Patent ID: 8733911

Claim:
A liquid container configured to contain a liquid to be supplied to a liquid-consuming device, the liquid container comprising: a liquid chamber defined by a container body and a flexible member that is sealed to the container body, the liquid chamber being configured to contain the liquid, and configured so that the flexible member is subject to collapsing deformation to decrease a volume of the liquid chamber with a decrease in the internal pressure of the liquid chamber as a result of the consumption of the liquid from the liquid chamber; a negative pressure generator configured to maintain negative pressure in the liquid chamber by applying pressure to the flexible member to oppose the collapsing deformation of the flexible member; a liquid outlet configured to feed the liquid out of the liquid chamber; an air inlet configured to introduce air into the liquid chamber; and a detection-associated member configured for detection of the liquid in the liquid chamber, the detection-associated member being located inside the liquid chamber; wherein the container body has at least a first wall and a second wall intersecting with the first wall, the detection associated member is positioned on the second wall, the liquid is contained between the first wall and the flexible member, and the negative pressure generator is positioned on the first wall and is configured to apply the pressure to the flexible member in a direction away from the first wall; and wherein the liquid chamber comprises: a main chamber configured to be subjected to a capacity reduction caused by the collapsing deformation of the flexible member as ink is consumed from the main chamber; and a sub-chamber having significantly smaller capacity than that of the main chamber provided downstream of the main chamber, the detection-associated member being located in the sub-chamber.