EP0594055A1 - Cover for an ink jet printhead - Google Patents

Cover for an ink jet printhead Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0594055A1
EP0594055A1 EP93116598A EP93116598A EP0594055A1 EP 0594055 A1 EP0594055 A1 EP 0594055A1 EP 93116598 A EP93116598 A EP 93116598A EP 93116598 A EP93116598 A EP 93116598A EP 0594055 A1 EP0594055 A1 EP 0594055A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
print head
filling
cover
lid according
printhead
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP93116598A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
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EP0594055B1 (en
Inventor
Peter Schwenk
Christoph Henzler
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pms Produktion and Recycling Von Bueromaschinenzubehor GmbH
Original Assignee
Pms Produktion and Recycling Von Bueromaschinenzubehor GmbH
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Publication date
Application filed by Pms Produktion and Recycling Von Bueromaschinenzubehor GmbH filed Critical Pms Produktion and Recycling Von Bueromaschinenzubehor GmbH
Publication of EP0594055A1 publication Critical patent/EP0594055A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0594055B1 publication Critical patent/EP0594055B1/en
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
    • B41J2/175—Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
    • B41J2/17503—Ink cartridges
    • B41J2/17513—Inner structure
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
    • B41J2/175—Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
    • B41J2/17503—Ink cartridges
    • B41J2/17506—Refilling of the cartridge

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a cover for a print head of an ink jet printer according to the preamble of claim 1. It also relates to a print head of an ink jet printer according to the preamble of claim 11.
  • Printheads such as are commercially available today, receive the ink supply in an ink supply chamber arranged within a housing, in which the foamed material that often receives the ink is located. It is preferably polyurethane foam of defined porosity and capillarity, which is particularly suitable for the absorption of ink.
  • a single ink supply chamber is provided; the print head for a multicolor printer generally contains three separate ink supply chambers for holding three different color components, for example magenta, cyan and yellow.
  • the ink supply chambers are above from above a filling hole accessible.
  • the chambers are closed at the top by a common cover plate which has three through holes arranged in a line. The through holes are used to fill the printhead with the required supply of ink at the factory. After the filling process has ended, a cover is generally applied which covers the entire surface of the housing of the print head.
  • the lid has a raised section that can rise from the base in the manner of a cuboid. This simplifies the handling of the printhead, since the other housing parts are not suitable as a gripping surface, because they sometimes contain functional elements that must not be touched, e.g. the contact film for electrical connection to the control device or the nozzle plate, or because they are not sufficiently accessible due to guide surfaces or other components provided on the printer.
  • the lid also usually contains markings, e.g. in the form of an arrow, which make it easier to insert the printhead correctly.
  • the present invention was based on the problem of providing a cover for a printhead of an ink jet printer of the type mentioned at the outset, which eliminates these disadvantages. In particular, it should allow access to the filling holes and thus to the ink supply chambers themselves in a simple manner.
  • the invention is based on the idea of providing the lid as such with filling openings which communicate with the filling bores of the printhead.
  • the number of filling openings corresponds to the number of ink chambers, so that each filling opening is assigned to a specific filling hole. This makes it possible to easily add ink supply without having to remove the cover from the housing of the print head. Ink can be replenished in a targeted manner by simple means, such as an injection needle. This is particularly advantageous in the case of a multicolor printhead, since it is sufficient for the color component used in each case refill individually.
  • the lid is made of a transparent material. This makes it possible to observe the refilling process and thus largely rule out errors. It can thus be seen immediately which fill opening in the lid of the respective filling hole of the ink supply chamber and thus is assigned to a specific color component of the ink.
  • the filling openings which are located on the raised shaped handling section of the lid, can be connected in a sealing manner to the respective filling openings via tubular, continuous channels.
  • in the event of accidental overfilling it is not possible for ink to pass into an adjacent ink supply space, since the excess ink rises upwards in the tubular channel and the overfill is thereby immediately recognizable.
  • the transfer of even small amounts of ink into an adjacent ink chamber must be avoided under all circumstances, since this leads to incorrect color reproduction and thus to the print head being unusable.
  • the insertion of the injection needle can further be facilitated in that the filling openings are provided with a funnel-shaped countersink. It is also advantageous if the filling openings have a relatively large diameter, in which case the Cross-sectional profile of the tubular channels to the respective filling hole decreases.
  • the tubular channels are designed at the lower end so that they engage sealingly in the filling holes. For this purpose, they can protrude into the filling bores, for example, overlapping in the axial direction by a certain amount.
  • the cover can be attached to the printhead in various ways, ie releasably or non-releasably. As such, it is sufficient, as before, to glue the cover to the edge of the printhead housing. This is particularly useful if the print head is already equipped with such a cover when it is first delivered, that is, at the factory. On the other hand, it is particularly advantageous to detachably attach the lid, with the aid of locking elements provided on the print head side. In this way, the cover can easily be detached from the housing at the end of the print head's life and recycled.
  • the particular advantage of such a configuration is that even older printheads that are already in use can be converted to refillable printheads.
  • the lid 1 has a substantially flat base plate 12 from which a handling section rises.
  • the handling section 2 has a rectangular outline and extends over a large part of the base plate 12.
  • the rear side 13 of the handling section 2 extends essentially perpendicular to the base plate 12.
  • the front side 14 is designed to be slightly oblique, so that overall a trapezoidal cross section results.
  • a marking 15 is attached, which in plan view has the shape of an arrow and rises as an integral part of the handling section 2 from the front 14 thereof.
  • the arrow 15 indicates the direction in which the print head must be inserted into the printer.
  • the side surfaces 9 have a shoulder 8.
  • the paragraph 8 is provided with openings 10 through which resilient locking elements 110 are passed.
  • the locking elements 110 are attached to a cover plate 102 of the ink supply chambers.
  • the latching elements 110 have a latching lug 112 with a latching web 111.
  • the latching elements 110 slide with the front part of the latching lug 112 along the inside of the side wall 9 and are pressed inward with elastic deformation.
  • the latching elements 110 Shortly before the cover 1 is placed on the housing of the print head 100, the latching elements 110 penetrate the openings 10 of the shoulder 8 until they finally snap into the end position of the cover 1.
  • the locking web 111 is held pressed against the lower edge 11 of the side wall 9 in the region of the opening 10.
  • the locking elements 110 are in the area of the locking lug 112, in particular with respect to the extension of the locking web 111, exactly matched in the longitudinal direction to the width of the openings 10, in particular in the area of the lower edge 11, so that the cover 1 with respect to the print head 100 in the desired position is fixed.
  • a web 20, which at least in sections runs around, can be formed on the underside of the cover 1 and is used for positioning on a not shown existing paragraph on the print head side is determined.
  • the lid has two filling openings 3 in the area of the handling section 2 and one filling opening 4 in the area of the base plate 12. These are each assigned to filling bores 103, 104 of the ink supply chambers in the print head 100, which are not shown in detail. It is therefore a printhead for a color printer, the three separately arranged ink storage chambers of which are ink, e.g. pick up in the color components magenta, cyan and yellow.
  • the filling bores 103, 104 of the printhead 100 located below are easily accessible through the filling openings 3, 4 and are clearly assigned.
  • the filling bores 103, 104 are arranged in the cover plate 102, which otherwise tightly seals the ink supply chambers. Ring webs 105, 106 are formed around the filling openings 103, 104.
  • the ring webs 105 of the filling bores 103 are used as a bearing web for tubular channels 5, which are designed as a continuous connection between the filling openings 3 and the filling bores 103 and are integrally formed on the inside of the cover 1.
  • the tubular channels 5 have annular shoulder webs 7, so that they are guided into the annular webs 105 with a partial axial overlap.
  • the liquid-tight transition from the channels 5 to the filling bores 103 is achieved by an exact design and dimensioning of the heel webs 7.
  • the channels 5 have a cross-sectional profile that tapers from top to bottom. This makes it possible to make the filling openings 3 relatively large, so that the injection needle to be inserted for filling can be inserted easily.
  • the introduction is additionally facilitated in that the filler openings 3 have insertion aids in the form of funnel-shaped countersinks 6.
  • a correspondingly designed insertion aid is also attached to the filling opening 4 arranged in the area of the base plate 12.
  • the separate arrangement of the filling openings 3, 4 and the fluid-tight transitions from the channels 5 to the filling bores 103 reliably prevent unintentional passage of ink into an adjacent filling bore. In the event that excess ink should pass up through one of the filling bores 103, this remains in the interior of the associated channel 5, which in this case has the function of a collection or buffer volume.
  • the cover 1 is made of transparent material. In this way, it is first possible to determine the assignment of each fill opening 3, 4 to the respective ink supply chamber and thus to the respective color component. The respective color component can thus be seen at least through the filling bores 103, 104. In most cases, the recognition is facilitated by the fact that the cover plate 102 itself is made of transparent material and thus provides a view into the interior of the ink supply chambers.
  • the filling process itself can also be optimally controlled. It can be seen immediately when the capacity of the ink supply chamber is exhausted and therefore ink no longer flows off in the filling bore 103, 104. This makes the refill process itself very economical, since overfilling the print head is practically impossible. Even in the case of overfilling, there is no danger that the color reproduction will be falsified by a color component which has passed into an adjacent ink supply chamber.
  • cover according to the invention is particularly preferably used in print heads for multicolor printers, it can nevertheless also be used in print heads which have only a single ink supply chamber which is filled, for example, with black ink. In this case, only one fill opening has to be provided.
  • the cover according to the invention can be used on the one hand for the initial equipment of a printhead.
  • the print head is configured at the factory as a refillable print head.

Abstract

A cover (1) for a print head (100) of an ink jet printer has a handling section (2) which is of elevated shape. It has a number of filling apertures (3, 4) corresponding to the number of ink supply chambers in the print head (100). The filling apertures (3, 4) communicate with the respectively assigned filling bores (103, 104) of the print head (100). The cover (1) is preferably made of transparent material so that the assignment of the respective filling aperture (3, 4) to a particular ink component is immediately recognisable and the refilling operation can easily be controlled. With the aid of the cover (1), commercially available print heads (100) can be designed to be refillable without changing the basic configuration. The cover (1) can already be fitted on by the manufacturer so that the print head (100) can be supplied as a refillable print head. It is also possible to convert a commercially available, non-refillable print head into a refillable print head by exchanging the cover. The design of the print head as a refillable print head results in considerable ecological and economic advantages. <IMAGE>

Description

Die Erfindung betrifft einen Deckel für einen Druckkopf eines Tintenstrahldruckers gemäß Oberbegriff des Anspruchs 1. Sie betrifft weiterhin einen Druckkopf eines Tintenstrahldruckers gemäß Oberbegriff des Anspruchs 11.The invention relates to a cover for a print head of an ink jet printer according to the preamble of claim 1. It also relates to a print head of an ink jet printer according to the preamble of claim 11.

Druckköpfe, wie sie heutzutage im Handel erhältlich sind, nehmen den Tintenvorrat in einer innerhalb eines Gehäuses angeordneten Tintenvorratskammer auf, in der sich häufig die Tinte aufnehmendes, geschäumtes Material befindet. Bevorzugt handelt es sich um Polyurethanschaum definierter Porosität und Kapillarität, der speziell zur Aufnahme von Tinte geeignet ist. Im Falle eines Einfarben-Druckkopfs ist eine einzelne Tintenvorratskammer vorgesehen, der Druckkopf für einen Mehrfarbendrucker beinhaltet in der Regel drei voneinander getrennte Tintenvorratskammern zur Aufnahme dreier unterschiedlicher Farbkomponenten, z.B. Magenta, Cyan und gelb. Die Tintenvorratskammern sind von oben über eine Befüllbohrung zugänglich. Im Falle des Mehrfarben-Druckkopfs sind die Kammern nach oben hin durch eine gemeinsame Abdeckplatte verschlossen, welche drei in Linie angeordnete Durchgangsbohrungen aufweist. Die Durchgangsbohrungen werden dazu benutzt, werkseitig den Druckkopf mit dem erforderlichen Vorrat an Tinte zu befüllen. Nach Beendigung des Befüllvorgangs wird im allgemeinen ein Deckel aufgebracht, der das Gehäuse des Druckkopfs nach oben hin vollflächig abdeckt.Printheads, such as are commercially available today, receive the ink supply in an ink supply chamber arranged within a housing, in which the foamed material that often receives the ink is located. It is preferably polyurethane foam of defined porosity and capillarity, which is particularly suitable for the absorption of ink. In the case of a single-color print head, a single ink supply chamber is provided; the print head for a multicolor printer generally contains three separate ink supply chambers for holding three different color components, for example magenta, cyan and yellow. The ink supply chambers are above from above a filling hole accessible. In the case of the multi-color printhead, the chambers are closed at the top by a common cover plate which has three through holes arranged in a line. The through holes are used to fill the printhead with the required supply of ink at the factory. After the filling process has ended, a cover is generally applied which covers the entire surface of the housing of the print head.

Der Deckel besitzt einen erhaben ausgeformten Abschnitt, der sich nach Art eines Quaders aus der Grundfläche erheben kann. Damit wird die Handhabung des Druckkopfs erleichtert, da die übrigen Gehäuseteile als Grifffläche nicht geeignet sind, weil sie teilweise Funktionselemente enthalten, die nicht berührt werden dürfen, wie z.B. die Kontaktfolie zum elektrischen Anschluß an die Steuereinrichtung oder die Düsenplatte, oder weil sie durch druckerseitig vorhandene Führungsflächen oder andere Bauelemente nicht ausreichend zugänglich sind. Auch enthält der Deckel meist Markierungen, z.B. in Form eines Pfeils, die das seitenrichtige Einsetzen des Druckkopfs erleichtern.The lid has a raised section that can rise from the base in the manner of a cuboid. This simplifies the handling of the printhead, since the other housing parts are not suitable as a gripping surface, because they sometimes contain functional elements that must not be touched, e.g. the contact film for electrical connection to the control device or the nozzle plate, or because they are not sufficiently accessible due to guide surfaces or other components provided on the printer. The lid also usually contains markings, e.g. in the form of an arrow, which make it easier to insert the printhead correctly.

Nachteilig bei einem derartigen Deckel ist es, daß er den Zugang zu den Befüllöffnungen und damit zu den Tintenvorratskammern verhindert. Der Druckkopf muß deshalb nach dem Verbrauch des Tintenvorrats in der Tintenkammer verworfen werden, obwohl alle übrigen Funktionselemente noch vollständig gebrauchsfähig sind. Beim Mehrfarben-Druckkopf wird das Lebensdauerende bereits dann erreicht, wenn der Tintenvorrat lediglich einer der drei Tintenvorratskammern erschöpft ist, da eine farbkorrekte Wiedergabe dann nicht mehr möglich ist. Dies bedeutet, daß der Druckkopf verworfen werden muß, obwohl die beiden übrigen Tintenvorratskammern noch Tintenvorrate enthalten. Dies ist aus ökologischer und ökonomischer Sicht äußerst unerwünscht.The disadvantage of such a cover is that it prevents access to the filling openings and thus to the ink supply chambers. The print head must therefore be discarded after the ink supply in the ink chamber has been used up, although all the other functional elements are still fully usable. In the case of the multicolor print head, the end of the service life is already reached when the ink supply in only one of the three ink supply chambers is exhausted, since a color-correct reproduction is then not possible is more possible. This means that the printhead must be discarded even though the other two ink storage chambers still contain ink supplies. This is extremely undesirable from an ecological and economic point of view.

Der vorliegenden Erfindung lag das Problem zugrunde, einen Deckel für einen Druckkopf eines Tintenstrahldruckers der eingangs genannten Art zur Verfügung zu stellen, der diese Nachteile beseitigt. Insbesondere soll er auf einfache Art und Weise die Zugänglichkeit zu den Befüllbohrungen und damit zu den Tintenvorratskammern selbst ermöglichen.The present invention was based on the problem of providing a cover for a printhead of an ink jet printer of the type mentioned at the outset, which eliminates these disadvantages. In particular, it should allow access to the filling holes and thus to the ink supply chambers themselves in a simple manner.

Gelöst wird dieses Problem mit einem Deckel, der die Merkmale des Anspruchs 1 aufweist. Vorteilhafte Ausgestaltungsformen des erfindungsgemäßen Deckels sind durch die Merkmale der Unteransprüche angegeben.This problem is solved with a lid that has the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the cover according to the invention are specified by the features of the subclaims.

Das Problem wird weiterhin durch einen Druckkopf gelöst, der die Merkmale des Anspruchs 11 aufweist.The problem is further solved by a printhead having the features of claim 11.

Der Erfindung liegt die Idee zugrunde, den Deckel als solchen mit Einfüllöffnungen zu versehen, die mit den Befüllbohrungen des Druckkopfs kommunizieren. Die Zahl der Einfüllöffnungen entspricht der Zahl der Tintenkammern, so daß jeweils eine Einfüllöffnung einer bestimmten Befüllbohrung zugeordnet ist. Hierdurch ist es möglich, Tintenvorrat auf einfache Art und Weise zu ergänzen, ohne daß der Deckel vom Gehäuse des Druckkopfs abgenommen werden muß. Durch einfache Mittel, wie beispielsweise eine Injektionsnadel, kann Tintenvorrat gezielt ergänzt werden. Dies ist insbesondere bei einem Mehrfarben-Druckkopf von Vorteil, da es ausreichend ist, die jeweils verbrauchte Farbkomponente einzeln nachzufüllen.The invention is based on the idea of providing the lid as such with filling openings which communicate with the filling bores of the printhead. The number of filling openings corresponds to the number of ink chambers, so that each filling opening is assigned to a specific filling hole. This makes it possible to easily add ink supply without having to remove the cover from the housing of the print head. Ink can be replenished in a targeted manner by simple means, such as an injection needle. This is particularly advantageous in the case of a multicolor printhead, since it is sufficient for the color component used in each case refill individually.

In einer bevorzugten Ausführungsform besteht der Deckel aus einem transparenten Material. Hierdurch ist es möglich, den Nachfüllvorgang zu beobachten und damit Fehler weitgehend auszuschließen. So ist unmittelbar zu erkennen, welche Einfüllöffnung im Deckel der jeweiligen Befüllbohrung der Tintenvorratskammer und damit einer bestimmten Farbkomponente der Tinte zugeordnet ist.In a preferred embodiment, the lid is made of a transparent material. This makes it possible to observe the refilling process and thus largely rule out errors. It can thus be seen immediately which fill opening in the lid of the respective filling hole of the ink supply chamber and thus is assigned to a specific color component of the ink.

Zur Erleichterung des Befüllvorgangs können weitere Maßnahmen vorgesehen sein, beispielsweise können die Einfüllöffnungen, die sich am erhaben ausgeformten Handhabungsabschnitt des Deckels befinden, über rohrförmige, durchgehende Kanäle mit den jeweiligen Einfüllöffnungen dichtend verbunden sein. Hierdurch wird einerseits die Injektionsnadel, die in die Tintenvorratskammer einzuführen ist, optimal geführt. Auch ist im Falle des versehentlichen Überfüllens ein Übertreten von Tinte in einen benachbarten Tintenvorratsraum nicht möglich, da die überschüssige Tinte im rohrförmigen Kanal nach oben steigt und dadurch das Überfüllen unmittelbar erkennbar ist. Das Übertreten selbst geringer Mengen von Tinte in eine benachbarte Tintenkammer ist nämlich unter allen Umständen zu vermeiden, da dies zur verfälschten Farbwiedergabe und damit zur Unbrauchbarkeit des Druckkopfs führt.Further measures can be provided to facilitate the filling process, for example the filling openings, which are located on the raised shaped handling section of the lid, can be connected in a sealing manner to the respective filling openings via tubular, continuous channels. On the one hand, this optimally guides the injection needle that is to be inserted into the ink supply chamber. Also, in the event of accidental overfilling, it is not possible for ink to pass into an adjacent ink supply space, since the excess ink rises upwards in the tubular channel and the overfill is thereby immediately recognizable. The transfer of even small amounts of ink into an adjacent ink chamber must be avoided under all circumstances, since this leads to incorrect color reproduction and thus to the print head being unusable.

Das Einführen der Injektionsnadel kann weiterhin dadurch erleichtert werden, daß die Einfüllöffnungen mit einer trichterförmigen Ansenkung versehen sind. Weiterhin ist es von Vorteil, wenn die Einfüllöffnungen einen relativ großen Durchmesser aufweisen, wobei in einem derartigen Fall der Querschnittsverlauf der rohrförmigen Kanäle zur jeweiligen Befüllbohrung hin abnimmt.The insertion of the injection needle can further be facilitated in that the filling openings are provided with a funnel-shaped countersink. It is also advantageous if the filling openings have a relatively large diameter, in which case the Cross-sectional profile of the tubular channels to the respective filling hole decreases.

Die rohrförmigen Kanäle sind am unteren Ende so gestaltet, daß sie dichtend in die Befüllbohrungen eingreifen. Hierzu können sie beispielsweise um einen bestimmten Betrag in Axialrichtung überlappend in die Befüllbohrungen hineinragen.The tubular channels are designed at the lower end so that they engage sealingly in the filling holes. For this purpose, they can protrude into the filling bores, for example, overlapping in the axial direction by a certain amount.

Die Befestigung des Deckels auf dem Druckkopf kann prinzipiell auf verschiedene Art und Weise, d.h. lösbar oder nicht lösbar, erfolgen. An sich ist es ausreichend, den Deckel - wie bisher - im Randbereich mit dem Gehäuse des Druckkopfs zu verkleben. Dies bietet sich insbesondere dann an, wenn der Druckkopf bereits bei seiner ersten Auslieferung, also werkseitig, mit einem derartigen Deckel ausgerüstet wird. Besonders vorteilhaft hingegen ist es, den Deckel lösbar, und zwar mit Hilfe von druckkopfseitig vorhandenen Rastelementen, anzubringen. Auf diese Weise kann der Deckel am Ende der Lebensdauer des Druckkopfs leicht vom Gehäuse gelöst und einer Wiederverwertung zugeführt werden. Der besondere Vorteil einer derartigen Konfiguration liegt jedoch darin, daß auch ältere, bereits in Gebrauch befindliche Druckköpfe zu wiederbefüllbaren Druckköpfen umgerüstet werden können. Hierzu muß lediglich der aufgeklebte, allseits geschlossene Deckel vom Gehäuse abgehebelt werden. Anschließend wird der erfindungsgemäße Deckel unter Verwendung bereits vorhandener Rastelemente auf dem Gehäuse aufgeklipst. Durch diese Maßnahme, die sogar von den Anwendern des Druckkopfs selbst durchgeführt werden kann, eröffnet sich ein enormes Potential zur Vermeidung von Abfall durch die Schaffung der Wiederbefüllmöglichkeit eines Druckkopfs, der ursprünglich als Wegwerfartikel konzipiert war.In principle, the cover can be attached to the printhead in various ways, ie releasably or non-releasably. As such, it is sufficient, as before, to glue the cover to the edge of the printhead housing. This is particularly useful if the print head is already equipped with such a cover when it is first delivered, that is, at the factory. On the other hand, it is particularly advantageous to detachably attach the lid, with the aid of locking elements provided on the print head side. In this way, the cover can easily be detached from the housing at the end of the print head's life and recycled. The particular advantage of such a configuration, however, is that even older printheads that are already in use can be converted to refillable printheads. All that is required is to pry off the glued-on lid, which is closed on all sides, from the housing. The cover according to the invention is then clipped onto the housing using existing locking elements. This measure, which can even be carried out by the users of the printhead itself, opens up enormous potential for avoiding waste by creating the possibility of refilling a printhead that was originally designed as a disposable item.

Die Erfindung wird nachstehend näher anhand eines Ausführungsbeispiels erläutert. Dort sind auch weitere Vorteile angegeben, die sich aufgrund der Merkmale erzielen lassen. Es zeigen in schematischer Darstellung :

Figur 1
Seitenansicht des Deckels,
Figur 2
Ansicht von vorn des Deckels,
Figur 3
Draufsicht des Deckels,
Figur 4
Seitenansicht eines Druckkopfs mit aufgesetztem Deckel,
Figur 5
(Teil-)Schnittdarstellung des Druckkopfs mit aufgesetztem Deckel aus Figur 4 und
Figur 6
Ansicht von vorn des Druckkopfs mit aufgesetztem Deckel aus Figur 4, Deckel teilweise aufgebrochen.
The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment. There are also other advantages that can be achieved based on the characteristics. In a schematic representation:
Figure 1
Side view of the lid,
Figure 2
Front view of the lid,
Figure 3
Top view of the lid,
Figure 4
Side view of a printhead with the lid on,
Figure 5
(Partial) sectional view of the printhead with the cover from FIGS. 4 and
Figure 6
Front view of the printhead with the lid from FIG. 4, lid partially broken open.

Der Deckel 1 weist eine im wesentlichen ebene Grundplatte 12 auf, aus der sich ein Handhabungsabschnitt erhebt. Der Handhabungsabschnitt 2 hat einen rechteckigen Grundriß und erstreckt sich über einen Großteil der Grundplatte 12. Die Rückseite 13 des Handhabungsabschnitts 2 verläuft im wesentlichen senkrecht zur Grundplatte 12. Die Vorderseite 14 ist leicht schräg verlaufend gestaltet, so daß sich insgesamt ein trapezförmiger Querschnitt ergibt. Am Handhabungsabschnitt 2 ist eine Markierung 15 angebracht, die in der Draufsicht die Gestalt eines Pfeils aufweist und sich als integraler Bestandteil des Handhabungsabschnitts 2 aus dessen Vorderseite 14 erhebt. Durch den Pfeil 15 wird diejenige Richtung angedeutet, in welcher der Druckkopf in den Drucker eingesetzt werden muß.The lid 1 has a substantially flat base plate 12 from which a handling section rises. The handling section 2 has a rectangular outline and extends over a large part of the base plate 12. The rear side 13 of the handling section 2 extends essentially perpendicular to the base plate 12. The front side 14 is designed to be slightly oblique, so that overall a trapezoidal cross section results. At the handling section 2, a marking 15 is attached, which in plan view has the shape of an arrow and rises as an integral part of the handling section 2 from the front 14 thereof. The arrow 15 indicates the direction in which the print head must be inserted into the printer.

Die Seitenflächen 9 weisen einen Absatz 8 auf. Der Absatz 8 ist mit Durchbrüchen 10 versehen, durch die elastisch nachgebende Rastelemente 110 hindurchgeführt sind. Die Rastelemente 110 sind an einer Abdeckplatte 102 der Tintenvorratskammern angebracht. An ihrem oberen Ende weisen die Rastelemente 110 eine Rastnase 112 mit einem Raststeg 111 auf. Beim Aufsetzen des Deckels 1 gleiten die Rastelemente 110 mit dem vorderen Teil der Rastnase 112 an der Innenseite der Seitenwand 9 entlang und werden nach innen unter elastischer Deformation gedrückt. Kurz vor dem Aufsetzen des Deckels 1 auf dem Gehäuse des Druckkopfs 100 durchdringen die Rastelemente 110 die Öffnungen 10 des Absatzes 8, bis sie schließlich in der Endposition des Deckels 1 einrasten. In diesem Zustand wird der Raststeg 111 gegen die Unterkante 11 der Seitenwand 9 im Bereich des Durchbruchs 10 gedrückt gehalten. Die Rastelemente 110 sind im Bereich der Rastnase 112, insbesondere hinsichtlich der Erstreckung des Raststegs 111, in Längsrichtung exakt auf die Breite der Durchbrüche 10, insbesondere im Bereich der Unterkante 11, abgestimmt, so daß der Deckel 1 in bezug auf den Druckkopf 100 in der gewünschten Position fixiert wird.The side surfaces 9 have a shoulder 8. The paragraph 8 is provided with openings 10 through which resilient locking elements 110 are passed. The locking elements 110 are attached to a cover plate 102 of the ink supply chambers. At their upper end, the latching elements 110 have a latching lug 112 with a latching web 111. When the cover 1 is put on, the latching elements 110 slide with the front part of the latching lug 112 along the inside of the side wall 9 and are pressed inward with elastic deformation. Shortly before the cover 1 is placed on the housing of the print head 100, the latching elements 110 penetrate the openings 10 of the shoulder 8 until they finally snap into the end position of the cover 1. In this state, the locking web 111 is held pressed against the lower edge 11 of the side wall 9 in the region of the opening 10. The locking elements 110 are in the area of the locking lug 112, in particular with respect to the extension of the locking web 111, exactly matched in the longitudinal direction to the width of the openings 10, in particular in the area of the lower edge 11, so that the cover 1 with respect to the print head 100 in the desired position is fixed.

Auch kann an der Unterseite des Deckels 1 ein zumindest abschnittsweise umlaufender Steg 20 angeformt sein, der zur positionierenden Anlage an einem hier nicht näher dargestellten, druckkopfseitig vorhandenen Absatz bestimmt ist.Also, a web 20, which at least in sections runs around, can be formed on the underside of the cover 1 and is used for positioning on a not shown existing paragraph on the print head side is determined.

Der Deckel weist im Bereich des Handhabungsabschnitts 2 zwei Einfüllöffnungen 3 und im Bereich der Grundplatte 12 eine Einfüllöffnung 4 auf. Diese sind jeweils Befüllbohrungen 103, 104 der nicht näher dargestellten Tintenvorratskammern im Druckkopf 100 zugeordnet. Es handelt sich demnach um einen Druckkopf für einen Farbdrucker, dessen drei separat angeordnete Tintenvorratskammern Tinte z.B. in den Farbkomponenten Magenta, Cyan und gelb aufnehmen.The lid has two filling openings 3 in the area of the handling section 2 and one filling opening 4 in the area of the base plate 12. These are each assigned to filling bores 103, 104 of the ink supply chambers in the print head 100, which are not shown in detail. It is therefore a printhead for a color printer, the three separately arranged ink storage chambers of which are ink, e.g. pick up in the color components magenta, cyan and yellow.

Durch die Einfüllöffnungen 3, 4 sind die darunter liegenden Befüllbohrungen 103, 104 des Druckkopfs 100 leicht und in eindeutiger Zuordnung zugänglich. Bei dem dargestellten Druckkopf 100 sind die Befüllbohrungen 103, 104 in der die Tintenvorratskammern im übrigen dicht abschließenden Abdeckplatte 102 angeordnet. Um die Befüllöffnungen 103, 104 sind Ringstege 105, 106 angeformt.The filling bores 103, 104 of the printhead 100 located below are easily accessible through the filling openings 3, 4 and are clearly assigned. In the illustrated print head 100, the filling bores 103, 104 are arranged in the cover plate 102, which otherwise tightly seals the ink supply chambers. Ring webs 105, 106 are formed around the filling openings 103, 104.

Die Ringstege 105 der Befüllbohrungen 103 werden als Lagersteg für rohrförmige Kanäle 5 benutzt, die als durchgängige Verbindung zwischen den Einfüllöffnungen 3 und den Befüllbohrungen 103 gestaltet und einstückig im Inneren des Deckels 1 angeformt sind.The ring webs 105 of the filling bores 103 are used as a bearing web for tubular channels 5, which are designed as a continuous connection between the filling openings 3 and the filling bores 103 and are integrally formed on the inside of the cover 1.

Am unteren Ende weisen die rohrförmigen Kanäle 5 ringförmige Absatzstege 7 auf, so daß sie in teilweise axialer Überdeckung in die Ringstege 105 hineingeführt sind. Durch eine exakte Gestaltung und Bemessung der Absatzstege 7 gelingt ein flüssigkeitsdichter Übergang von den Kanälen 5 zu den Befüllbohrungen 103.At the lower end, the tubular channels 5 have annular shoulder webs 7, so that they are guided into the annular webs 105 with a partial axial overlap. The liquid-tight transition from the channels 5 to the filling bores 103 is achieved by an exact design and dimensioning of the heel webs 7.

Die Kanäle 5 weisen einen Querschnittsverlauf auf, der sich von oben nach unten hin verjüngt. Hierdurch ist es möglich, die Einfüllöffnungen 3 relativ groß zu gestalten, so daß sich die zum Befüllen einzuführende Injektionsnadel leicht einbringen läßt. Das Einbringen wird zusätzlich dadurch erleichtert, daß die Einfüllöffnungen 3 Einführhilfen in Form von trichterförmigen Ansenkungen 6 besitzen. Eine entsprechend gestaltete Einführhilfe ist ebenfalls bei der im Bereich der Grundplatte 12 angeordneten Einfüllöffnung 4 angebracht.The channels 5 have a cross-sectional profile that tapers from top to bottom. This makes it possible to make the filling openings 3 relatively large, so that the injection needle to be inserted for filling can be inserted easily. The introduction is additionally facilitated in that the filler openings 3 have insertion aids in the form of funnel-shaped countersinks 6. A correspondingly designed insertion aid is also attached to the filling opening 4 arranged in the area of the base plate 12.

Durch die getrennte Anordnung der Einfüllöffnungen 3, 4 und die fluiddicht gestalteten Übergänge von den Kanälen 5 zu den Befüllbohrungen 103 ist ein unbeabsichtigtes Übertreten von Tinte in eine benachbarte Befüllbohrung zuverlässig vermieden. Für den Fall, daß überschüssige Tinte nach oben durch eine der Befüllbohrungen 103 hindurchtreten sollte, verbleibt diese im Inneren des zugehörigen Kanals 5, der in diesem Fall die Funktion eines Auffang- bzw. Puffervolumens besitzt.The separate arrangement of the filling openings 3, 4 and the fluid-tight transitions from the channels 5 to the filling bores 103 reliably prevent unintentional passage of ink into an adjacent filling bore. In the event that excess ink should pass up through one of the filling bores 103, this remains in the interior of the associated channel 5, which in this case has the function of a collection or buffer volume.

Besondere Vorteile ergeben sich dadurch, daß der Deckel 1 aus transparentem Material gefertigt ist. Auf diese Weise ist es zunächst einmal möglich, die Zuordnung jeder Einfüllöffnung 3, 4 zur jeweiligen Tintenvorratskammer und damit zu der jeweiligen Farbkomponente festzustellen. So ist die jeweilige Farbkomponente zumindest durch die Befüllbohrungen 103, 104 hindurch erkennbar. Erleichtert wird in den meisten Fällen das Erkennen dadurch, daß die Abdeckplatte 102 selbst aus transparentem Material besteht und so den Blick in das Innere der Tintenvorratskammern freigibt.Particular advantages result from the fact that the cover 1 is made of transparent material. In this way, it is first possible to determine the assignment of each fill opening 3, 4 to the respective ink supply chamber and thus to the respective color component. The respective color component can thus be seen at least through the filling bores 103, 104. In most cases, the recognition is facilitated by the fact that the cover plate 102 itself is made of transparent material and thus provides a view into the interior of the ink supply chambers.

Auch kann der Befüllvorgang selbst optimal kontrolliert werden. Es ist sofort erkennbar, wenn das Aufnahmevermögen der Tintenvorratskammer erschöpft ist und deshalb Tinte in der Befüllbohrung 103, 104 nicht mehr abfließt. Somit wird der Nachfüllvorgang selbst sehr ökonomisch gestaltet, da ein Überfüllen des Druckkopfs praktisch ausgeschlossen ist. Selbst im Falle des Überfüllens besteht keine Gefahr, daß die Farbwiedergabe durch eine in eine benachbarte Tintenvorratskammer übergetretene Farbkomponente verfälscht wird.The filling process itself can also be optimally controlled. It can be seen immediately when the capacity of the ink supply chamber is exhausted and therefore ink no longer flows off in the filling bore 103, 104. This makes the refill process itself very economical, since overfilling the print head is practically impossible. Even in the case of overfilling, there is no danger that the color reproduction will be falsified by a color component which has passed into an adjacent ink supply chamber.

Obwohl der erfindungsgemäße Deckel besonders bevorzugt bei Druckköpfen für Mehrfarbendrucker zur Anwendung kommt, kann er gleichwohl auch bei Druckköpfen eingesetzt werden, die lediglich eine einzige Tintenvorratskammer aufweisen, die beispielsweise mit schwarzer Tinte befüllt ist. In diesem Fall ist lediglich eine Einfüllöffnung vorzusehen.Although the cover according to the invention is particularly preferably used in print heads for multicolor printers, it can nevertheless also be used in print heads which have only a single ink supply chamber which is filled, for example, with black ink. In this case, only one fill opening has to be provided.

Der erfindungsgemäße Deckel kann einerseits für die Erstausrüstung eines Druckkopfs angewendet werden. In diesem Fall wird der Druckkopf bereits werkseitig als wiederbefüllbarer Druckkopf konfiguriert. Andererseits ist es auch möglich, einen Einweg-Druckkopf auf einen wiederbefüllbaren Druckkopf durch Austausch des Deckels umzurüsten, wie dies vorstehend beschrieben ist.The cover according to the invention can be used on the one hand for the initial equipment of a printhead. In this case, the print head is configured at the factory as a refillable print head. On the other hand, it is also possible to convert a disposable printhead to a refillable printhead by replacing the cover, as described above.

FIGURENLEGENDEFIGURE LEGEND

11
Deckelcover
22nd
HandhabungsabschnittHandling section
33rd
EinfüllöffnungFilling opening
44th
EinfüllöffnungFilling opening
55
Kanalchannel
66
EinführhilfeInsertion aid
77
AbsatzstegHeel
88th
Absatzparagraph
99
SeitenwandSide wall
1010th
Durchbruchbreakthrough
1111
UnterkanteLower edge
1212th
GrundplatteBase plate
1313
RückwandBack wall
1414
VorderwandFront wall
100100
DruckkopfPrinthead
102102
AbdeckplatteCover plate
103103
BefüllbohrungFilling hole
104104
BefüllbohrungFilling hole
105105
RingstegRing bridge
106106
RingstegRing bridge
110110
RastelementLocking element
111111
RaststegRest bridge
112112
RastnaseLatch

Claims (12)

Deckel für einen Druckkopf eines Tintenstrahldruckers mit einem erhaben ausgeformten Handhabungsabschnitt, wobei der Druckkopf wenigstens eine Tintenvorratskammer aufweist, die von oben über eine Befüllbohrung zugänglich ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß Einfüllöffnungen (3, 4) in einer der Anzahl der Tintenkammern entsprechenden Zahl derart angebracht sind, daß sie jeweils einer bestimmten Befüllbohrung (103, 104) des Druckkopfs (100) kommunizierend zugeordnet sind.Lid for a printhead of an inkjet printer with a raised molded handling section, the printhead having at least one ink supply chamber which is accessible from above via a filling hole, characterized in that filler openings (3, 4) are provided in a number corresponding to the number of ink chambers that they are each assigned to a specific filling hole (103, 104) of the print head (100) communicating. Deckel nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß er aus transparentem Material besteht.Lid according to claim 1, characterized in that it consists of transparent material. Deckel nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das transparente Material transparentes Polystyrol ist.Lid according to claim 2, characterized in that the transparent material is transparent polystyrene. Deckel nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die am erhaben ausgeformten Handhabungsabschnitt (2) angeordneten Einfüllöffnungen (3) in rohrförmige Kanäle (5) münden, die dazu bestimmt sind, mit den zugehörigen Befüllbohrungen (103) zu kommunizieren.Lid according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filling openings (3) arranged on the raised molded handling section (2) open into tubular channels (5) which are intended to communicate with the associated filling bores (103). Deckel nach Anspruch 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die am Handhabungsabschnitt (2) angeordneten Einfüllöffnungen (3) Einführhilfen (6) aufweisen.Lid according to claim 4, characterized in that the filling openings (3) arranged on the handling section (2) have insertion aids (6). Deckel nach Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Einführhilfen (6) die Form einer trichterförmigen Ansenkung haben.Lid according to claim 5, characterized in that the insertion aids (6) have the shape of a funnel-shaped countersink. Deckel nach einem der Ansprüche 4 bis 6, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die rohrförmigen Kanäle (5) nach unten hin einen sich konisch verjüngenden Querschnittsverlauf aufweisen.Lid according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the tubular channels (5) have a conically tapering cross-sectional shape downwards. Deckel nach einem der Ansprüche 4 bis 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die rohrförmigen Kanäle (5) am unteren Ende einen ringförmigen Absatzsteg (7) aufweisen, der zum dichtenden Eingriff in die jeweilige Befüllbohrung (103) bestimmt ist.Lid according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the tubular channels (5) have at the lower end an annular shoulder web (7) which is intended for sealing engagement in the respective filling bore (103). Deckel nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Seitenwände (9) Durchbrüche (10) aufweisen, die dazu bestimmt sind, daß durch sie elastisch nachgebende, druckkopfseitig vorhandene Rastelemente (110) hindurchgeführt und mit ihrem Raststeg (111) gegen die die Rastfläche bildende Unterkante (11) des Durchbruchs (10) unter Vorspannung gehalten werden.Lid according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side walls (9) have openings (10) which are designed so that latching elements (110), which yield elastically, pass through them and with their latching web (111) against the Lower edge (11) of the opening (10) forming the latching surface are held under pretension. Deckel nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß an der Unterseite ein zumindest abschnittsweise umlaufender Steg (20) angeformt ist, der zur positionierenden Anlage an einem druckkopfseitigen Absatz bestimmt ist.Lid according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a web (20) which is circumferential at least in sections and is formed on the underside and is intended for positioning against a shoulder on the print head side. Druckkopf eines Tintenstrahldruckers, der wenigstens eine Tintenvorratskammer aufweist, die von oben über eine Befüllbohrung zugänglich ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß er einen Deckel nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 10 aufweist.Print head of an inkjet printer, which at least has an ink supply chamber which is accessible from above via a filling hole, characterized in that it has a cover according to one of claims 1 to 10. Verwendung eines Deckels nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 10 zur Umrüstung eines Einweg-Druckkopfs eines Tintenstrahldruckers in einen wiederbefüllbaren Druckkopf.Use of a cover according to one of claims 1 to 10 for converting a disposable printhead of an ink jet printer into a refillable printhead.
EP93116598A 1992-10-19 1993-10-14 Cover for an ink jet printhead Expired - Lifetime EP0594055B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE4235029 1992-10-19
DE4235029A DE4235029C2 (en) 1992-10-19 1992-10-19 Cover for a printhead of an inkjet printer

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EP0594055A1 true EP0594055A1 (en) 1994-04-27
EP0594055B1 EP0594055B1 (en) 1996-03-06

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EP93116598A Expired - Lifetime EP0594055B1 (en) 1992-10-19 1993-10-14 Cover for an ink jet printhead

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EP (1) EP0594055B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE134935T1 (en)
DE (2) DE4235029C2 (en)
DK (1) DK0594055T3 (en)

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US5531055A (en) * 1994-04-06 1996-07-02 Nu-Kote International, Inc. Refill assembly and system for ink-jet printer cartridges
FR2733180A1 (en) * 1995-04-21 1996-10-25 Seiko Epson Corp INK TANK CARTRIDGE FOR AN INK JET TYPE PRINTING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR FILLING SUCH AN INK TANK CARTRIDGE, ASSEMBLY AND FILLING KIT FOR SUCH A CARTRIDGE
WO1997047475A1 (en) 1996-06-07 1997-12-18 B.M.S. Costruzione Stampi S.R.L. Re-loading device for ink-jet writing head

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US5748216A (en) * 1991-06-19 1998-05-05 Hewlett-Packard Company Inkjet print cartridge having valve connectable to an external ink reservoir for recharging the print cartridge
US5675367A (en) * 1992-12-23 1997-10-07 Hewlett-Packard Company Inkjet print cartridge having handle which incorporates an ink fill port
DE4434186A1 (en) * 1994-09-24 1996-03-28 Pms Gmbh Prod & Recycling Printhead for an inkjet printer and device for refilling such a printhead

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EP0147186A2 (en) * 1983-12-27 1985-07-03 Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A. Serial printing head of electrically conductive ink jet type
US4907018A (en) * 1988-11-21 1990-03-06 Hewlett-Packard Company Printhead-carriage alignment and electrical interconnect lock-in mechanism
EP0395197A1 (en) * 1989-03-27 1990-10-31 Tektronix Inc. Ink jet cartridges and ink cartridge mounting system
US4935751A (en) * 1989-09-21 1990-06-19 Hewlett-Packard Company Level sensor for ink bag
EP0568124A1 (en) * 1992-04-28 1993-11-03 Hubertus Antonius Johannes Smets A method and a holder for refilling ink cartridges to be used in ink jet printing devices and the like

Cited By (3)

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US5531055A (en) * 1994-04-06 1996-07-02 Nu-Kote International, Inc. Refill assembly and system for ink-jet printer cartridges
FR2733180A1 (en) * 1995-04-21 1996-10-25 Seiko Epson Corp INK TANK CARTRIDGE FOR AN INK JET TYPE PRINTING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR FILLING SUCH AN INK TANK CARTRIDGE, ASSEMBLY AND FILLING KIT FOR SUCH A CARTRIDGE
WO1997047475A1 (en) 1996-06-07 1997-12-18 B.M.S. Costruzione Stampi S.R.L. Re-loading device for ink-jet writing head

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DK0594055T3 (en) 1996-05-20
DE4235029A1 (en) 1994-04-21
DE59301788D1 (en) 1996-04-11
EP0594055B1 (en) 1996-03-06
DE4235029C2 (en) 1994-07-14
ATE134935T1 (en) 1996-03-15

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