Patent ID: 8454136

Claim:
An ink cartridge removably mountable in an image forming apparatus, the ink cartridge comprising: a flexible storage member that stores ink; a pressurization-space formation member that hermetically houses the storage member and forms a pressurization space to which a fluid is supplied between the pressurization-space formation member and the storage member; an output port connected to the storage member, through which the ink is supplied from the storage member to the image forming apparatus; and an opening-and-closing assembly that opens and closes between the output port and the storage member by the fluid supplied into the pressurization space, wherein the opening-and-closing assembly is configured to open when the fluid is supplied into the pressurization space and to close when the fluid is not supplied into the pressurization space, wherein the opening-and-closing assembly causes the output port and the storage member to communicate when a pressurization device of the image forming apparatus supplies the fluid to the pressurization space to apply pressure on the storage member, wherein the opening-and-closing assembly comprises an ink passage member that connects the storage member and the output port, the ink passage member having a first deformable portion, and a fluid passage member through which the fluid is supplied to the pressurization space and including a second deformable portion, and wherein, deformation of the second deformable portion of the fluid passage member by the fluid supplied to the pressurization space causes the first deformable portion of the ink passage member to open the ink passage member.