EP1101618A1 - Verfahren und System zur Versorgung eines Druckers mit heissschmelzbarer Tinte - Google Patents

Verfahren und System zur Versorgung eines Druckers mit heissschmelzbarer Tinte Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1101618A1
EP1101618A1 EP00204035A EP00204035A EP1101618A1 EP 1101618 A1 EP1101618 A1 EP 1101618A1 EP 00204035 A EP00204035 A EP 00204035A EP 00204035 A EP00204035 A EP 00204035A EP 1101618 A1 EP1101618 A1 EP 1101618A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ink
inlet port
pellet
ink reservoir
pellets
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
EP00204035A
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English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1101618B1 (de
Inventor
Peter Joseph Hollands
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.)
Canon Production Printing Netherlands BV
Original Assignee
Oce Technologies BV
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Oce Technologies BV filed Critical Oce Technologies BV
Priority to EP20000204035 priority Critical patent/EP1101618B1/de
Publication of EP1101618A1 publication Critical patent/EP1101618A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1101618B1 publication Critical patent/EP1101618B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • B41J2/17593—Supplying ink in a solid state

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method and a supply system for supplying pellets of hot melt ink to a printer comprising an ink reservoir having an inlet port through which the ink pellets can be supplied, and a closure member for sealingly closing said inlet port.
  • Ink jet printers operating with hot melt ink i.e. with ink that is solid at room temperature, comprise an ink reservoir which can be heated in order to melt the ink and to keep it in the liquid state in which it can be supplied to the printhead.
  • the ink can be supplied to this ink reservoir in the form of pellets which are then melted in the ink reservoir.
  • EP-A-0 340 533 discloses a refill cartridge for hot melt ink in which a pellet of solidified ink is contained in a hood-shaped envelope which can be placed onto the inlet port of the ink reservoir with the open side facing downward. Then, by deforming the walls of the envelope, the ink pellet can be pressed out so that it is dropped into the ink reservoir.
  • US-A-4 864 330 discloses a refill cartridge in which a pellet of hot melt ink is connected to a handle.
  • the pellet is held with the handle and placed into the inlet port of the ink reservoir. Since the pellet is held non-rotatably in this inlet port by a key structure, the handle can be broken away by turning the same, so that the pellet alone drops into the ink reservoir.
  • this object is achieved by a method in which one of the ink pellets is fitted in the inlet port so as to serve as said closure member, and, when the pellet is to be supplied to the ink reservoir, it is pressed through the inlet port and a new pellet is fitted therein.
  • the ink supply system is characterized in that the closure member consists of an ink pellet held in the inlet port by friction, so that it can be pushed through into the ink reservoir.
  • the inlet port is defined by a flexible membrane which can reversibly be deformed when an ink pellet is pressed through.
  • the ink pellet held in fitting engagement in the inlet port will be subject to the heat of the melted ink in the ink reservoir to a smaller or larger extent.
  • the inlet port should therefore be thermally insulated from or shielded against the melted ink and/or the heating system of the ink reservoir at least to such an extent that the ink pellet serving as a plug for closing the inlet port will not be melted and become desintegrated before it is pressed into the ink reservoir and replaced by a new pellet.
  • a heat shield may be provided inside of the ink reservoir, and/or a sufficient distance may be provided between the inlet port and the space accommodating the melted ink.
  • the wall portions of the heat reservoir defining the inlet port may be made from a different material having a smaller heat conductivity.
  • Figure 1 illustrates an ink reservoir 10 having walls 12 made of a thermally conductive material.
  • electric heating means (not shown) are in contact with or integrated in the walls 12 of the ink reservoir so that hot melt ink 14 contained in the ink reservoir is kept at a temperature of, for example, 120 i C and in any case at a temperature above its melting point, so that the ink is kept in the liquid state and is ready to be supplied to an ink jet printhead (not shown) which is in fluid connection with the ink reservoir.
  • the ink reservoir 10 and the printhead may be mounted on a reciprocating carriage of the printer, so that the ink reservoir 10 is moved back and forth in the direction of a double arrow A in figure 1 when the printer is operating.
  • the top side of the ink reservoir 10 has a tubular projection 16 the walls of which are made of a material which has a relatively small heat conductivity.
  • a flexible membrane 18 is permanently fitted to the top end of the tubular projection 16 and defines a circular central opening which serves as an inlet port 20 for globular ink pellets 22, 24, 26 which consist of solidified hot melt ink and are to be supplied into the interior of the ink reservoir 10 on demand.
  • the inlet port 20 is sealingly closed by an ink pellet 22 which is fitted into the opening of the membrane 18 like a plug and is held in position by frictional forces, with slight elastic deformation of the portions of the membrane 18 defining the edge of the inlet port.
  • the length and the material of the tubular extension 16 assures a sufficient thermal insulation between the pellet 22 and the heated walls 12 and the melted ink 14, even when the level of the melted ink 14 in the ink reservoir 10 is close to the maximum level.
  • the ink forming the plug 22 will not melt, and the pellet will not become desintegrated, so that the inlet port 20 remains sealed permanently.
  • the ink pellet 22 serves as a closure member which prevents vapors of melted ink from escaping out of the ink reservoir. Of course, this closure member also prevents dust and other contaminants from entering into the ink reservoir.
  • a dispenser 28 for ink pellets is disposed above the path of travel of the ink reservoir 10 mounted on the reciprocating carriage.
  • the dispenser 28 is held stationary in a position which is aligned with the tubular extension 16 of the ink reservoir 10 when the carriage stops in a predetermined home position.
  • the dispenser 28 may be of any known construction suitable for dispensing ink pellets 24, 26 one-by-one.
  • the dispenser forms a chute 30 for safely guiding the pellet being dispensed to the inlet port 20 of the ink reservoir.
  • An elastic ring 32 is disposed inside of the chute 30 for frictionally holding the lowermost pellet 24 in position.
  • the other pellets are supplied to the chute 30 via an inclined ramp 34, as is shown for the pellet 26 in figure 1. This pellet 26 abuts the pellet 24 in a position laterally offset from the chute 30.
  • a pusher 36 which is reciprocally disposed above the chute 30 is ready to move downward past the pellet 26 and to engage the top side of the pellet 24 held in the chute.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of an ink supply system according to the invention.
  • the projection 16 is formed into a so called pre-melt chamber, constituted of oblique and thermally conductive walls.
  • the flexible membrane 18 is fitted to the top end of this pre-melt chamber.
  • the oblique walls are thermally connected with walls 12, which has the advantage that no additional heating means for heating the oblique walls have to be present.
  • the fluid ink passes filter 41 and joins the liquid ink supply 14 held in the reservoir.
  • the inlet port is also shielded against the melted ink and in particular against ink vapor originating from the liquid ink supply. This way the ink pellet serving as a plug for closing the inlet port will not be melted and become desintegrated before it is pressed into the ink reservoir and replaced by a new pellet.
  • the pellet 22 is pressed through the inlet port 20 in its entirety and drops into the interior of the ink reservoir, while the configuration of the elastic membrane 18 is restored and the inlet port 20 is restrained again.
  • the pellet 24 is caught by the membrane 18 and is then pressed into the inlet port by the pusher 36.
  • the lower extreme position of the pusher 36 is set to assure that the pellet 24 is neither pushed through the membrane 18 nor repelled upward by the membrane but is firmly held in the inlet port 20 so as to serve as the new closure member.

Landscapes

  • Ink Jet (AREA)
EP20000204035 1999-11-22 2000-11-16 Verfahren und System zur Versorgung eines Druckers mit heissschmelzbarer Tinte Expired - Lifetime EP1101618B1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP20000204035 EP1101618B1 (de) 1999-11-22 2000-11-16 Verfahren und System zur Versorgung eines Druckers mit heissschmelzbarer Tinte

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP99203944 1999-11-22
EP99203944 1999-11-22
EP00200361 2000-02-04
EP00200361 2000-02-04
EP20000204035 EP1101618B1 (de) 1999-11-22 2000-11-16 Verfahren und System zur Versorgung eines Druckers mit heissschmelzbarer Tinte

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1101618A1 true EP1101618A1 (de) 2001-05-23
EP1101618B1 EP1101618B1 (de) 2005-11-02

Family

ID=27223228

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20000204035 Expired - Lifetime EP1101618B1 (de) 1999-11-22 2000-11-16 Verfahren und System zur Versorgung eines Druckers mit heissschmelzbarer Tinte

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1101618B1 (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1359015A1 (de) * 2002-04-29 2003-11-05 Xerox Corporation Fester Tintenstift mit effizientem Länge-Breite-Verhältnis
GB2483340A (en) * 2010-09-02 2012-03-07 Xerox Corp System and method for transporting solid ink pellets

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS60135260A (ja) * 1983-12-23 1985-07-18 Nippon Telegr & Teleph Corp <Ntt> インクジエツトプリンタ
US4636803A (en) * 1984-10-16 1987-01-13 Exxon Printing Systems, Inc. System to linearly supply phase change ink jet
US4667206A (en) * 1984-10-15 1987-05-19 Deyoung Thomas W Ink jet apparatus and method of operating the ink jet apparatus wherein phase change ink is supplied in solid-state form
US4864330A (en) 1987-09-09 1989-09-05 Spectra, Inc. Method of forming a hot melt ink unit
EP0338590A2 (de) * 1988-04-22 1989-10-25 Seiko Epson Corporation Nach der Art eines Tintenstrahlschreibers arbeitendes Gerät und Verfahren
EP0340533A2 (de) 1988-05-03 1989-11-08 Dataproducts Corporation Tintennachfüllpatrone für Tintenstrahldrucker
JPH02113951A (ja) * 1988-10-24 1990-04-26 Seiko Epson Corp インクジェットヘッド
US5621444A (en) * 1994-12-07 1997-04-15 Hewlett-Packard Company Controlled heating of solid ink in ink-jet printing
EP0827835A2 (de) * 1996-09-05 1998-03-11 Tektronix, Inc. Zuführsystem für feste Tintenstrahldrucktinte

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS60135260A (ja) * 1983-12-23 1985-07-18 Nippon Telegr & Teleph Corp <Ntt> インクジエツトプリンタ
US4667206A (en) * 1984-10-15 1987-05-19 Deyoung Thomas W Ink jet apparatus and method of operating the ink jet apparatus wherein phase change ink is supplied in solid-state form
US4636803A (en) * 1984-10-16 1987-01-13 Exxon Printing Systems, Inc. System to linearly supply phase change ink jet
US4864330A (en) 1987-09-09 1989-09-05 Spectra, Inc. Method of forming a hot melt ink unit
EP0338590A2 (de) * 1988-04-22 1989-10-25 Seiko Epson Corporation Nach der Art eines Tintenstrahlschreibers arbeitendes Gerät und Verfahren
EP0340533A2 (de) 1988-05-03 1989-11-08 Dataproducts Corporation Tintennachfüllpatrone für Tintenstrahldrucker
JPH02113951A (ja) * 1988-10-24 1990-04-26 Seiko Epson Corp インクジェットヘッド
US5621444A (en) * 1994-12-07 1997-04-15 Hewlett-Packard Company Controlled heating of solid ink in ink-jet printing
EP0827835A2 (de) * 1996-09-05 1998-03-11 Tektronix, Inc. Zuführsystem für feste Tintenstrahldrucktinte

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 009, no. 297 (M - 432) 25 November 1985 (1985-11-25) *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 014, no. 331 (M - 0999) 17 July 1990 (1990-07-17) *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1359015A1 (de) * 2002-04-29 2003-11-05 Xerox Corporation Fester Tintenstift mit effizientem Länge-Breite-Verhältnis
GB2483340A (en) * 2010-09-02 2012-03-07 Xerox Corp System and method for transporting solid ink pellets
US8348405B2 (en) 2010-09-02 2013-01-08 Xerox Corporation System and method for transporting solid ink pellets
GB2483340B (en) * 2010-09-02 2015-12-23 Xerox Corp System and method for transporting solid ink pellets

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1101618B1 (de) 2005-11-02

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