Patent ID: 7934821

Claim:
An ink cartridge, comprising: an ink storing portion configured to store ink therein, the ink storing portion comprising: an ink chamber configured to store a first predetermined amount of the ink therein; and a valve chamber configured to store a second predetermined amount of ink therein, which is less than the first predetermined amount of ink, wherein a particular wall defines at least a portion of the valve chamber, and the pipe extends from an interior of the valve chamber to an exterior of the valve chamber via a particular passage, wherein the pipe has an outer periphery and a further passage formed therein, and the further passage extends from the outer periphery to the inner passage; the particular wall defining at least a portion of the ink storing portion, wherein the particular wall has the particular passage formed therethrough; a pipe extending from an interior of the ink storing portion to an exterior of the ink storing portion via the particular passage, wherein the pipe has an inner passage formed therethrough, and the inner passage is configured to transmit ink from the interior of the ink storing portion to the exterior of the ink storing portion; a valve body comprising a moving body positioned within the valve chamber, wherein the pipe extends from the moving body, and the valve body is configured to move between a first position in which the moving body covers the particular passage and a second position in which the moving body is separated from the particular passage; and a biasing member configured to apply a biasing force to the moving body toward the particular passage, wherein when the valve body is in the first position, the particular passage is positioned between the further passage and the valve chamber, and when the valve body is in the second position, the further passage is positioned within the valve chamber.