Patent ID: 7393088
Filing Date: 2008-07-01
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A method of filling an ink cartridge which has (i) an ink supplying portion provided to face an inner space of the ink cartridge so as to allow supply of an ink from the inner space therethrough, (ii) an air introducing portion provided to face the inner space so as to allow introduction of an air into the inner space therethrough, (iii) a first valve member which is disposed in the ink supplying portion and which is biased in a biased direction that causes the first valve member to be placed in a closed position thereof inhibiting the supply of the ink from the inner space through the ink supplying portion, and (iv) a second valve member which is disposed in the air introducing portion and which is biased in a biased direction that causes the second valve member to be placed in a closed position thereof inhibiting the introduction of the air into the inner space through the air introducing portion, wherein each of the first and second valve members is moved, upon installation of the ink cartridge on a recording apparatus, in an opposite direction opposite to the biased direction, said method comprising: (a) a valve-member moving step of moving each of the first and second valve members in the opposite direction away from the closed position thereof; and (b) an ink supplying step of supplying the ink to the inner space of the ink cartridge through one of the air introducing portion and the ink supplying portion while discharging the air from the inner space of the ink cartridge through the other of the air introducing portion and the ink supplying portion, wherein said valve-member moving step implemented by using a jig includes a first valve-lifter and a second valve-lifter, such that said valve-member moving step includes (a-1) a first-valve-lifter operation step of bringing the first valve-lifter into contact with one of the first and second valve members and causing the first valve-lifter to move said one of the first and second valve members in said opposite direction any from the closed position thereof, and (a-2) a second-valve-lifter operation step of bringing the second valve-lifter into contact with the other of the first and second valve members and causing the second valve-lifter to move said other of the first and second valve members in said opposite direction away from the closed position thereof, wherein said ink supplying step is implemented while each of the first and second valve members is kept, by a corresponding one of the first and second valve-lifters, distant from the closed position thereof, wherein the used jig has a contact surface that is to be held in contact with a surface of a casing body or the cartridge, such that said valve-member moving step further includes a lift amount defining step of defining an amount of lift of each of the first and second valve members moved by a corresponding one of the first and second valve-lifters, by bringing the contact surface of the jig into contact with the surface of the casing body of the ink cartridge, wherein the second valve member of the ink cartridge has a second closed position, in addition to the closed position as a first closed position, which is located on a rear side of the first closed position as viewed in the biased direction, and wherein the second valve member is positioned, by a corresponding one of the first and second valve-lifters of the jig, between the first and second closed positions thereof as viewed in the biased direction in said lift amount defining step of said valve-member moving step in which the contact surface of the jig is brought into contact with the surface of the casing body of the ink cartridge.