Patent ID: 8662648

Claim:
A liquid consumption apparatus comprising: a detection portion having a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion that are substantially aligned; a liquid container that houses a liquid and has a prism that reflects light irradiated by the light emitting portion toward the light receiving portion according to an amount of the liquid in the liquid container; a carriage to which the liquid container is detachably attached, and having an opening provided in a position that is opposable to the prism when the liquid container is attached; a driving portion that moves the carriage in a direction in which the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are substantially aligned; and a light shielding portion disposed in the opening provided in the carriage, the light shielding portion including a section that divides the opening in a direction intersecting the direction in which the carriage moves; wherein the prism has a cavity portion in a central portion of a surface that opposes the detection portion, and wherein, with respect to the direction in which the carriage moves, the light shielding portion has a width that is greater than a width of the cavity portion.