EP1256451A1 - Conteneur d'encre pour alimenter une imprimante - Google Patents

Conteneur d'encre pour alimenter une imprimante Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1256451A1
EP1256451A1 EP01110169A EP01110169A EP1256451A1 EP 1256451 A1 EP1256451 A1 EP 1256451A1 EP 01110169 A EP01110169 A EP 01110169A EP 01110169 A EP01110169 A EP 01110169A EP 1256451 A1 EP1256451 A1 EP 1256451A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
casing
air bag
spring
ink
ink 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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP01110169A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
I-Chung International Utd. Tech. Co. Ltd. Hou
Cheng-Wei Hsu
Yuan-Liang International Utd. Tech. Co. Ltd Lan
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.)
International United Technology Co Ltd
Original Assignee
International United Technology Co Ltd
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 International United Technology Co Ltd filed Critical International United Technology Co Ltd
Priority to EP01110169A priority Critical patent/EP1256451A1/fr
Publication of EP1256451A1 publication Critical patent/EP1256451A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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
    • B41J2/17503—Ink cartridges
    • B41J2/17556—Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge
    • 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

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an ink container according to the pre-characterizing clause of claim 1.
  • a prior art ink container of this kind as disclosed in US Patent 5,409,134, comprises a pressure modulating system employing a flat spring that abuts one side of a bifurcated air bag.
  • a pressure modulating system is to prevent ink to abundantly flow from the ink container when the ink container feeds a printer.
  • the flat spring must be fittingly installed within the casing, having previously been fitted to the air bag. This results in the wasting of cost and time when fabricating the ink container.
  • the present invention aims at providing a corresponding ink container having a pressure modulating mechanism wherein the ink container is easy to fabricate and at low cost.
  • the claimed ink container has a helical spring and a restraining plate. Accordingly, the ink container can be easily fabricated and nevertheless retain precision of operation of the pressure modulating system.
  • the ink container 10 of the Figs. 1 - 3 comprises a bipartite casing 12 including an ink reservoir 18.
  • the ink reservoir 18 is used to store printing ink.
  • the casing 12 has an air vent 14 in a top portion of the casing and an ink outlet 20 in a bottom portion of the casing.
  • the pressure modulating system of the ink container 10 comprises a supporting plate 22, a helical pressure spring 28, a restraining plate 34 and an air bag 16.
  • a first surface 24 of the supporting plate 22 abuts one lateral wall within the casing 12.
  • the second surface 26 of the supporting plate 22 comprises an integral protrusion 42 the shape of which corresponds to the cross section of a first end 30 of the helical spring 28.
  • the protrusion 42 ensures that the end 30 of the helical spring 28 connects to the supporting plate 22 in a fixed manner.
  • the second end 32 of the helical spring 28 is fixed to a first surface 36 of the restraining plate 34 by a hook-like structure 40 (Fig. 2).
  • the opposite surface 38 of the restraining plate 34 presses on the air bag 16 to clamp the air bag 16 between the restraining plate 34 and the opposite wall of the casing 12.
  • the interior of the air bag 16 is isolated from ink within the ink reservoir 18. Air may enter and leave the air bag 16 through the air vent 14.
  • the shape of the supporting plate 22 corresponds to the inner cross section of the casing 12, surface 24 of the supporting plate abutting the respective lateral wall of the casing 12.
  • the opposite surface 26 of the supporting plate 22 is monolithically formed with a protrusion 42.
  • the shape of a sunken central portion of the protrusion 42 corresponds to the cross section of the first end 30 of the helical spring 28 so that this end is fixedly held in respect to the supporting plate 22.
  • the second end 32 of the spring 28 is securely fixed to the restraining plate 34 by connection to a hook-like structure 40 on one side thereof.
  • the helical spring 28 produces ideal pressure to clamp the air bag 16 between surface 38 of the restraining plate 34 and the adjoining wall of the casing 12. That is, because of the elastic force of the helical spring 28, the restraining plate 34 provides appropriate pressure to the air bag 16 to keep the pressure within the ink reservoir 18 lower than external air pressure.
  • the supporting plate 22 connects to the casing 12 without sliding. Further, the end 30 of the helical spring 28 will not slide with respect to the supporting plate 22 due to its being fixed to the protrusion 42 thereof.
  • the spring 28 can provide proper force to the restraining plate 34 in an exact direction and at an exact position. Dispersed over an area of the restraining plate 34, the correct force can apply uniform pressure on the air bag 16, the air bag at the same time abutting the adjoining wall of the casing 12, and this controls the volume of the air bag 16 to keep the pressure within the ink reservoir 18 lower than external air pressure.
  • Ink within the ink reservoir 18 flows out of the ink outlet 20, feeding a printer. This outflow of ink causes pressure within the ink reservoir 18 to drop.
  • the air bag 16 expands by accepting external air through the air vent 14. If the air bag 16 could expand at will, the pressure within the ink reservoir 18 would equalize with that of the external air. Therefore, ink within the ink reservoir 18 would flow out of the ink outlet 20 uncontrolled.
  • expansion of the volume of the air bag 16 needs to be restrained appropriately.
  • the ink container 10 of the invention uses the helical spring 28 to press upon the air bag 16. The spring 28 pressing the air bag 16 by way of the restraining plate 34 restrains expansion of the air bag 16 and, thus, the pressure within the ink reservoir 18 is continuously kept lower than external air pressure.
  • Fig. 4 is a perspective view of end 32 of the helical spring 28 attached to the restraining plate 34.
  • the restraining plate 34 in this embodiment, is a thin plate and the hook-like structure 40 comprises strips dug out from the restraining plate 34, leaving recesses 43 therein and bent inside to securely hold the end 32 of spring 28.
  • Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a supporting plate 52 somewhat different from the supporting plate 22 of Figs. 2 and 3.
  • the supporting plate 52 comprises a protrusion 54 for fixing the end 30 of the helical spring 28.
  • the protrusion 54 comprises three protruding blocks, these blocks being shaped to fit into an annular zone 56 of the supporting plate 52. End 30 of the helical spring 28 exactly fits into - or upon - the protrusion 54.
  • the shape of the supporting plate 52 corresponds to the cross section of the ink reservoir 18.
  • the invention provides an ink container with a pressure modulating system that is easy to fabricate.
  • the shape of the components of the pressure modulating system correspond to the shape of the ink reservoir. Because of the elastic force produced by a helical spring at both ends thereof, the present invention does not require any complicated fixing manipulations. At the same time fabrication of the components is simple in spite of the pressure modulating system operating reliably.

Landscapes

  • Ink Jet (AREA)
EP01110169A 2001-05-07 2001-05-07 Conteneur d'encre pour alimenter une imprimante Withdrawn EP1256451A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP01110169A EP1256451A1 (fr) 2001-05-07 2001-05-07 Conteneur d'encre pour alimenter une imprimante

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP01110169A EP1256451A1 (fr) 2001-05-07 2001-05-07 Conteneur d'encre pour alimenter une imprimante

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1256451A1 true EP1256451A1 (fr) 2002-11-13

Family

ID=8177243

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP01110169A Withdrawn EP1256451A1 (fr) 2001-05-07 2001-05-07 Conteneur d'encre pour alimenter une imprimante

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1256451A1 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1502751A1 (fr) * 2003-07-31 2005-02-02 Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Cartouche d'encre et dispositif à jet d'encre l'utilisant
EP1612050A1 (fr) * 2004-06-30 2006-01-04 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Système d'approvisionnement d'encre
CN106004061A (zh) * 2015-03-30 2016-10-12 精工爱普生株式会社 盒以及液体供应方法

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0375383A1 (fr) * 1988-12-22 1990-06-27 Hewlett-Packard Company Procédé et appareil pour étendre le domaine de fonctionnement d'une cartouche d'impression à jet d'encre dans l'environnement
US6213598B1 (en) * 1998-09-30 2001-04-10 Industrial Technology Research Institute Pressure control device

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0375383A1 (fr) * 1988-12-22 1990-06-27 Hewlett-Packard Company Procédé et appareil pour étendre le domaine de fonctionnement d'une cartouche d'impression à jet d'encre dans l'environnement
US6213598B1 (en) * 1998-09-30 2001-04-10 Industrial Technology Research Institute Pressure control device

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1502751A1 (fr) * 2003-07-31 2005-02-02 Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Cartouche d'encre et dispositif à jet d'encre l'utilisant
US7216963B2 (en) 2003-07-31 2007-05-15 Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Ink cartridge and ink-jet recording apparatus using the ink cartridge
EP1612050A1 (fr) * 2004-06-30 2006-01-04 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Système d'approvisionnement d'encre
US7182443B2 (en) 2004-06-30 2007-02-27 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Ink delivery system
CN106004061A (zh) * 2015-03-30 2016-10-12 精工爱普生株式会社 盒以及液体供应方法
CN106004061B (zh) * 2015-03-30 2019-12-27 精工爱普生株式会社 盒以及液体供应方法

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