Patent ID: 7384136

Claim:
An ink cartridge, comprising: an ink chamber; a communication chamber that communicates with the ink chamber and an outside of the ink cartridge; a valve disposed in the communication chamber; a valve seat disposed in the communication chamber adjacent to the valve; an urging device that urges the valve toward the valve seat; and an operation member that extends from inside the communication chamber to the outside of the ink cartridge; wherein: the valve is capable of moving between a first position in which communication between the ink chamber and the outside of the ink cartridge is obstructed, and a second position in which the ink chamber communicates with the outside of the ink cartridge; the valve directly contacts the valve seat when the valve is in the first position; the valve seat includes a substantially central opening through which a bottom surface of the valve is exposed; the urging device is formed integrally as one piece with the valve seat and the urging device extends from the valve seat and around the valve so as to urge a top surface of the valve toward the valve seat; the operation member protrudes from the valve through the opening; and the operation member can be operated to move the valve from the first position to the second position.