Patent ID: 7527367

Claim:
An ink cartridge comprising: an ink accommodating bag in which ink is accommodated and which is formed of a first flexible sheet; an outer bag which is formed of a second flexible sheet and which encloses the ink accommodating bag such that a first space is defined by and between the ink accommodating bag and the outer bag; an ink delivering member including a fixing portion to which the outer bag is fixed at an opening thereof and an extending portion which is formed adjacent to the fixing portion so as to extend toward an inside of the outer bag in a first direction of the fixing portion and to which the ink accommodating bag is fixed at an opening thereof; and a rigid casing which encloses the outer bag and the ink accommodating bag such that a second space is defined by and between the outer bag and the rigid casing and which holds the ink delivering member; wherein the ink delivering member further includes an ink outlet passage through which the ink in the ink accommodating bag is delivered to an exterior of the ink cartridge and a communication passage through which the first space is held in communication with the exterior of the ink cartridge; wherein the communication passage is formed at least in a state in which the outer bag is fixed to the fixing portion and includes at least a portion which extends in a direction that intersects the first direction of the fixing portion, the fixing portion having at least one seal portion formed on an outer surface thereof that continuously extends throughout a periphery of the fixing portion; and wherein the ink delivering member has at least one elongate groove which is formed in the outer surface of the fixing portion and which includes at least a portion extending in the direction that intersects the first direction, the elongate groove forming at least a portion of the communication passage in the state in which the outer bag is fixed to the outer surface of the fixing portion.