IP Library Granted Patent US 7,077,506
Granted Patent B2
US 7,077,506 · App. 10/708,460 · Granted Jul 18, 2006

Identifiable inkjet cartridge and method of preventing misplacing inkjet cartridge in an inkjet apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,077,506
App. No.
10/708,460
Granted
Jul 18, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

An identifiable TAB for an inkjet cartridge. The identifiable tab contains a flexible substrate, a plurality of conductive traces formed on the flexible substrate, and a plurality of contacts formed on the flexible substrate and connected to the conductive traces. The contacts of the identifiable TAB are arranged into at least one identifiable area for aiding in identifying the inkjet cartridge.

Claims (37)

1. An identifiable TAB disposed on an inkjet cartridge, comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a plurality of conductive traces formed on the flexible substrate; and

a plurality of contacts formed on the flexible substrate and connected to the conductive traces;

wherein the contacts are arranged into at least one identifiable area for indicating a trademark or a brand name.

2. An inkjet print cartridge, comprising:

a casing having an ink reservoir for containing N types of ink, each type of ink having a different color, wherein N is an integer; and

a TAB assembled to the casing, comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a plurality of conductive traces formed on the flexible substrate; and

a plurality of contacts formed on the flexible substrate and connected to the conductive traces, wherein the contacts are arranged into N types of identifiable areas, wherein the identifiable areas are contain text for indicating the colors of ink in the ink reservoir.

3. The inkjet print cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein N equals 1.

4. The inkjet print cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein N equals 3.

5. A method of identifying the colors of ink contained in an inkjet cartridge by an identifiable TAB, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one inkjet cartridge, the inkjet cartridge comprising:

a casing having an ink reservoir for containing N types of ink with different colors, wherein N is an integer; and

an identifiable TAB disposed to the casing, the TAB comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a plurality of conductive traces formed on the flexible substrate; and

a plurality of contacts formed on the flexible substrate and connected to the conductive traces, wherein the contacts are arranged into N types of identifiable areas; and

identifying at least N types of ink in the ink reservoir, wherein N types of ink have different colors, and the identifiable areas contain text for indicating the colors of ink.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein N equals 1.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein N equals 3.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the colors of ink are selected from the group consisting of black, cyan, magenta, yellow, light black, light cyan, light magenta, light yellow, orange, green, light orange, and light green.

9. An inkjet apparatus, comprising:

a carriage equipped with a flexible circuit board (FCB);

a first flexible TAB and a second flexible TAB respectively disposed in a first inkjet cartridge and a second inkjet cartridge electrically coupling to the FCB on the carriage, the first inkjet cartridge and the second inkjet cartridge respectively having a first plurality of contacts and a second plurality of contacts, wherein the first contacts and the second contacts are arranged into a first identifiable area and a second identifiable area, wherein the first identifiable area and the second identifiable area contain text for indicating the colors of ink stored in the first inkjet cartridge and the second inkjet cartridge;

a first sensor, disposed in the carriage for detecting the first identifiable area and sending a first signal;

a second sensor, disposed in the carriage for detecting the second identifiable area and sending a second signal; and

a control unit for receiving the first signal and the second signal, and determining whether the first inkjet cartridge and the second inkjet cartridge are correctly placed.

10. The inkjet apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control unit sends a warning signal to alert a user when the first inkjet cartridge or the second inkjet cartridge is misplaced.

11. The inkjet apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the carriage is equipped with a first FCB and a second FCB, wherein the first FCB and the second FCB are electrically coupled to the first flexible TAB of the first inkjet cartridge and the second flexible TAB of the second inkjet cartridge, respectively.

12. The inkjet apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are positioned at the first TAB and the second TAB, respectively.

13. The inkjet apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a housing, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are disposed in an inside wall of the housing.

14. The inkjet apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first identifiable area and the second identifiable area are formed at the first flexible TAB of the first inkjet cartridge and the second flexible TAB of the second inkjet cartridge, respectively.

15. The inkjet apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first inkjet cartridge has a first surface and the second inkjet cartridge has a second surface, and the first identifiable area and the second identifiable area are located at the first surface and the second surface, respectively.

16. The inkjet apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first signal and the second signal are wirelessly transmitted between the control unit, the first sensor and the second sensor.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2019
From: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 104 LLC
To: 92104 LLC
Reel/Frame 050114/0899 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2019
From: 92104 LLC
To: DRIVEPRINT LLC
Reel/Frame 049905/0163 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 24, 2012
From: BENQ CORPORATION
To: QISDA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027585/0840 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 29, 2011
From: QISDA CORPORATION
To: NISSIN MGMT PTE., LLC
Reel/Frame 027463/0982 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2004
From: CHEN, CHIH-CHING
To: BENQ CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 014391/0566 →