Ink Cartridge and ink jet printer with the said ink cartridge

本发明公开一种打印机以及一种用于该打印机的能够准确地检测泡沫式墨盒中油墨是否用完的墨盒。在泡沫式墨盒的含泡沫部和油墨出口之间依次形成有油墨室与油墨通道。在含泡沫部及油墨通道之间安装有第一过滤器用来使气泡从其穿过，而在油墨室及油墨通道之间安装的第二过滤器的孔的直径比第一过滤器的孔的之间小。在油墨室的侧面上形成有一用于检测油墨极限的矩形棱镜。在由于气泡积聚在油墨室内且油墨短缺时把矩形棱镜的反射表面露出油墨液体水平面时，光从反射表面上反射并被喷墨打印机侧上的反射式光学传感器检测到，使得可以确定油墨极限。在把油墨室的容量设定的足够小时，在油墨已基本用完时可检测油墨极限。 A printer (70) and an ink tank (1) for the printer capable of precisely detecting that ink has run out in a foam type ink tank. The ink chamber (30) and an ink passage are formed in this order between the foam containing portion (6) and the ink outlet of a foam-type ink tank. A first filter (11) is installed between the foam containing portion and the ink passage and used to pass bubbles therethrough, whereas a second filter (12) having a pore diameter smaller than the pore diameter of the first filter is installed between the ink chamber and the ink passage. A rectangular prism for detecting an ink end is formed on the side of the ink chamber (30). When the reflective surface of the rectangular prism is exposed from an ink liquid level as bubbles are gathered in the ink chamber with ink that is running short, light is reflected from the reflective surfaces and is detected by a reflection type optical sensor on the ink-jet printer side, so that the ink end can be determined. In a case where the capacity of the ink chamber is set sufficiently smaller, the ink end is detectable at a point of time when the ink has substantially run out.