Patent ID: 6213600
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
In an ink-jet recording apparatus in which an ink cartridge is equipped with a printing unit for mounting thereon a printing head; an ink storage chamber for storing thereinto ink; an ink refilling hole portion fluidly coupled with said ink storage chamber and enabling the refilling of ink into said ink storage chamber; and a label on which predetermined information is described, attached so as to seal said ink refilling hole portion; said ink cartridge is detachably mounted on said printing unit; and the ink supplied from said ink cartridge is jetted from said printing head so as to print out on paper, said ink-jet recording apparatus comprising:detecting means for reading out said predetermined information described on said label;judging means for judging whether or not said predetermined information read by said detecting means is information adapted to an own ink-jet recording apparatus;print control means for determining whether or not a printing operation is carried out by employing said ink cartridge mounted thereon based upon the judgment performed by said judging means;ink information notifying means issuing a notification of one of a need to replace said ink cartridge by a new ink cartridge and a need to refill ink in response to detection that an amount of ink stored in said ink storage chamber is reduced to a preselected ink amount, since the ink cartridge equipped with the label for describing the adapted information is used to jet the ink; andwriting means for rewriting the adapted information of the label attached on said ink cartridge into non-adaptable information for said own ink-jet recording apparatus in conjunction with the notification issued from said ink information notifying means.