| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect surely whether a recording agent cartridge is filled with a genuine recording agent suitable for a printer or not and whether recording agent cartridge is filled with a recording agent of suitable color or not. SOLUTION: An ink tank 19a is provided with transparent windows 29, 29 for passing light through ink. A light emitting element 31 irradiates ink with light through one transparent window 29 and a light receiving element 33 receives transmitted light through the other transparent window 29. The light receiving element 33 outputs a voltage analog signal having a magnitude corresponding to the quantity of received light and an A/D converter 37 converts that signal digitally into potential data. The CPU 39 in a printer 5 compares the potential data with allowable range potential data stored in the EEPROM 21 of the ink cartridge 19 to determine whether the potential level recorded in the potential data falls within the allowable range or not thus deciding whether the ink in the ink tank 19 is appropriate or not. |
