In an example, an apparatus includes a container to hold a quantity of a consumable resource. A mechanical drive coupling is attached to the container. The mechanical drive coupling includes a bore and a locking mechanism integrated into the bore. The locking mechanism locks the container to a drive mechanism when the bore and the drive mechanism are rotatably engaged.

Hardware circuitry, in response to receiving a request for an authentication value of a plurality of authentication values of a replaceable item from a host device to which the replaceable item has been connected, determines that the authentication value was not previously sent. The circuitry responsively determines that the replaceable item previously sent a maximum number of unique authentication values of the authentication values. The maximum number of unique authentication values is less than a total number of the authentication values. The circuitry responsively sends the authentication value to the host device. The circuitry, once the authentication value has been sent or will have been sent to the host device, determines that the maximum number of unique authentication values has now been sent, and in response prohibits the authentication values that have not been sent from being sent later.

A liquid cartridge includes a first surface, a second surface spaced apart from the first surface, and a third surface extending between the first surface and the second surface, with a liquid outlet through the first surface. A circuit board is mounted on the third surface. A locking mechanism includes a locking surface that extends above the third surface, and a liquid detection mechanism includes a light access portion. The light access portion is disposed between the circuit board and the locking surface, and the circuit board is disposed between the first surface and the light access portion.

The invention describes a facility to provide an indication of level in a container of conductive liquid used in an inkjet printer. The facility comprises an array of nested capacitive sensor pads, the outputs of which can be processed to provide a continuous indication of level. The outputs can also be processed to provide an indication of whether the container is mis-aligned on the printer.

A consumables management system includes a plurality of printers in each of which a consumables container is installed and each of which is configured to consume consumables contained in the consumables container, and a management unit connected via a network to the plurality of printers. The management unit manages container identification information assigned to the consumables container, device identification information assigned to each of the plurality of printers, and user identification information assigned to the user of each of the plurality of printers in association with one another.

A liquid container has: a liquid storage section that stores a liquid; a surrounding wall that envelops the liquid storage section; a liquid supply opening formed in the surrounding wall, the liquid supply opening enabling the liquid to be supplied from the liquid storage section to the liquid introducing section; a first storage device that can be electrically coupled to the holder-side terminal through a first contact section; and a second storage device that can be electrically couple to the holder-side terminal through a second contact section. Even when the liquid container is rotated by 180 degrees around the central axis of the liquid supply opening and is mounted in the holder, either of the first storage device and second storage device is coupled to the holder-side terminal. Information about the amount of the liquid is stored in both the first storage device and the second storage device.

A liquid cartridge includes: a housing having a storage chamber; a liquid passage in communication with the storage chamber; a circuit board; a deformable member; and a movable surface. The liquid passage extends in a first lateral direction from the housing when the housing is in an operational posture. The circuit board is positioned higher than the storage chamber in a vertical direction perpendicular to the first lateral direction and vertically movable relative to the housing. The deformable member is positioned higher than the storage chamber and is lower than the circuit board. The deformable member is deformable vertically relative to the housing. The circuit board is movable vertically in accordance with deformation of the deformable member. The movable surface is positioned further in a second lateral direction opposite the first lateral direction than the circuit board. The movable surface faces upward and is vertically movable relative to the housing.

A consumables consumption apparatus includes a cartridge determination section that determines one of a specified cartridge and an unspecified cartridge which is attached to the consumables consumption apparatus in accordance with maintenance subject information indicating a subject of a maintenance contract and a notification section that requests a selection of one of use agreement of the unspecified cartridge and replacement of the unspecified cartridge by the specified cartridge when the cartridge determination section determines that the unspecified cartridge is attached and that makes a notification indicating at least one of information on cancellation of the maintenance contract and information on replacement by the specified cartridge when the use agreement is selected.

A liquid consuming device, including an attachment case, to which a cartridge including a first compartment is attachable, a first channel connectable with the first compartment, a tank including a second compartment connected with the first channel, a second channel connected with the second compartment, a head connected with the second channel, a display, and a controller, is provided. The controller controls, in response to a first remainder amount being an amount of a liquid in the cartridge being greater than or equal to a first predetermined amount, the display to display a first screen including a first object indicating the first remainder amount, and controls, in response to the first remainder amount being smaller than the first predetermined amount, the display to display the first screen including a second object, which indicates a second remainder amount being an amount of the liquid in the tank.

A transform wrapper is stored on a memory device and the memory device may be included in a printer cartridge. The transform wrapper may dynamically build a transform map for a printer based on metadata stored at the memory device. The metadata may indicate at least one of a type of depositing material, transform map, print media and printer.