Patent ID: 7918549

Claim:
An ink cartridge comprising: an ink added with an infrared absorption material, filled in the ink cartridge; an ink supplying system including: a storage portion for storing the ink; an outlet for supplying the ink to a printing apparatus for performing printing in a loaded state where the ink cartridge is loaded in the printing apparatus; and a flow path for guiding the ink from the storage portion to the outlet, a light emitter; a sensor including a light receiver disposed in opposition to the light emitter with the ink supplying system intervened therebetween, the light receiver for receiving a transmitted light resulting from transmission of an emitted light from the light emitter through the ink supplying system; and an ink cartridge-side terminal electrically connected to the sensor, coming in contact with an apparatus-side terminal provided to the printing apparatus in the loaded state, wherein: the infrared absorption material has a function of absorbing an infrared ray to distinguish the ink from another ink of a same color; the ink cartridge is used in the loaded state; and the emitted light has a wavelength in an infrared range.