| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To eliminate the need for reserve stock of a waste ink recovery vessel by a method wherein a removable cutout part is formed on a part of a refilling ink containing vessel, the cutout part of the used vessel is cut to be removed, and the used vessel is used as a waste ink recovery vessel for a recovery device. CONSTITUTION:An ink cartridge 14 is provided with a flexible cover 17 at the top end of an ink supply port on the lower side face thereof and an inner electrode 18 on the upper part thereof. An electrode 19 is fixed on a partition wall of an external housing 16 so that one end is exposed and the other end is in contact with the inner electrode 18. On an insertion port 5B of a waste ink cartridge 15, a through hole allowing the movement of a needle 13 and a projection 5C facing an inner electrode 18 are provided. When the liquid surface of a refilling ink 21 is lowered, a high resistance is established between the inner electrode 18 and a needle 20, whereby the use-up of the ink 21 is judged. At the time of a recovery action, a waste ink discharged into a cap 11 is recovered into the waste ink cartridge 15 through a discharge tube 13A and the needle 13 by a suction pump 12. The used ink cartridge 14 can be used in place of the waste ink cartridge 15 by breaking an electrode piece outside a groove 18A of the inner electrode 18. |
