EP0605183B1 - Device for holding cartridges for an ink-jet printer and keeping them supplied with ink - Google Patents
Device for holding cartridges for an ink-jet printer and keeping them supplied with ink Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0605183B1 EP0605183B1 EP93310396A EP93310396A EP0605183B1 EP 0605183 B1 EP0605183 B1 EP 0605183B1 EP 93310396 A EP93310396 A EP 93310396A EP 93310396 A EP93310396 A EP 93310396A EP 0605183 B1 EP0605183 B1 EP 0605183B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- cartridge
- ink
- chamber
- cartridges
- container
- 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.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
- 239000000976 ink Substances 0.000 claims description 58
- 238000007639 printing Methods 0.000 claims description 15
- 239000003086 colorant Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 7
- 238000005192 partition Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000002745 absorbent Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000002250 absorbent Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000007641 inkjet printing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000007792 addition Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000015271 coagulation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005345 coagulation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000001035 drying Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011148 porous material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920005989 resin Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000011347 resin Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
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
- B41J2/1752—Mounting within the printer
-
- 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
- B41J2/17509—Whilst mounted in the printer
-
- 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
- B41J2/17533—Storage or packaging of ink cartridges
Definitions
- This invention relates to a device for holding printer cartridges, especially cartridges for an ink-jet printer, and keeping them supplied with ink.
- Ink-jet printers normally use a printing device which can be of two types.
- the first type is formed by a printing head integral with the ink reservoir.
- the head is separate from the reservoir and is fixed to a support integral with the carriage and is supplied with ink by means of a cartridge to be inserted into the head support.
- the cartridge is automatically connected to the head so that it can be supplied with ink by means of various hydraulic connecting devices, as described, e.g. United States Patents in US-A-5 119 115 and US-A-3 967 286.
- US-A-3 967 286 relates to a type of hydraulic connection using a capillary element to supply the reservoir of a printing head.
- the first solution is quite inadvisable as it represents a costly waste of material and above all contributes to pollution of the environment by non-biodegradable materials, such as the resins generally used in the manufacture of cartridges of this kind.
- an object of this invention is to provide a device for keeping printer cartridges supplied with ink and in which they can be kept for a considerable period of time so as to eliminate the abovementioned disadvantages.
- Another important object of this invention is to provide a device which is separate from the printer and is adapted to supply one or more used cartridges with new ink, and/or to keep one or more cartridges full of ink intact and ready for use for an indefinite period of time.
- a device for holding the cartridges from an ink-jet printer and keeping them supplied with ink comprises a container divided into two chambers.
- the lower chamber is filled with ink and the upper chamber contains a seat for housing one or more cartridges.
- the cartridges are automatically supplied with new ink drawn from the lower chamber by means of porous elements having a capillary structure, which are immersed in the ink and communicate with the cartridges by means of a hole in one of their walls.
- the user of an ink-jet printer has one of these cartridge holding devices which he uses to replenish the ink in used cartridges. He can also keep filled cartridges in it until they are required for use. Thus he can have one cartridge re-filling while another one is in use in the printer, and will thus always have a spare ready for use.
- the cartridges can be made with separate compartments for different colored inks, in which case the lower chamber is correspondingly divided and there is a separate porous element for each compartment.
- the reference numeral 10 designates a container in the form of a substantially parallelepipedal box defined by rigid lateral walls 12 and a base wall 14 integral with the lateral walls 12.
- a wall 18 at a certain distance from the base wall 14 is disposed in the lower part 16 of the container 10.
- the wall 18 is also rigid and parallel to the wall 14.
- the wall 18 is connected along its edge 19 to the lateral walls 12 at a predetermined distance from the base wall 14 so as to divide the inner space of the container 10 into a lower chamber 20 and an upper chamber 22.
- the wall 18 is provided with a hole 24 through which an element 26 of porous material with high capillarity is passed.
- the element 26 is anchored to the edge of the hole 24 by means of a rubber ring 28 and projects above the wall 18 via one end 27 towards the interior of the upper chamber 22, while in the lower chamber 20 it extends as far as the vicinity of the base wall 14.
- the lower chamber 20 is filled with ink via the hole 24 before the capillary element 26 is fixed there and forms an ink container 25, as will be explained hereinafter, to supply ink to the used cartridges or integral heads.
- the upper chamber 22 comprises a seat for accommodating the cartridge, formed by ribs 29, 30 projecting from the lateral walls 12 into the interior of the chamber 22 and serving as a guide and support for a cartridge 32 of a separate printing head which cannot be seen in the drawings.
- the cartridge 32 ( Figures 1 and 2) comprises a reservoir 34 filled with a spongy absorbent material 35 impregnated with ink.
- Figures 3 and 4 show the container 10 of Fig. 1, its internal structure being modified so that it is adapted to contain a cartridge or reservoir 40 integral with the appropriate printing head 42 (Fig. 4), also referred to as an integral printing head.
- the reservoir 43 of the head 40 comprises a lower projecting part 46 to the exterior of which a multi-layer plate 48 carrying the nozzles for dispensing drops of ink is fixed.
- the plate is manufactured by typical methods for integrated circuits and contains the expulsion chambers, each containing a heating element and the relevant electrical connections and the feed passages of the chambers, which cannot be seen in the drawings. These passages are connected between the said chambers and a duct 39 (Fig. 4) formed in a wall 49 of the projecting part 36.
- Fig. 3 shows the empty container 10 of Fig. 4.
- the wall 18' defining the ink reservoir 36 has staggered portions separated by a step 37 defining a recess 37' for accommodating the projection 46 of the head 40 of Fig. 4.
- a pad 38 of soft absorbent material, e.g. felt or sponge, against which the plate 48 for the nozzles rests is disposed on the step 37. The pad serves to keep the nozzles clean and to remove any ink residue deposited on the outer face of the plate 48.
- the ribs 29, 30 extend parallel to the base wall 14 along the lateral walls 12 of the container 10.
- One base wall 33 of the cartridge 32 (Fig. 1) or of the reservoir 43 (Fig. 4) is provided with a through hole 54 through which the spongy material 35 passes towards the exterior.
- the hole 54 is disposed in such a position that, when the cartridge 32 or the reservoir 43 of the head 40 is placed in the upper chamber 22, the projecting end 27 of the capillary element 26 penetrates into the hole 54 and comes into contact with the spongy material 35, thereby creating a hydraulic connection between the container 25 and the cartridge 32 or the reservoir 43 of the head 40.
- the spongy material 35 is automatically supplied with ink by capillary action when the ink is used up after a period of use on a printer.
- An integral printing head 40 (Fig. 4) or a cartridge 32 (Fig. 1) with no ink left can therefore be placed in the chamber 22 where it is automatically supplied with ink from the container 25 by means of the capillary element 26.
- the head or the cartridge can be kept full of ink for an indefinite period of time and thus is always ready for use. There is no risk of drying or coagulation of the ink in the nozzles as the plate 48 for the nozzles is kept in a non-ventilated environment with high relative humidity. Moreover, as already stated, in order to guarantee the operation of the nozzles at any time, the pad 38 situated on the wall 37 (Fig. 3) in correspondence with the plate 48 is provided.
- Figures 5 and 6 are vertical sections of a container 60 having two distinct compartments 62 and 63 separated by a partition wall 65.
- the container 60 is adapted to contain a cartridge 64 full of ink of one color, e.g. black, in the compartment 62 and a cartridge 66 containing ink of three different colors in the compartment 63.
- Each ink impregnates a corresponding spongy body 67a, 67b, 67c, 67d (Fig. 5).
- the cartridge 66 is divided into three distinct chambers 66a, 66b, 66c separated by two walls 68.
- the base wall 69 is provided with three holes, one for each chamber 66, through which three corresponding capillary elements 70, 71, 72 supply ink to the spongy bodies 67, each with the appropriate color of ink.
- the three corresponding colored inks are contained in respective distinct compartments 75, 76, 77 disposed in the lower wall 78 of the container 60.
- the cartridge 64 is supplied in an analogous manner by a capillary element 80 which is immersed in a reservoir 82 containing black ink.
- the container 60 is closed at the top by a cover 84 which can be made in one piece or can be divided into two separate parts, one for each compartment 62 and 63.
- Figs. 7 and 8 show a container 86 embodying the invention which is adapted to supply and hold two different integral heads 87 and 88.
- the integral head 87 not shown in the drawing is similar to that 40 of Fig. 4 and is used for one single color, while the head 88 contains different inks in three compartments of the reservoir 89, these supplying three corresponding printing heads e.g. 88b fixed to the reservoir 89 (Fig. 8).
- Fig. 9 shows a container 90 embodying the invention which is adapted to contain four distinct integral heads 91 for four inks of different colors.
- the four heads 91 are identical to one another and to the head 40 of Fig. 4.
- Fig. 10 is a vertical section along the line X-X of Fig. 9 of one of the integral heads 91.
- the container 90 is divided into four independent compartments 92 separated from one another by means of partition walls 93. Ribs 94 and 96 similar to the analogous ribs 29 and 30 of Figures 1-4 are present in each compartment to support the integral heads 91.
- the container 90 is closed at the top by a removable airtight cover 97.
- the cover 97 can be divided into two or four separate parts so that two compartments or one single compartment can be uncovered at a time.
- the container of Fig. 9 can be modified in a simple manner so that it can accommodate four cartridges identical to one another and similar to the cartridge 32 of Fig. 1 or the cartridge 64 of Fig. 6, each filled with ink of a different color, the part 99 being made flat relative to the wall 18, as in Fig. 1.
- the containers of Figures 3, 8 and 10 can be adapted to accommodate a cartridge 105/support 106 group, as illustrated in Fig. 11.
- the cartridge 105 is similar to the one designated 32 in Fig. 1, while the support 106 consists of a parallelepipedal container 108 open towards the top and comprising lateral walls 110 having internal dimensions such that it can accommodate the cartridge 105.
- the container 108 On one base wall 112 and in the vicinity of a wall 110', the container 108 comprises a printing head 114 comprising a chamber 118 for the ink to supply a plate 120 carrying the printing nozzles 122.
- the plate 120 is of the type already described hereinabove with reference to Fig. 4.
- the chamber 118 communicates with the nozzles 122 via a passage 126.
- the support 106 is provided with coupling elements 128 for removably mounting the cartridge/support group on the carriage (not shown) of a printer.
- a multi-track flat cable 130 electrically connected via one end to the plate 120 is fixed to the outer face of the wall 110' in order to apply electric pulses to the plate 120 for the expulsion of drops of ink through the nozzles 122.
- a capillary element 134 is fixed to the support 106 on the interior of the wall 112 in correspondence with the chamber 118.
- the element 134 projects towards the interior of the container 108 so as to penetrate into a hole 136 in the cartridge 105 in order to come into contact with a spongy body 103 contained in the cartridge 105 and impregnated with ink.
- the element 134 transfers the ink from the sponge 103 into the chamber 118 still full of ink by capillarity, and supplies the nozzles 122.
- the cartridge 105 When the cartridge 105 is empty, it can be removed from the support 106 and can be introduced into a container 10 (Fig. 1) to be refilled with ink and to be kept full for subsequent use.
- the entire cartridge/support group 105-106 can be removed from the carriage of the printer and can be introduced into a modified container based on that of Figures 3, 8, and 10, as already explained hereinabove.
- the cartridge 105 mounted on the appropriate support 106 can be kept ready for use for an indefinite period of time.
- Figs. 12-14 show another device embodying the invention, adapted to contain and hold two cartridges of reduced size referred to as lap-top cartridges.
- a container 140 is divided internally by a partition wall 142 into a lower chamber 144 and an upper part 146.
- the upper part 146 is in turn divided into two compartments 147 and 148 by a wall 150.
- a cartridge 152 of reduced size compared, e.g. to the cartridge 32 of Fig. 1 is placed in the compartment 147.
- the cartridge 152 rests on two supporting ribs 155, 156 disposed on the wall 142.
- a capillary element 160 is fixed to the wall 142 and projects partially via one end 162 into the compartment 147 so as to contact, via a hole 153 formed in one wall of the cartridge 152, a spongy body 154 contained in its interior. In this manner, the ink contained in the lower chamber 144 supplies the cartridge 152 by capillary action via the element 160.
- the compartment 148 is completely sealed off both with respect to the lower chamber 144 and with respect to the exterior, so that it can house a cartridge 152' (Fig. 13) inserted into a support 170 carrying an ink-jet printing head 172 of a type similar to the head 42, 46 described with reference to Fig. 4.
- a cover 145 closes the upper opening of the container 140 in an airtight manner once a sealed cartridge 152 has been inserted into the compartment 147 and a cartridge 152' with the appropriate support 170 has been inserted into the compartment 148.
- the support 170 comprises a chamber 174 for supplying ink to the head 172 which communicates hydraulically with the cartridge 152' by means of a porous capillary element 176 emerging from the chamber 174.
- the capillary element 176 penetrates into the cartridge 152' through a hole 177 (Fig. 14) in order to contact the spongy body 154, which draws in the ink to supply the chamber 174.
- the compartment 147 moreover communicates with the lower chamber 144 by means of a duct 158 provided at the hole 177 of the cartridge 152 (Fig, 14) in order to keep that portion of sponge 154 appearing through the hole 177 in a damp environment and to keep the pressure in the interior of the cartridge 152 constant.
- the cartridge 152 is fixed firmly in its seat formed by the ribs 155, 156 by means of a leaf spring 163 fixed to the cover 145. Moreover, the cartridge 152 is pressed against the duct 158 by an elastic member 166 disposed between one lateral wall 141 and the cartridge 152 along the axis and on the opposite side with respect to the duct 158.
Landscapes
- Ink Jet (AREA)
Description
- This invention relates to a device for holding printer cartridges, especially cartridges for an ink-jet printer, and keeping them supplied with ink.
- One very important requirement when using ink-jet printers is always having a printing head ready for use, i.e. always supplied with ink.
- Ink-jet printers normally use a printing device which can be of two types. The first type is formed by a printing head integral with the ink reservoir. In the second type, the head is separate from the reservoir and is fixed to a support integral with the carriage and is supplied with ink by means of a cartridge to be inserted into the head support. In this latter case, the cartridge is automatically connected to the head so that it can be supplied with ink by means of various hydraulic connecting devices, as described, e.g. United States Patents in US-A-5 119 115 and US-A-3 967 286. In particular, US-A-3 967 286 relates to a type of hydraulic connection using a capillary element to supply the reservoir of a printing head.
- Each time a used cartridge of an ink-jet printing head is replaced by a new cartridge full of ink, the operator has two possible courses of action. The first is to throw away the used cartridge. The second possibility is to refill the used cartridge with more ink by one of the known methods, including, e.g. using a syringe to inject an appropriate quantity of ink into the reservoir, as described in United States Patent US-A-4 419 677.
- The first solution is quite inadvisable as it represents a costly waste of material and above all contributes to pollution of the environment by non-biodegradable materials, such as the resins generally used in the manufacture of cartridges of this kind.
- However the second solution is not very appealing to the operators of ink-jet printers as it involves wasting time and the risk of dirtying the hands and of dirtying the console or the surrounding objects.
- Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a device for keeping printer cartridges supplied with ink and in which they can be kept for a considerable period of time so as to eliminate the abovementioned disadvantages.
- Another important object of this invention is to provide a device which is separate from the printer and is adapted to supply one or more used cartridges with new ink, and/or to keep one or more cartridges full of ink intact and ready for use for an indefinite period of time.
- The present invention is defined in the independent claim below to which reference should now be made. Advantageous features of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.
- Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below. In the preferred embodiments, a device for holding the cartridges from an ink-jet printer and keeping them supplied with ink comprises a container divided into two chambers. The lower chamber is filled with ink and the upper chamber contains a seat for housing one or more cartridges. The cartridges are automatically supplied with new ink drawn from the lower chamber by means of porous elements having a capillary structure, which are immersed in the ink and communicate with the cartridges by means of a hole in one of their walls.
- The user of an ink-jet printer has one of these cartridge holding devices which he uses to replenish the ink in used cartridges. He can also keep filled cartridges in it until they are required for use. Thus he can have one cartridge re-filling while another one is in use in the printer, and will thus always have a spare ready for use.
- By use of such a device it is not necessary to throw away used cartridges that could be refilled. However, the refilling operation is much more attractive because it does not involve much waste of time, and because the risk of dirtying the hands and the equipment or surrounding objects is minimised.
- The cartridges can be made with separate compartments for different colored inks, in which case the lower chamber is correspondingly divided and there is a separate porous element for each compartment.
- These and other features will be clearer from the following description of several preferred embodiments given by way of non-limiting examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Fig. 1 is a section of a device embodying the invention for holding a cartridge for a printing head and keeping it supplied with ink;
- Fig. 2 is a section along the line II-II of Fig. 1;
- Fig. 3 is a section of the container of Fig. 1, adapted to contain a head integral with the appropriate reservoir;
- Fig. 4 is a section of the container of Fig. 3, containing an integral printing head;
- Fig. 5 shows a device embodying the invention adapted to contain two different cartridges;
- Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 5 along the line VI-VI;
- Fig. 7 shows a device embodying the invention adapted to contain two different integral heads, one with inks of different colors;
- Fig. 8 is a section of Fig. 7 along the line VIII-VIII;
- Fig. 9 shows a device embodying the invention adapted to contain four integral heads;
- Fig. 10 is a section along the line X-X of Fig. 9;
- Fig. 11 shows a cartridge within an appropriate support adapted to be inserted into the device of one of Figures 4, 7 and 9;
- Fig. 12 shows a device embodying the invention adapted to contain an integral head and a corresponding cartridge of reduced size;
- Fig. 13 is a section along the line XIII-XIII of Fig. 12; and
- Fig. 14 is a section along the line XIV-XIV of Fig. 13.
- Referring to Fig. 1, the
reference numeral 10 designates a container in the form of a substantially parallelepipedal box defined by rigidlateral walls 12 and abase wall 14 integral with thelateral walls 12. - A
wall 18 at a certain distance from thebase wall 14 is disposed in thelower part 16 of thecontainer 10. Thewall 18 is also rigid and parallel to thewall 14. Thewall 18 is connected along itsedge 19 to thelateral walls 12 at a predetermined distance from thebase wall 14 so as to divide the inner space of thecontainer 10 into alower chamber 20 and anupper chamber 22. - The
wall 18 is provided with ahole 24 through which anelement 26 of porous material with high capillarity is passed. Theelement 26 is anchored to the edge of thehole 24 by means of arubber ring 28 and projects above thewall 18 via one end 27 towards the interior of theupper chamber 22, while in thelower chamber 20 it extends as far as the vicinity of thebase wall 14. - The
lower chamber 20 is filled with ink via thehole 24 before thecapillary element 26 is fixed there and forms anink container 25, as will be explained hereinafter, to supply ink to the used cartridges or integral heads. - The
upper chamber 22 comprises a seat for accommodating the cartridge, formed byribs lateral walls 12 into the interior of thechamber 22 and serving as a guide and support for acartridge 32 of a separate printing head which cannot be seen in the drawings. The cartridge 32 (Figures 1 and 2) comprises areservoir 34 filled with a spongyabsorbent material 35 impregnated with ink. - Figures 3 and 4 show the
container 10 of Fig. 1, its internal structure being modified so that it is adapted to contain a cartridge orreservoir 40 integral with the appropriate printing head 42 (Fig. 4), also referred to as an integral printing head. - The reservoir 43 of the
head 40 comprises a lower projectingpart 46 to the exterior of which amulti-layer plate 48 carrying the nozzles for dispensing drops of ink is fixed. - As is known, the plate is manufactured by typical methods for integrated circuits and contains the expulsion chambers, each containing a heating element and the relevant electrical connections and the feed passages of the chambers, which cannot be seen in the drawings. These passages are connected between the said chambers and a duct 39 (Fig. 4) formed in a
wall 49 of the projectingpart 36. - The structure of the
plate 48 for the nozzles will be more readily understood from Italian Patent No. 1 234 800. - Fig. 3 shows the
empty container 10 of Fig. 4. It will be noted that the wall 18' defining theink reservoir 36 has staggered portions separated by astep 37 defining a recess 37' for accommodating theprojection 46 of thehead 40 of Fig. 4. Apad 38 of soft absorbent material, e.g. felt or sponge, against which theplate 48 for the nozzles rests is disposed on thestep 37. The pad serves to keep the nozzles clean and to remove any ink residue deposited on the outer face of theplate 48. It will moreover be noted from Figures 1-4 that theribs base wall 14 along thelateral walls 12 of thecontainer 10. - One
base wall 33 of the cartridge 32 (Fig. 1) or of the reservoir 43 (Fig. 4) is provided with athrough hole 54 through which thespongy material 35 passes towards the exterior. Thehole 54 is disposed in such a position that, when thecartridge 32 or the reservoir 43 of thehead 40 is placed in theupper chamber 22, the projecting end 27 of thecapillary element 26 penetrates into thehole 54 and comes into contact with thespongy material 35, thereby creating a hydraulic connection between thecontainer 25 and thecartridge 32 or the reservoir 43 of thehead 40. - The
spongy material 35 is automatically supplied with ink by capillary action when the ink is used up after a period of use on a printer. Once thecartridge 32 or the reservoir 43 has been introduced into thecontainer 10, theupper opening 21 of thechamber 22 is then closed by an airtight cover 56 (Fig. 3), comprising a resilient orelastic pressure member 57 to keep the head fixed in its seat formed by theribs - An integral printing head 40 (Fig. 4) or a cartridge 32 (Fig. 1) with no ink left can therefore be placed in the
chamber 22 where it is automatically supplied with ink from thecontainer 25 by means of thecapillary element 26. - Once the
cover 56 is closed, the head or the cartridge can be kept full of ink for an indefinite period of time and thus is always ready for use. There is no risk of drying or coagulation of the ink in the nozzles as theplate 48 for the nozzles is kept in a non-ventilated environment with high relative humidity. Moreover, as already stated, in order to guarantee the operation of the nozzles at any time, thepad 38 situated on the wall 37 (Fig. 3) in correspondence with theplate 48 is provided. - Figures 5 and 6 are vertical sections of a
container 60 having twodistinct compartments 62 and 63 separated by apartition wall 65. - The
container 60 is adapted to contain acartridge 64 full of ink of one color, e.g. black, in thecompartment 62 and a cartridge 66 containing ink of three different colors in the compartment 63. Each ink impregnates a correspondingspongy body 67a, 67b, 67c, 67d (Fig. 5). The cartridge 66 is divided into three distinct chambers 66a, 66b, 66c separated by twowalls 68. Thebase wall 69 is provided with three holes, one for each chamber 66, through which three correspondingcapillary elements distinct compartments 75, 76, 77 disposed in thelower wall 78 of thecontainer 60. - The
cartridge 64 is supplied in an analogous manner by acapillary element 80 which is immersed in areservoir 82 containing black ink. - The
container 60 is closed at the top by acover 84 which can be made in one piece or can be divided into two separate parts, one for eachcompartment 62 and 63. - In an analogous manner to the
container 60 in Fig. 5, Figs. 7 and 8 show acontainer 86 embodying the invention which is adapted to supply and hold two different integral heads 87 and 88. The integral head 87 not shown in the drawing is similar to that 40 of Fig. 4 and is used for one single color, while the head 88 contains different inks in three compartments of thereservoir 89, these supplying three corresponding printing heads e.g. 88b fixed to the reservoir 89 (Fig. 8). - Fig. 9 shows a
container 90 embodying the invention which is adapted to contain four distinctintegral heads 91 for four inks of different colors. The four heads 91 are identical to one another and to thehead 40 of Fig. 4. Fig. 10 is a vertical section along the line X-X of Fig. 9 of one of the integral heads 91. - The
container 90 is divided into fourindependent compartments 92 separated from one another by means ofpartition walls 93.Ribs analogous ribs - The
container 90 is closed at the top by a removable airtight cover 97. The cover 97 can be divided into two or four separate parts so that two compartments or one single compartment can be uncovered at a time. - In the multiple containers of Figures 7 and 9, the
upper walls projection 102 analogous to theprojection 46 of Fig. 4. - The container of Fig. 9 can be modified in a simple manner so that it can accommodate four cartridges identical to one another and similar to the
cartridge 32 of Fig. 1 or thecartridge 64 of Fig. 6, each filled with ink of a different color, thepart 99 being made flat relative to thewall 18, as in Fig. 1. - In simple variants not shown in the drawings, the containers of Figures 3, 8 and 10 can be adapted to accommodate a
cartridge 105/support 106 group, as illustrated in Fig. 11. Thecartridge 105 is similar to the one designated 32 in Fig. 1, while thesupport 106 consists of aparallelepipedal container 108 open towards the top and comprisinglateral walls 110 having internal dimensions such that it can accommodate thecartridge 105. - On one
base wall 112 and in the vicinity of a wall 110', thecontainer 108 comprises aprinting head 114 comprising achamber 118 for the ink to supply aplate 120 carrying theprinting nozzles 122. Theplate 120 is of the type already described hereinabove with reference to Fig. 4. Thechamber 118 communicates with thenozzles 122 via apassage 126. - The
support 106 is provided withcoupling elements 128 for removably mounting the cartridge/support group on the carriage (not shown) of a printer. - A multi-track
flat cable 130 electrically connected via one end to theplate 120 is fixed to the outer face of the wall 110' in order to apply electric pulses to theplate 120 for the expulsion of drops of ink through thenozzles 122. - A
capillary element 134 is fixed to thesupport 106 on the interior of thewall 112 in correspondence with thechamber 118. Theelement 134 projects towards the interior of thecontainer 108 so as to penetrate into ahole 136 in thecartridge 105 in order to come into contact with aspongy body 103 contained in thecartridge 105 and impregnated with ink. Theelement 134 transfers the ink from thesponge 103 into thechamber 118 still full of ink by capillarity, and supplies thenozzles 122. - When the
cartridge 105 is empty, it can be removed from thesupport 106 and can be introduced into a container 10 (Fig. 1) to be refilled with ink and to be kept full for subsequent use. - Alternatively, the entire cartridge/support group 105-106 can be removed from the carriage of the printer and can be introduced into a modified container based on that of Figures 3, 8, and 10, as already explained hereinabove.
- In this manner, the
cartridge 105 mounted on theappropriate support 106 can be kept ready for use for an indefinite period of time. - Figs. 12-14 show another device embodying the invention, adapted to contain and hold two cartridges of reduced size referred to as lap-top cartridges.
- A
container 140 is divided internally by apartition wall 142 into alower chamber 144 and anupper part 146. Theupper part 146 is in turn divided into twocompartments wall 150. - A
cartridge 152 of reduced size compared, e.g. to thecartridge 32 of Fig. 1 is placed in thecompartment 147. Thecartridge 152 rests on two supportingribs wall 142. Acapillary element 160 is fixed to thewall 142 and projects partially via oneend 162 into thecompartment 147 so as to contact, via ahole 153 formed in one wall of thecartridge 152, a spongy body 154 contained in its interior. In this manner, the ink contained in thelower chamber 144 supplies thecartridge 152 by capillary action via theelement 160. - On the other hand, the
compartment 148 is completely sealed off both with respect to thelower chamber 144 and with respect to the exterior, so that it can house a cartridge 152' (Fig. 13) inserted into asupport 170 carrying an ink-jet printing head 172 of a type similar to thehead - A
cover 145 closes the upper opening of thecontainer 140 in an airtight manner once a sealedcartridge 152 has been inserted into thecompartment 147 and a cartridge 152' with theappropriate support 170 has been inserted into thecompartment 148. - The
support 170 comprises achamber 174 for supplying ink to thehead 172 which communicates hydraulically with the cartridge 152' by means of a porouscapillary element 176 emerging from thechamber 174. Thecapillary element 176 penetrates into the cartridge 152' through a hole 177 (Fig. 14) in order to contact the spongy body 154, which draws in the ink to supply thechamber 174. - The
compartment 147 moreover communicates with thelower chamber 144 by means of aduct 158 provided at thehole 177 of the cartridge 152 (Fig, 14) in order to keep that portion of sponge 154 appearing through thehole 177 in a damp environment and to keep the pressure in the interior of thecartridge 152 constant. - The
cartridge 152 is fixed firmly in its seat formed by theribs leaf spring 163 fixed to thecover 145. Moreover, thecartridge 152 is pressed against theduct 158 by anelastic member 166 disposed between onelateral wall 141 and thecartridge 152 along the axis and on the opposite side with respect to theduct 158. - It will be understood that the devices illustrated for holding a cartridge and supplying it with ink can be subject to additions or amendments with respect to its components or embodiments without thereby going beyond the scope of the appended claims.
Claims (10)
- A device for holding cartridges or reservoirs for an ink-jet printer and keeping them supplied with ink, the device comprising a container (10) having an opening (21) and a cover (56) for closing said opening, dividing means (18) separating the container internally into at least one first chamber (22) accessible through said opening and containing means (29,30) for accommodating a cartridge, and at least one second chamber (20) for containing ink for supplying said cartridge disposed in the first chamber.
- A device according to claim 1, in which the second chamber (20) is disposed below the first chamber (22) and comprises a capillary element (26) having one end immersed in the ink and an opposite end projecting into the first chamber and adapted to be inserted into the cartridge.
- A device according to claim 2, in which the dividing means separating the first and second chambers comprises a wall (18) traversed by the capillary element (26).
- A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the containing means for accommodating a cartridge comprises means (29,30) for supporting and holding the cartridge in a fixed position in the first chamber (22) when the cover (56) closes the opening (21).
- A device according to claim 4, in which said means for supporting and holding the cartridge comprise ribs (29,30) projecting into the interior of the first chamber (22) and a resilient element (57) fixed to the cover (56) and adapted to press the cartridge (32) against the ribs.
- A device according to any preceding claim, in which the first chamber (22) comprises a recess (37') projecting towards said second chamber (20) and adapted to accommodate the printing head of a cartridge with an integral printing head.
- A device according to claim 6, in which the dividing means separating the first and second chambers comprises a continuous wall (18'), the wall comprising first and second portions connected to one another, the second portion being staggered to define the projecting recess (37').
- A device according to any of the preceding claims, in which the first chamber comprises a first plurality of compartments (67a-67c) separated from one another and adapted to house cartridges (66) for different colored inks.
- A device according to claim 8, in which the second chamber comprises a second plurality of compartments (75-77) containing inks of different colors for supplying corresponding cartridges housed in the first plurality of compartments.
- A device according to claim 9, in which each compartment of the said second plurality comprises a capillary element (70;71;72) adapted to connect each of the cartridges hydraulically to a corresponding compartment.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
ITTO921045A IT1258135B (en) | 1992-12-28 | 1992-12-28 | DEVICE TO STORE AND KEEP THE INK CARTRIDGES OF AN INK JET PRINTER. |
ITTO921045 | 1992-12-28 |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0605183A2 EP0605183A2 (en) | 1994-07-06 |
EP0605183A3 EP0605183A3 (en) | 1994-08-17 |
EP0605183B1 true EP0605183B1 (en) | 1997-06-04 |
Family
ID=11410949
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP93310396A Expired - Lifetime EP0605183B1 (en) | 1992-12-28 | 1993-12-21 | Device for holding cartridges for an ink-jet printer and keeping them supplied with ink |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0605183B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP3419524B2 (en) |
DE (1) | DE69311285T2 (en) |
IT (1) | IT1258135B (en) |
Families Citing this family (35)
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JP3327046B2 (en) * | 1995-04-21 | 2002-09-24 | セイコーエプソン株式会社 | Ink tank for recording apparatus and ink supply method for ink tank |
US6276785B1 (en) | 1983-10-13 | 2001-08-21 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Ink-supplied printer head and ink container |
US6247803B1 (en) | 1983-10-13 | 2001-06-19 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Ink jet recording apparatus and method for replenishing ink in the tank cartridge |
US5844578A (en) * | 1990-01-30 | 1998-12-01 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Ink-jet recording apparatus and ink tank cartridge thereof |
JP2817653B2 (en) * | 1995-02-17 | 1998-10-30 | 富士ゼロックス株式会社 | Ink supply device |
US6007191A (en) * | 1993-08-19 | 1999-12-28 | Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. | Ink supply unit |
US6000790A (en) * | 1993-08-19 | 1999-12-14 | Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. | Ink supply device |
CA2157346C (en) * | 1994-08-31 | 2001-08-28 | Osamu Sato | Ink jet ink refilling method and apparatus |
US6238042B1 (en) | 1994-09-16 | 2001-05-29 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Ink cartridge for ink jet printer and method of charging ink into said cartridge |
US5751320A (en) * | 1994-09-29 | 1998-05-12 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Ink recharger for inkjet print cartridge having sliding valve connectable to print cartridge |
US5745139A (en) * | 1994-12-12 | 1998-04-28 | Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Ink feed connecting member |
JP2817656B2 (en) * | 1995-02-21 | 1998-10-30 | 富士ゼロックス株式会社 | Ink supply device and recording device |
JP3324629B2 (en) * | 1995-03-13 | 2002-09-17 | セイコーエプソン株式会社 | Storage case for inkjet printing unit |
DE29507743U1 (en) * | 1995-05-10 | 1996-09-12 | Pelikan Produktions Ag | Printhead for an ink jet printer |
JP3245053B2 (en) * | 1995-06-13 | 2002-01-07 | キヤノン株式会社 | Ink tank, method of manufacturing the ink tank, ink jet cartridge using the ink tank, and ink jet recording apparatus |
JP3315589B2 (en) * | 1995-06-21 | 2002-08-19 | キヤノン株式会社 | Ink tank and recording apparatus provided with the same |
EP0773109B1 (en) | 1995-11-08 | 2002-10-02 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Ink refilling method and apparatus, ink container refilled therewith and ink jet apparatus comprising ink refilling apparatus |
DE19549438C2 (en) * | 1995-12-21 | 2000-11-02 | Pelikan Produktions Ag Egg | Liquid cartridge and printhead for an ink jet printer |
JP3039358B2 (en) * | 1996-02-21 | 2000-05-08 | 富士ゼロックス株式会社 | Ink supply device and recording device |
US5959647A (en) * | 1996-04-29 | 1999-09-28 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Technique for converting single cartridge monochrome printer to multi-cartridge color inkjet printer |
JP3365215B2 (en) * | 1996-08-21 | 2003-01-08 | セイコーエプソン株式会社 | Printer ink cartridge device |
JPH10193636A (en) * | 1996-11-18 | 1998-07-28 | Mitsubishi Pencil Co Ltd | Ink cartridge for refilling |
NL1008040C2 (en) * | 1998-01-16 | 1999-07-19 | Oce Tech Bv | Ink supply holder suitable for connection to an inkjet printhead as well as a system of such an ink supply holder and an inkjet printhead. |
WO2001019615A1 (en) * | 1999-09-13 | 2001-03-22 | Fullmark Private Limited | Method and apparatus for refilling an ink cartridge with a printhead mounted on it |
EP1114725B1 (en) * | 2000-01-05 | 2006-03-22 | Hewlett-Packard Company, A Delaware Corporation | ink-jet pen with two-part lid and techniques for filling |
US6161920A (en) * | 2000-01-05 | 2000-12-19 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Techniques for adapting a small form factor ink-jet cartridge for use in a carriage sized for a large form factor cartridge |
ITTO20030302A1 (en) | 2003-04-17 | 2004-10-18 | Tecnost Sistemi Spa | DEVICE TO STORE AND SUPPLY SIMULTANEOUSLY |
ITTO20030303A1 (en) | 2003-04-17 | 2004-10-18 | Tecnost Sistemi S P A | CUSTODY STATION AND INK SUPPLY OF |
DE102006057090A1 (en) * | 2006-12-04 | 2008-06-05 | Pelikan Hardcopy Production Ag | Device to refilling ink cartridge for ink jet printer, has printing head comprising jets or has ink outlet opening coupled to inkjet of ink jet head |
EP2022637B8 (en) * | 2007-08-06 | 2012-03-21 | Pelikan Hardcopy Production AG | Device for refilling a colour cartridge for an ink jet printer |
DE102007040108A1 (en) * | 2007-08-06 | 2009-02-12 | Pelikan Hardcopy Production Ag | Apparatus for refilling an ink cartridge for an inkjet printer |
CN102371767B (en) * | 2010-08-12 | 2014-06-25 | 珠海纳思达企业管理有限公司 | Negative pressure type ink box filling apparatus, filling system thereof and filling method thereof |
CN102529386B (en) * | 2010-12-22 | 2015-12-09 | 珠海纳思达企业管理有限公司 | A kind of ink box refilling device, cartridge filling system and corresponding cartridge filling method |
JP7013180B2 (en) * | 2017-09-12 | 2022-01-31 | キヤノン株式会社 | Liquid container and manufacturing method of liquid container |
WO2019151971A1 (en) * | 2018-01-30 | 2019-08-08 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Printing system |
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US4791438A (en) * | 1987-10-28 | 1988-12-13 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Balanced capillary ink jet pen for ink jet printing systems |
US4794409A (en) * | 1987-12-03 | 1988-12-27 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Ink jet pen having improved ink storage and distribution capabilities |
US4831389A (en) * | 1987-12-21 | 1989-05-16 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Off board ink supply system and process for operating an ink jet printer |
EP0496642B1 (en) * | 1991-01-25 | 1997-08-06 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Ink jet recording apparatus und detachably mountable ink jet cartridge |
-
1992
- 1992-12-28 IT ITTO921045A patent/IT1258135B/en active IP Right Grant
-
1993
- 1993-12-21 EP EP93310396A patent/EP0605183B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1993-12-21 DE DE69311285T patent/DE69311285T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1993-12-28 JP JP33596793A patent/JP3419524B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE69311285T2 (en) | 1998-01-08 |
DE69311285D1 (en) | 1997-07-10 |
EP0605183A2 (en) | 1994-07-06 |
EP0605183A3 (en) | 1994-08-17 |
IT1258135B (en) | 1996-02-20 |
JPH071744A (en) | 1995-01-06 |
JP3419524B2 (en) | 2003-06-23 |
ITTO921045A1 (en) | 1994-06-28 |
ITTO921045A0 (en) | 1992-12-28 |
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