JP3434497B2 - Apparatus and method for refilling ink container with ink - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink container for supplying ink to an ink jet printer, and more specifically, to a replaceable ink container that holds ink in the ink container and has a capillary storage member for controlling the discharge of ink. A method and apparatus for refilling an ink container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ink jet printers often utilize an ink jet print head mounted within a carriage that moves end to end across a print medium such as paper. As the printhead moves across the print medium, the control system actuates the printhead to deposit or eject drops of ink onto the print medium to form images and characters. Ink is supplied to the printhead by a source of ink that is provided in a printing system that is moved by a carriage or does not move with the carriage.

When the ink source does not move with the carriage, the ink source is continuously coupled to the printhead using a tube to continuously replenish the printhead. Alternatively, the printhead can be intermittently coupled to the ink supply by positioning the printhead near a refill station that facilitates coupling the printhead to the ink supply.

When the ink supply source moves with the carriage, the ink supply source may be integrated with the printer head, and the entire printer head and ink supply source are replaced when the ink is exhausted. Alternatively, the ink supply may move with the carriage and be replaceable separately from the printhead. If the ink supply is separate and replaceable, the ink supply is replaced when the ink is exhausted and the printhead is replaced when the printhead reaches the end of its life. Regardless of where the ink source is located in the printing system, it is important that the ink source reliably supply ink to the inkjet printhead.

In addition to supplying ink to inkjet printheads, the ink supply often adds some functionality to the printing system. For example,
Maintaining negative gauge pressure (often referred to as back pressure) in the ink source and the inkjet printhead, and so on. The gauge pressure is the pressure inside the inkjet print head based on atmospheric pressure. This negative gauge pressure keeps the head pressure associated with ink supply below atmospheric pressure, causing ink leakage from the ink supply or inkjet printhead (often drooling).
g)) should be sufficient to prevent). Ink sources are required to provide negative gauge or back pressure over a wide range of temperatures and atmospheric pressures that inkjet printers encounter during storage and operation.

[0006]

There is a constant need for an ink container that reliably delivers ink to an inkjet printhead. These ink containers must provide sufficient back pressure to prevent ink leakage during normal handling and during changes in temperature and pressure encountered by the ink containers during normal use and storage. In addition, these ink containers need to be manufactured at a relatively low cost to reduce the printing cost per page.

[0007]

One aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for refilling a replaceable ink container. The ink container has a top and a bottom with respect to the gravity coordinate system. The replaceable ink container further has a capillary reservoir located therein and an outlet located at the bottom.
The refilling device includes a fluid connection configured to be inserted at the bottom for pressing the capillary reservoir, and also includes means for determining the amount of ink that fills the replaceable ink container. Further included is an ink delivery device for delivering a determined amount of ink to a replaceable ink container via a fluid connection. The ink delivery device is configured to deliver ink to an ink container positioned bottom down with respect to a gravity coordinate system to supply ink to the capillary storage member near the outflow inlet.

In one embodiment, the means for determining the amount of ink is a back pressure measuring device for measuring the back pressure that sucks the ink toward the capillary storage member.

[0009]

1 is a perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of a printing system 10 with a cover open. The printing system 10 includes at least one ink container 12 suitable for refilling using the method and apparatus according to the present invention.
including. The printing system 10 further includes a printer unit 14
And at least one inkjet printhead (not shown) installed in the. The inkjet print head ejects ink in response to the activation signal from the printer unit 14. The ink jet print head is replenished with ink by the ink container 12.

Before describing the details of the method and apparatus of the present invention for refilling the ink container 12, it may be helpful to first discuss the ink container 12 in more detail. The method and apparatus of the present invention will be discussed with reference to FIGS.

The inkjet printhead is preferably mounted on the scanning carriage 18 and moves relative to the print medium as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the inkjet printhead is stationary and the print media passes through the printhead to perform printing. The inkjet printer unit 14 includes a media tray 20 that receives a print medium 22. When the print medium 22 advances to the print zone,
The scanning carriage moves the printhead relative to the print medium 22. The printer unit 14 selectively operates the print head to deposit ink on the print medium and execute printing.

The printing system 10 shown in FIG. 1 has two replaceable ink containers 12, namely, an ink container 12 for black ink and an ink container 12 divided into three colors containing cyan, magenta, and yellow inks. , Which allows four-color printing. The ink container 12 is also suitable for printing systems 10 that use more or less ink colors, such as printing systems that use more or less than four ink colors. For example, a printing system in high fidelity printing that typically uses 6 or more colors.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a printing system 10 that includes an ink supply or ink container 12, an inkjet printhead 24, and a fluid connection 26 that fluidly interconnects the ink container 12 and the printhead 24. It is a thing.

The printhead 24 includes a housing 28 and an ink ejection section 30. The ink ejecting unit 30 ejects ink and executes printing in response to the activation signal from the printer unit 14. The housing 28 forms a small ink reservoir that contains the ink 32 used by the ejector 30 to eject ink. When the ink jet print head 24 ejects or runs out of the ink 32 stored in the housing 28, the ink container 12
Refills printhead 24. The amount of ink stored in the ink container 12 is typically much larger than the amount of ink container in the housing 28. Therefore, the ink container 1
2 is the main source of ink for the printhead 24.

The ink container 12 includes a reservoir 34 having an outlet 36 and an inlet 38. Within the reservoir 34, reticulated fibers that are heat-fused at the contacts are arranged to form a capillary storage member 40. Capillary storage member 40 serves several important functions in inkjet printing system 10. The capillary storage member 40 is used in the printing system 1.
It must have sufficient capillarity to hold the ink so that it does not leak from the reservoir 34 while plugging or unplugging the ink container 12 from scratch. This capillary force must be strong enough to prevent ink leakage from the ink reservoir 34 against a wide range of environmental conditions such as temperature and pressure changes. The capillarity should be sufficient to keep the ink in the ink container 12 in all directions of the reservoir 34, as well as the shock and vibration that the ink container 12 may experience during handling.

When the ink container 12 is attached to the printing system 10 and fluidly connected to the printhead through the fluid connection 26, the capillary storage member 40 allows ink to flow from the ink container 12 to the inkjet printhead 24. Should be. When the inkjet print head 24 ejects ink from the ejection unit 30, a negative gauge pressure (back pressure) is generated in the print head 24. The negative gauge pressure in the printhead 24 must be sufficient to overcome the capillary forces holding the ink in the capillary member 40, which causes ink to flow from the ink container 12 to the printhead 24 until equilibrium is reached. . Once equilibrium is reached and the gauge pressure in printhead 24 equals the capillary force holding the ink in ink container 12, ink will no longer flow from ink container 12 to printhead 24. The gauge pressure in the print head 24 generally depends on the ink ejection speed from the ink ejection unit 30. As the print speed or ejection speed increases, the gauge pressure in the print head becomes more negative, and the ink flows from the ink container 12 into the print head 24 at a higher speed. In one preferred inkjet printing system 10, the printhead 24 produces a maximum back pressure equal to 10 inches of water or a negative gauge pressure equal to 10 inches of water.

The printhead 24 can be equipped with a conditioning device to compensate for environmental changes such as temperature changes and pressure changes. If these changes are not compensated for, uncontrolled ink leakage from printhead ejector 30 may occur. In some configurations of printing system 10, printhead 24 does not include a regulator and instead capillary member 40 maintains a negative backpressure within printhead 24 against normal pressure and temperature excursions. Sometimes used for. The capillary force of the capillary member 40 helps pull ink back into the capillary member, thereby creating a slight negative back pressure in the printhead 24. This slight negative pressure helps prevent ink from leaking from the ejecting section 30 (drawing) during changes in atmospheric conditions such as changes in pressure and changes in temperature. The capillary member 40 should provide sufficient back pressure or negative gauge pressure within the printhead 24 to prevent drawing during normal storage and operating conditions.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 shows the ink container 12 and the printhead 24 which are separate and replaceable. The ink container 12 is replaced when the ink is exhausted, and the print head 24 is replaced when the life is exhausted. The method and apparatus of the present invention are also applicable to inkjet printing systems 10 having configurations other than that shown in FIG. For example, the ink container 12 and printhead 24 can be combined into a single print carriage. The print carriage, including the ink container 12 and print head 24, is replaced when the ink in the carriage is exhausted.

The ink container 12 and printhead 24 shown in FIG. 2 contain a single color ink. Alternatively, the ink container 12 may be partitioned into three separate chambers, each chamber containing a different color of ink. In this case, each of the three print heads 24 has an ink container 1
It is necessary to make a fluid connection with the different compartments within 2. Other configurations are also possible. For example, the ink container 1
A configuration with more or less small rooms attached to 2,
Also, the print head is divided and the respective ink colors are supplied to the print head or small chambers of the ejection unit 30.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the ink container 12 shown in FIG. The ink container 12 includes an ink reservoir portion 34, a capillary member 40, and a lid 42 having an air port 38 for sucking air into the ink reservoir 34. The capillary member 40 is inserted into the ink reservoir 34. The reservoir 34 is filled with ink as described below with reference to FIG. In the preferred embodiment, the height, width, and length dimensions represented by h, w, and l are the ink container 12
Are all larger than an inch to have enough capacity.

In a preferred embodiment, the capillary member 4
Zeros are formed from reticulated fibers that fuse with heat at the contact points.
These fibers are preferably formed of bicomponent fibers to form a coating polyester (such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or its copolymers) and a low cost, low shrinkage, high strength thermoplastic polymer (preferably A core material made of polypropylene or polybutylene terephthalate).

The reticulated fibers are preferably formed using a melt blown fiberprocess. In such meltblown fiber processes, it is desirable to select a core material with a melt index similar to that of the coating polymer. Using such a meltblown fiber process, the main requirement for the core material is that it crystallize when extruded or can be crystallized during the meltblown process. Thus, other highly crystalline thermoplastic polymers such as high density polyethylene terephthalate can be used, as can polyamides such as nylon and nylon 66. Polypropylene is the preferred core material because it is cheap and easy to mold. In addition, the use of polypropylene core material provides core strength that allows the production of fine fibers using various meltblowing techniques. The core material should likewise be capable of adhering to the coating material.

FIG. 4 (b) is a simplified representation of the mesh-like fibers forming the capillary member 40. The portion of the capillary member 40 cut along the line 4B-4B shown in FIG. 4 (a) is enlarged. Is shown. The capillary member 40 is made up of individual fibers 46.
Are composed of reticulated fibers that are heat bonded or fused to other fibers at the contact points. The reticulated fibers 46 that make up the capillary member 40 may be formed from a single folded fiber 46, or a plurality of fibers 4 may be formed.
6 may be formed. The reticulated fibers form a self-supporting structure that generally has a fiber orientation represented by arrow 44. The self-supporting structure formed by the reticulated fibers 46 creates spaces or gaps between the fibers 46 that form folding inter-lattice paths. This bent path is a capillary member 40.
It is formed to have excellent capillary properties that retain ink therein.

In one embodiment, the capillary member 46
Is formed using a melt blowing process in which the individual fibers 46 are either heat bonded or melted and fused at several contact points throughout the reticulated fibers. The reticulated fibers harden to form a self-supporting three-dimensional structure when cooled through the mold.

FIG. 5 (a) shows a cross section through line 5A-5A of FIG. 4, showing a cross section of an individual fiber 46. Each individual fiber 46 is a bicomponent fiber, having a core 50 and a coating 52. The size of the fibers 46 and corresponding portions of the coating 52 and core 50 are exaggerated for clarity. Core material should be at least 30% by weight of the total fiber composition
Preferably up to 90%. In a preferred embodiment, each individual fiber 46 averages 12
It has a diameter of less than a micron.

FIG. 5 (b) shows an alternative fiber 46 similar to the fiber 46 shown in FIG. 5 (a), but the fiber of FIG. 5 (b) has a cross or X-shape rather than a circular cross section. The difference is that it has a cross section. The fiber 46 shown in FIG. 5B has a non-round cross-shaped core 50 and a coating 52 that completely covers the core material 50. Various other alternative cross-sections can be used, such as tri-protruded or y-shaped fibers, or h-shaped cross-section fibers, to name just a few. The use of non-round fibers increases the surface area of the fibers. Reticulated fiber 40
Capillary pressure and absorbency increase in a hygroscopic fiber surface. Therefore, the use of non-round fibers tends to increase the capillary pressure and the absorbency of the capillary member 40.

Another way to improve capillary pressure and absorption is to reduce the diameter of the fibers 46. Small fibers 4 when the density and weight of the fibers are constant
The use of 6 increases the surface area of the fiber. The smaller fibers 46 provide more uniform retention. Therefore, the fiber 46
Similar to changing the shape of the fibers, changing the diameter of the fibers 46 can provide the desired capillary pressure for the printing system 10.

FIG. 6 represents the thermal bonding or thermal fusion of the individual fibers 46. FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along line 6-6 at the point of contact between two individual fibers. Each individual fiber 46 includes a core 50 and a coating 52.
At the point of contact between two fibers 46, the coating 52 melts or fuses with the coating of adjacent fibers 46. Fusion of the individual fibers is accomplished without the use of adhesives or adhesives. In addition, the individual fibers 46 remain adhered without the need for maintenance means, thereby forming a self-supporting structure.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a replenishing device 54 according to the present invention for filling the ink container 12 with ink. The refilling device 54 according to the present invention includes an ink source 56, a compression device 58 coupling the ink source 56 and a fluid connection 60, and a fluid connection 60 for delivering compressed ink to the ink container 12. The compression device 58 applies sufficient pressure to the ink to deliver it from the ink source 56 to the ink container 12. The pressure is generally related to the ink column height, or ink head, that must be overcome to supply ink to the outlet 36 of the ink container 12. Compressor 58
Controls a controlled amount of ink at the outlet 3 of the ink container 12.
It could be a wide range of devices, sufficient to send to a 6. For example,
The compression device 58 may be a pump, or the ink source 56 may be positioned above the ink container 12 such that the ink head is sufficient to pump ink to the outlet 36 of the ink container 12.

The ink is carried to the outflow port 36 of the ink container 12 by the replenishing device 54 of the present invention. As the ink is carried to the outlet 36, the ink is supplied to the portion of the capillary reservoir or mesh 40 that is proximate the outlet 36. The carried ink is sucked into the interstitial spaces 48 between the fibers 46 of the reticulated fibers 40 by the capillarity of the reticulated fibers. When ink is sucked into the interstitial spaces of the reticulated fibers 40, the air in the interstitial spaces is pushed away, creating the ink front 62. Ink container 12
When conveyed to, the ink front 62 expands forward and enters the capillary member 40 as indicated by the ink front 64.
The expansion of the ink front portions 62, 64 spreads out from the region close to the outflow port 36, fills the interstitial space 48, and expels air from the reticulated fibers 40 in the region surrounding the outflow port 36. Ink is added as air is expelled from the mesh fibers 40 and released into the atmosphere from the air port 38 to prevent pressure on the ink container 12. Ink container 1
When the appropriate amount of ink needed to fill 2 is added, the ink flow from the ink source 56 stops.

To create a space of increased capillary force in the capillary member 40 that aids in sucking ink, the fluid connection 6
0 preferably presses the reticulated fibers 60 at least slightly. In one preferred embodiment, the fluid connection 60 is a hollow ink tube that is inserted into the outflow port 36 to fully press the reticulated fibers 40.

To greatly simplify the process of filling the ink container 12, the capillary member 40 is preferably formed from at least one bicomponent fiber having a polypropylene core and a polyethylene terephthalate coating.
This capillary member 40 was issued on September 13, 1998 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, "Thermal Inkjet PenBo.
dy Construction Having Improved Ink Storage and Fe
Baker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,29 entitled "ed Capability"
It is even more hydrophilic than previously used polyurethane foams such as absorbent materials in thermal inkjet pens as disclosed in US Pat. Polyurethane foam has a large ink contact angle in the untreated state, and therefore ink containers containing polyurethane foam must be used without expensive and time-consuming steps such as vacuum filling to wet the foam. It is difficult to meet. Polyurethane foams are treated to improve or reduce the ink contact angle, which adds to the cost and complexity of manufacturing, as well as impurities that can reduce printhead life and quality. Add. By using the capillary member 40 of the present invention, the ink contact angle becomes relatively low, and the capillary member 40 can quickly absorb the ink without treating the capillary member 40.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating the method of the present invention for refilling replaceable ink container 12. The method begins with the step of determining the amount of ink required to properly fill the replaceable ink container 12, as shown in step 66. As shown in step 68, a fluid connection is made to the replaceable ink container 12 to provide ink to the ink container. In the preferred embodiment, the fluid connection is terminated by inserting the fluid connection 60 into the outflow port 36 of the replaceable ink container 12.
Replaceable ink container 12 as shown in step 70.
The amount of ink needed to fill is supplied to the replaceable ink container.

The method and apparatus of the present invention determines the amount needed to properly fill the replaceable ink container 12 and delivers this amount to the ink container 12. It is important that the proper amount of ink is supplied to the replaceable ink container 12. If too much ink is supplied to the replaceable ink container 12, the capillary storage member 40 will not have sufficient capillary force to hold the ink. If the ink container 12 cannot hold the ink, the ink may leak from the reservoir 34 during handling such as insertion and removal of the ink container 12 from the printing system 10. Furthermore, if too much ink is placed in the ink container 12, ink leakage may occur during changes in environmental conditions such as changes in temperature and pressure. Therefore, it is important that the ink container 12 is not overfilled during the refill process.

If the printing system 10 can detect the use of ink in the replaceable ink container 12, it is important that the ink container 12 does not run out of supply during the refill process. Underfilling the replaceable ink container 12 can cause the printing system 10 to infer that ink remains in the ink container 12 when the ink container 12 is exhausted. The printing system 10 in this case continues printing even when the ink container is used up. If the ink container 12 becomes out of supply during the refill process, the printhead may run without ink (referred to as "dry firing") and cause catastrophic damage to the printhead. In addition, if the printhead is moved when the ink container 12 is exhausted, air will be trapped in the printhead 24. When a sufficient amount of air is taken into the print head 24, the print head 24 cannot maintain the back pressure in the print head 24 properly, and the ink leaks from the print head 24 uncontrollably. Can result in Ink leakage from the print head 24 not only deteriorates print quality but may damage the printing system 10.

There are several problems in determining the amount of ink needed to fill the replaceable ink container 12. One problem is that it is difficult to determine the amount of ink remaining in the capillary storage member 40. The remainder of the ink in the capillary storage member 40 is retained in the interstitial spaces of the reticulated fibers. Therefore, it is difficult to measure the amount of this remaining ink.

Another problem in determining the amount of ink needed to fill the replaceable ink container 12 is that the replaceable ink container 12 often has more than one ink compartment. That's what it means. Each ink compartment typically contains a different ink color. For example, 3
Color ink container 12 has three separate compartments for containing ink. Each compartment contains one different color ink, for example cyan, magenta, or yellow ink. Even though the printing system 10 may indicate that one of the three inks has been exhausted, the remaining two inks may have different ink levels depending on what is printed. Proper refilling of the replaceable three-color ink container 12 requires determining the amount of ink required to fill each compartment of the replaceable ink container 12.
In the case of replaceable 3 color ink container, cyan, magenta,
It is necessary to determine the amount of each yellow ink needed to fill the corresponding compartment.

Weighing the ink container to determine the ink remaining in the capillary storage member 40 is based on the weight of the ink container 12 being the amount of ink required to fill the single color ink container 12. Suitable for determining. However, weighing the ink container 12 is not suitable for ink containers having more than two compartments for storing ink. There is no way to determine how much ink remains in each of the two remaining compartments, even if one suspects that one of the ink containers has been exhausted. As described with respect to FIGS. 9 and 10, the method and apparatus of the present invention includes a replaceable ink container 1 having three or more separate compartments, each containing a different amount of ink.
A technique for determining the amount of ink needed to fill 2 is provided. Ink container 1 having less than three ink compartments
In case of 2, the above-mentioned weighing method is suitable.

FIG. 9 shows an apparatus 72 for determining the amount of ink that fills the ink container 12. The device 72 includes a back pressure measuring device 74, a negative pressure or vacuum device 76, and a fluid connection 78 connecting the back pressure measuring device 74 and the capillary reservoir 40 in the ink container 12. The vacuum device 76 creates a negative pressure or vacuum sufficient to overcome the capillary forces that hold the ink within the capillary storage member 40. The back pressure measuring device 74 determines the back pressure, that is, the holding force for holding the ink in the capillary storage member 40. Estimating the amount of ink remaining in the capillary storage member 40 for a given measured back pressure by characterizing the relationship between the amount of ink in the capillary storage member 40 and the back pressure or holding force of the capillary member 40. You can

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the method of the present invention for determining the amount of ink that fills the ink container 12. The conduit or fluid connection 78 is first inserted into the ink container 12 and engages the capillary storage member 40 as shown at step 80. Ink flows out of the capillary storage member 40 by the vacuum device 76, as shown at step 82. The static back pressure of the ink container 12 is measured by the back pressure measuring device 74, as shown at step 84. Finally, based on the measured static back pressure of the ink container 12, the capillary storage member 4
The amount of ink remaining at 0 can be estimated. Residual ink is inferred based on the measured static back pressure and the residual ink versus back pressure characteristics of the capillary storage member 40. Once the amount of residual ink is estimated, the amount of ink needed to fill the ink container 12 is
The difference is equal to the difference between the amount of ink contained in and the amount of ink remaining in the capillary storage member 40.

FIG. 11 shows the inkjet printing system 10 in operation. A fluid connection is provided between the ink container 12 and the inkjet print head 24 via a flow tube 26 with the ink container 12 replenished using the method and apparatus of the present invention and suitably mounted in the inkjet printing system 10. It A negative gauge pressure is generated in the inkjet print head 24 by selectively moving the drop ejection unit 30 that ejects ink. This negative gauge pressure draws out the ink retained in the interstitial spaces between the fibers 46 in the capillary storage member 40. The ink supplied from the ink container 12 to the inkjet print head 24 replenishes the inkjet print head 24. As the ink leaves the reservoir through the outlet port 36, air flows in through the air port 38 and resides in the reservoir 34 in place of the ink, thereby preventing a negative pressure or negative gauge pressure from developing in the reservoir 34. .

[0042]

The method and apparatus of the present invention solves one or more of the problems of poor print quality, loss or degradation of printhead reliability, and loss or degradation of printing system 10. Provided is a method of replenishing a wide variety of ink containers without causing excessive or insufficient replenishment of the ink containers leading to the above-mentioned various problems that occur. In addition, the method and apparatus of the present invention provides a uniform ink front 62, 64 that fills the ink container 12 through the outlet 36 and expands into the capillary storage member 40 while expelling air from the outlet 36. When the ink container 12 is mounted on the printing system 10, the capillary member 4
The ink drawn from 0 contains a few air bubbles, if any, that flow in from the capillary storage member 40. Filling the ink container 12 in this manner reduces the inflow of air into the printing system 10 and improves the reliability of the printing system 10.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram of one exemplary embodiment of an inkjet printer incorporating an ink container suitable for replenishment using the method and apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an ink container and an inkjet printhead that receives ink from the ink container and performs printing.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an ink container showing an ink reservoir, a mesh of fused fibers that are inserted into the reservoir, and a reservoir cover that encloses the reservoir.

4 (a) is a diagram showing the reticulated fused fibers shown in FIG. (B) is an enlarged perspective view of the mesh-like fused fiber of (a) inserted in the ink reservoir shown in FIG. 3 taken along line 4B-4B.

5A is a cross-sectional view of a single fiber taken along line 5A-5A of FIG. 4, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the fiber of FIG. 4 having a cross-shaped or X-shaped core portion. FIG. 7 is a diagram of an alternative embodiment.

6 is a cross-sectional view of a set of fibers fused at contact points taken along line 6-6 in FIG.

7 is a simplified diagram of an apparatus according to the present invention for filling the ink container shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method according to the invention for filling an ink container.

FIG. 9 shows a simplified diagram of an apparatus according to the invention for determining the amount of ink required to fill an ink container.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a method according to the present invention for determining the amount of ink required to fill an ink container.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an inkjet printing system including an ink container that is replenished using the apparatus and method of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

12 ink container 24 inkjet printhead 36 Outlet entrance 38 Air port 40 Capillary storage member 78 Fluid connection

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor David Olsen United States 97330 Northwest Charmia Vista, Corvallis, Oregon 3118 (72) Inventor David Sea Johnson United States 97212 36 East Avenue, Portland, Oregon 3902 (72) Inventor Jeffrey K. Pew United States 97034 Maryl Creek Drive, Lake Oswego, Oregon 17754 (56) References JP-A-11-216873 (JP, A) JP-A-11-207990 (JP , A) JP 9-240001 (JP, A) JP 9-174872 (JP, A) JP 8-183183 (JP, A) JP 7-323560 (JP, A) JP 6-191055 (JP, A) JP-A-3-227656 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/175

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A device for replenishing ink in a replaceable ink container in a printing system , wherein the ink container has a top portion and a bottom portion with respect to a gravity coordinate system, and further has a capillary storage member inside and at the bottom portion. A fluid connection having an outflow inlet, configured to be inserted at the bottom to press the capillary storage member, and a back pressure to suck ink into the capillary storage member.
Based on the back pressure measuring device to be measured and the back pressure measured by the back pressure measuring device,
Determine the amount of ink to fill the replaceable ink container
And means, prior to the replaceable ink container through the fluid connection
An ink delivery device for delivering the amount of ink determined by the determination means , wherein the ink delivery device is positioned with the bottom down with respect to a gravity coordinate system, in order to supply the ink to the capillary storage member near the outlet. An ink delivery device configured to deliver ink to the ink container; 2. The replenishing device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid connection part is a hollow tube inserted into the replaceable ink container and pressing the capillary storage member. 3. The replenishment device according to claim 1, wherein the ink delivery device is configured to supply ink to the ink container to expel air from the capillary storage member in a region near the outflow port.