the recording means is arranged faces the same direction as an exterior surface of said second wall faces, when said ink tank engages with the recording means, and wherein said ink tank engages with the recording means by moving said ink tank in a direction parallel to the exterior surface of said second wall and extending outward from said first wall.