A printer includes: an installation case to which a cartridge having a first memory is installed, a printing unit which performs printing by using a print material supplied from the cartridge, a sensor which outputs a detection value according to an amount of the print material stored in the cartridge, a cartridge interface communicable with the first memory, a second memory, and a controller. The first memory stores cartridge information including: cartridge identification information and residual amount information according to the amount of the print material stored in the cartridge. The controller acquires the cartridge identification information and the residual amount information from the first memory, stores history information in the second memory, and updates the residual amount information of the history information based on information according to the amount of the print material discharged by the printing unit.

An example operation method of an image forming apparatus includes determining a state of a toner refill operation of injecting toner from a toner reload kit (TRK) into a cartridge in the image forming apparatus, based on completion of injecting toner from the TRK into the cartridge, controlling the TRK to store information indicating a toner refill completion in a memory of the TRK, based on completion of injecting toner from the TRK into the cartridge, updating information of an amount of remaining toner of the cartridge based on an amount of the toner injected into the cartridge from the TRK, and based on the information indicating the toner refill completion being stored in the memory of the TRK, unlocking a locking apparatus in the image forming apparatus so the TRK may be removed from the cartridge.

A member mountable to a mounting portion provided with an ink receiving tube and a plurality of electrical connecting portions, the member includes a first portion including an outwardly facing surface and provided with an inserting portion into which the ink receiving tube is capable of being inserted; a second portion opposite from the first portion; and a third portion connecting the first portion and the second portion with each other and provided with a plurality of pad electrodes electrically connectable with the electrical connecting portions. The member is mountable to the mounting portion by being inserted into the mounting portion in an inserting direction with the first portion at a leading side. The pad electrodes are electrically connectable with the electrical connecting portions by being moved in a direction different from the inserting direction.

A fluidic ejection cartridge having a unitary integrally-formed body of sintered metal having an upper portion, a lower portion, a sidewall, and a bottom having a nosepiece, the body defining a reservoir. In various embodiments, the body includes at least one of copper, copper alloy, iron steel, carbon steel, iron-copper steel, copper infiltrated steel, copper steel, iron-nickel steel, nickel steel, low alloy steel, hardened steel, diffusion alloyed steel, 300 series stainless steel, 400 series stainless steel, and soft magnetic alloy. Some embodiments include a lid of the sintered metal disposed over and sealed to the upper portion of the body. Some embodiments include a chip in fluid flow communication with the reservoir. Some embodiments include a filter disposed in the reservoir at the lower portion of the body. Some embodiments include a volume of an ejectable fluid disposed within the reservoir.

An image forming apparatus includes: a main casing; a supply cartridge attachable to the main casing; a printing mechanism; a display; and a controller configured to perform: determining, based on information inputted into the controller, whether an agreement is made for the image forming apparatus; setting, when an agreement is made for the image forming apparatus, an operation mode for the image forming apparatus to a pre-contract mode; determining under the pre-contract mode whether a type of the supply cartridge attached to the main casing is a normal type or a subscription type; displaying, when the type of the supply cartridge attached to the main casing is the normal type, information related to the pre-contract mode on the display; and setting, when the type of the supply cartridge attached to the main casing is the subscription type, the operation mode from the pre-contract mode to a formal contract mode.

A supply container includes a housing and a pocket on to the housing to receive a chip. The supply container also includes an alignment component on the housing to align the pocket with a chip access device.

Embodiments of this application provide a responding method for a consumable chip and a consumable chip, a consumable cartridge, and a storage medium. The consumable chip stores target data and an indicator used to indicate a type of the target data in the consumable chip, and at least a part of data in the target data is used as the indicator; and the target data is a digital signature or unsigned data. The method includes: receiving an access request of a printing device; selecting at least a part of data in the target data according to the access request; and sending the at least a part of data to the printing device in response to the access request of the printing device.

The present disclosure provides an access request response method, a consumable chip and a storage medium. The method includes receiving an access request sent by a printing device, the access request including address information; determining at least one second-type address in memory correspondingly according to the address information, a second-type address corresponding to at least two addresses in the address information; and responding to the access request through the at least one second-type address.

A recording apparatus including an ink tank storing ink supplied from an ink bottle and a head to which ink is supplied from the ink tank includes a determination unit configured to determine a value related to ink consumption in the ink bottle based on a value related to ink consumption in the ink tank, and a transmission unit configured to transmit information indicating the value related to the ink consumption in the ink bottle to a server in a case where the value related to the ink consumption in the ink bottle reaches a predetermined threshold value, and performs processing of ordering of a new ink bottle based on the amount of ink consumed in the ink bottle.

In a board that includes a plurality of contact portions that are arranged to contact corresponding apparatus-side terminals when the board is mounted in a printing apparatus, some contact portions are disposed in a first region, and the remaining contact portions are disposed in a second region. The some contact portions include a first contact portion, a second contact portion, a third contact portion, and a fourth contact portion. The remaining contact portions include a fifth contact portion. The some contact portions are arranged in a first pattern in the first region and the remaining contact portions are arranged in a second pattern in the second region, and the first pattern is asymmetrical to the second pattern with respect to a first virtual line.