JPH071744A - Device for storing cartridge for ink jet printer and continuing to supply ink - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a device for holding a printing cartridge and keeping it supplied with ink for a considerable period. CONSTITUTION: In a device comprising a container 10 divided into two chambers and housing cartridges 32 for an ink jet printer and keeping them supplied with ink, a lower chamber 20 is filled with ink and an upper chamber 22 contains a seat 30 for housing one or more used cartridges. The cartridges 32 are automatically supplied with ink drawn from the lower chamber by means of porous elements 26 having a capillary structure, which are immersed in the ink at one end parts thereof and communicate with the cartridges at the other end parts thereof by means of a hole 54 in one 33 of their walls.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for storing a cartridge for printing, particularly a cartridge for an ink jet printer, and continuing to supply ink.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of the important points when using an ink jet printer, it is required that the print head is always available, that is, ink is always supplied to the print head. To be done.

Printing devices in ink jet printers can generally be classified into two types. The first type is composed of a print head having an ink reservoir. In the second form, the printhead is separated from the ink reservoir, affixed to a support that includes a pedestal, and is supplied with ink by a cartridge that is inserted at the top of the support. In a second form, US Pat. No. US-A-5 119.
No. 115 and US-A-3 967 286, the cartridge is automatically connected to the print head, which allows the print head to be supplied with ink by a hydraulic connection device. In particular US patent US-A-3
967 286 relates to a hydraulic connection device that uses capillary elements to supply ink to a reservoir of a printhead.

When the used cartridge of the ink jet print head is replaced with a cartridge filled with ink, there are two possible options for the operator. The first is to discard the used cartridge, and the second is to fill the used cartridge with ink by conventional methods. As this conventional method, for example, there is a method of injecting an appropriate amount of ink into an ink reservoir using an injector as shown in US Pat. No. 4,419,677.

[0007] The first method is a cause of environmental pollution due to substances that cannot be biodegraded, such as resins generally used in the manufacture of cartridges, in view of waste of raw material costs. Considering the above, it is not recommended at all.

However, since the ink filling takes time and there is a risk of soiling the operator's hands, the operation panel and peripheral equipment, the second method is not a means recommended to the operator.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for supplying ink to a printing cartridge for a considerable period of time in order to solve the above problems.

[0008] Separated from the printer, adapted to fill one or more used cartridges with new ink and / or to retain one or more cartridges in full ink-filled state, It is another important object of the present invention to provide a device adapted to be always ready for use.

[0009]

The features of the present invention are defined in the independent claims of the appended claims. Advantageous features of the invention are described in the dependent claims. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device for holding the ink away from the ink jet printer and for keeping the ink supplied consists of a container with two chambers. The lower chamber is filled with ink and the upper chamber has a seat for accommodating one or more cartridges. The cartridge is automatically supplied with fresh ink drawn from the lower chamber by a porous element having a capillary structure. The porous element is immersed in the ink and communicates with the cartridge by a hole provided in one of the walls of the cartridge.

The operator of the ink jet printer possesses one of the cartridge storage devices for newly filling the used cartridge with ink, and the ink is filled in the device until the time of use. Store the cartridge. In this way, the operator can have another cartridge refill while one cartridge is in use in the printer, allowing the spare to be kept available at all times.

By using the device, it is not necessary to dispose of the used cartridge, which is originally refillable. Moreover, it does not require a long time for filling, and the risk of soiling the operator's hand, equipment, and surrounding objects can be minimized, so that the refilling operation is far more suitable.

The cartridge may also have separate chambers for multiple colors of ink. In that case, the lower chamber of the device is partitioned corresponding to the separate chambers, each chamber being provided with a separate porous element.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 is a rigid side wall 12.
And a parallelepiped-shaped container defined by a bottom surface 14 integrated with a rigid sidewall 12.

The bottom surface 1 in the lower part 16 of the container 10
A wall 18 is provided at a distance from 4.
The wall 18 is also rigid and parallel to the bottom surface 14. The wall surface 18 has an edge 19 at a predetermined distance from the bottom surface 14.
Along the side wall 12 and divides the interior space of the container 10 into a lower chamber 20 and an upper chamber 22.

The wall 18 has a hole 24 through which an element 26 of porous material having a high capillary action penetrates. The element 26 is fixed to the edge of the hole 24 by a rubber ring 28, and one end 27 of the element 26 projects above the wall surface 18 and into the upper chamber 22.
On the other hand, inside the lower chamber 20, the remaining end is the bottom surface 1.
It extends to near 4.

The lower chamber 20 is filled with ink through the holes 24 before the capillary element 26 is fixed to form an ink container 25, which supplies ink to a used cartridge or an integrated head. Will be described below.

The upper chamber 22 includes a seat for receiving the cartridge, the seat being formed by ribs 29 and 30 projecting from the sidewall 12 into the interior of the upper chamber 22. The ribs 29 and 30 provide a guide and support for a separate printhead cartridge 32 not shown in the drawing. The cartridge 32 in FIGS. 1 and 2 consists of a reservoir 34 filled with a sponge-like absorber 35 into which ink penetrates.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the first modified internal structure.
The container 10 in the figure is shown. The internal structure of the container 10 is either a cartridge or a suitable printhead 42 (FIG. 4).
And an integrated cartridge or reservoir 40, which is referred to as an integrated printhead.

The reservoir 40 of the head 42 includes a downward protrusion 46, and a multilayer plate 48 for supporting a nozzle for ejecting ink droplets is fixed to the outside of the protrusion 46.

As is known in the art, the plate is manufactured by the general manufacturing method of integrated circuits and has a discharge chamber. Each discharge chamber is equipped with heating elements, feed passages and is provided with suitable electrical connections (not shown). These feeding passages are connected between the duct 39 provided on the wall surface 49 of the protrusion 46 in FIG. 4 and the discharge chamber. The structure of the multilayer plate 48 for the nozzle is described in Italian Patent No. 12
It will be easier to understand according to 34800.

FIG. 3 shows an empty state of the container 10 in FIG. Wall surface 1 that defines the ink reservoir 36
8 ′ has a step difference portion divided by a step portion 37. The step portion 37 defines a concave portion 37 ′ and accommodates the protruding portion 46 of the head 40 in FIG. 4. The pad 38 is a soft absorbent material in the form of felt or sponge and is arranged on the step 37, on which the multi-layer plate 48 for the nozzle is arranged. The pad serves to keep the nozzle clean and to remove residual ink that has accumulated on the outer wall of the plate 48. It can be further seen from FIGS. 1 to 4 that the ribs 29, 30 extend along the side wall 12 of the container 10 parallel to the bottom surface 14.

Cartridge 32 and fourth in FIG.
The bottom surface 33 of the reservoir 43 in the figure has a through hole 54 through which the sponge body 35 penetrates toward the outside. Hole 54
When the cartridge 32 or the reservoir 43 in the head 40 is installed in the upper chamber, the porous element 2
6 protrudes through the through hole 54, and the sponge body 3
It is arranged at a position where it comes into contact with 5. This creates a hydraulic connection between the container 25 and the cartridge 32 or the reservoir 43 of the head 40.

When the printer has been used for a certain period of time and the ink has been used up, the sponge body 35 is automatically replenished with ink by a capillary action. Once the cartridge 32 or reservoir 43 is installed in the container 10, the upper opening 21 of the upper chamber 22 will be closed by the airtight cover 56 in FIG.
It is sealed by. The airtight cover 56 includes a pressure material 57 having elasticity or elasticity, and the pressure material 57 includes the ribs 29 and 3.
The head is fixed to the seat formed by 0.

Ink-free print head 40 in FIG. 4 or cartridge 3 in FIG. 1 in which no ink remains.
2 is mounted in an upper chamber 22 in which the ink is automatically supplied by a porous element 26 from a container 25.

When the cover 56 is closed, the printhead or cartridge can remain filled with ink for an unlimited period of time, and is therefore always ready for use. There is no risk of ink drying or coagulation in the nozzles because the plate 48 supporting the nozzles is placed in a highly humid and non-ventilated state. Furthermore, as already mentioned, the wall surface 37 forming the step shown in FIG.
In addition, a pad 38 is arranged corresponding to the plate 48 to always guarantee the operation of the nozzle.

5 and 6 are longitudinal sectional views of the container 60, which has two compartments 62 and 63 divided by a dividing wall 65.

The container 60 stores a cartridge 64 filled with a single color ink, for example, a black ink in the compartment 62, and a cartridge 66 filled with three colors of ink in the compartment 63. Each ink has a corresponding shape, and each ink has a corresponding sponge body 67a, 67a in FIG.
Penetrates b, 67c, 67d. 2 cartridges 66
Three chambers 66a partitioned by a wall surface 68,
It is divided into 66b and 66c. The bottom wall 69 has a total of three holes, one for each chamber 66, each of which has three corresponding capillary elements 70, 71 and 7.
2 is inserted to supply each color ink to the sponge body 67. Ink corresponding to each color is stored in each of the compartments 75, 76, 77 defined in the lower chamber 78 of the container 60.

The cartridge 64 is supplied in a similar manner by a capillary element 80 immersed in a reservoir 82 which stores a black ink.

The top of the container 60 is closed by a cover 84. The cover 84 can be an integral part, one for each of the compartments 62 and 63,
It can also be split into two separate parts.

As a mechanism similar to the container 60 in FIG. 5, FIGS. 7 and 8 are an embodiment of the present invention that supplies ink to and separates two separate integrated heads 87 and 88. Figure 8 shows a container 86 adapted to hold. The integrated head 87 (not shown) is similar to the head 40 in FIG. 4 and is used for a single color, while the head 88 stores ink of different colors in the three compartments in the reservoir 89. Stockpiled. These three compartments supply ink to, for example, three corresponding print heads 88b (FIG. 8) fixed to the reservoir 89.

FIG. 9 shows, as an embodiment of the present invention, a container 90 having four integrated heads 91 and capable of using four color inks. The four heads 91 are the same as each other, and are also the same as the head 40 in FIG. FIG. 10 shows the line of FIG. 9 for one of the integrated heads 91.
It is a vertical sectional view about XX.

The container 90 is divided into four compartments 92 by dividing walls 93. Ribs 94 and 96 support the head 91, similar to ribs 29 and 30 of similar shape in FIGS.

The top of the container 90 is a removable airtight cover 9
Sealed by 7. The cover 97 may be divided into two or four so that two chambers or one chamber is not opened at one time.

In the multiple container shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the top walls 98 and 99 of each of the ink reservoirs.
Is a protrusion 102 similar to the protrusion 46 in FIG.
In order to secure the passage portion of the, it has a step shape.

The containers in FIG. 9 are identical to each other
The cartridge can be shaped into a simpler structure so that it can accommodate four cartridges similar to the cartridge 32 in the figure or the cartridge 64 in FIG. 6, and each cartridge is filled with ink of a different color. Is the first
As can be seen, the top wall 99 is shaped like the top wall 18 to be planar.

As a simple variant not shown, the containers 3, 8 and 10 as shown in FIG. 11 can be adapted to accommodate the cartridge 105 and the support 106 as a pair. The cartridge 105 is similar to the cartridge 32 in FIG.
Consists of a parallelepiped-shaped container 108 that opens upwards and includes a side wall 110 that has an internal dimension that allows the cartridge 105 to be stored.

The side wall 11 is a part of one bottom wall 112.
At a point proximate 0 ′, the container 108 includes a printhead 114 with a chamber 118 that supplies ink to a plate 120 that supports a print nozzle 122. The plate 120 has the same shape as that already shown in FIG. The chamber 118 is in communication with the nozzle 122 via a passage 126.

The support portion 106 is provided with a joint portion 128 so that the cartridge / support pair can be removably mounted on the carriage (not shown) of the printer.

A flat cable 130 having a plurality of tracks, one end of which is electrically connected to the plate 120, is fixed to the outer wall portion of the side wall 110 ′, an electric pulse is supplied to the plate 120, and an ink droplet is ejected from the nozzle 122. Let

The capillary element 134 is fixed on the support 106 inside the bottom wall 112 corresponding to the chamber 118.
The element 134 protrudes toward the inside of the container 108 and is inserted through the hole 136 of the cartridge 105 to form the sponge body 103.
Contact with and allow ink to penetrate. The element 134 transports ink from the sponge body 103 into the chamber 118 by filling the chamber 118 by capillary action.
22.

When the cartridge 105 becomes empty, it is removed from the support portion 106, refilled with ink by mounting it on the container 10 in FIG. 1, and stored in a filled state for reuse.

As already explained, the cartridge 1
It is also possible to remove the entire group of 05 and the support 106 from the carriage of the printer and mount them on a container which has been modified according to the container of FIGS. 3, 8 and 10.

In this case, the cartridge 105 mounted on the supporting portion 106 is always in a usable state, and its period is not limited.

12 to 14 show another embodiment of the present invention, which is an apparatus including two miniaturized cartridges called laptop type cartridges.

The container 140 is divided by a dividing wall 142 into a lower chamber 144 and an upper chamber 146. Upper chamber 146 is further divided by wall 150 into two compartments 147 and 148.

For example, as compared with the cartridge 32 shown in FIG. 1, a cartridge 152 which is smaller than the cartridge 32 is mounted in the compartment 147 and has two support ribs 15 arranged on the wall surface 142.
5 and 156. Capillary element 160 is wall surface 1
42, one end 162 of which projects into the compartment 147 and is in contact with the sponge body 154 contained in the cartridge 152 through a hole 153 formed in one wall surface of the cartridge 152. In this mechanism, the ink stored in the lower chamber 144 is supplied to the cartridge 152 by the capillary action of the element 160.

The compartment 148, on the other hand, is completely sealed from its exterior and lower chamber 144 and supports 170 for supporting an inkjet printhead 172 of a type similar to the heads 42 and 46 described in connection with FIG. The cartridge 152 '(FIG. 13) inserted in the cartridge is housed.

The sealed cartridge 152 is divided into compartments 147.
When the cartridge 152 ′ mounted on the partition chamber 148 is mounted on the partition chamber 148, the cover 1
45 seals the upper opening of the container 140 to make it airtight.

The support 170 includes a chamber 174 which extends from the chamber and is a porous capillary element 17.
6, the ink is supplied to the head 172 which is hydraulically connected to the cartridge 152 ′. Capillary element 176
14, the ink penetrates into the inside of the cartridge 152 ′ through a hole 177 formed in the cartridge 152 ′, contacts the sponge body 154, sucks ink, and supplies the ink to the chamber 174.

The compartment 147 further communicates with the lower chamber 144 by a duct 158 provided in the hole 177 of the cartridge 152, as shown in FIG. 14, and a part of the sponge body 154 exposed in the hole 177. The humidity inside the cartridge 152 is maintained and the pressure inside the cartridge 152 is kept constant.

The cartridge 152 is provided with ribs 155 and 156 by means of a leaf spring 163 attached to the cover 145.
Is firmly fixed to the seat formed by. Further, the cartridge 152 is pressed against the duct 158 by the elastic member 166 arranged between the side wall 141 and the cartridge 152 along the axis of the cartridge 152 on the surface opposite to the duct 158.

The apparatus for holding the cartridge and supplying the ink described above can be added or modified with respect to the components or the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. You can understand.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus that stores a print head cartridge and keeps the cartridge in a state where ink is supplied, which is an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container portion in FIG. 1 having a printhead with a suitable ink reservoir.

4 is a cross-sectional view of the container portion in FIG. 3, the container portion having an integrated printhead.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the invention, a device for holding two separate cartridges.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the invention having two integrated printheads, each using a different color ink.

8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, a device having four integrated cartridges.

10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in FIG.

11 shows a cartridge contained in a support, which is inserted into the device shown in FIGS. 4, 7 and 9. FIG.

FIG. 12 illustrates an apparatus including an integrated head and a cartridge corresponding to a downsized integrated head, which is an embodiment of the present invention.

13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XIII-XIII in FIG.

14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XIV-XIV in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 60, 90 container 20 lower chamber 22 upper chamber 26, 134, 160, 176 porous capillary element 29, 30 rib 28 rubber ring 32, 64, 105, 152 cartridge 40, 42, 46, 114, 172 print head 34 , 36, 43 Reservoir 35, 103, 154 Sponge body 39, 158 Duct 56, 84, 97 Cover 87, 88, 91 Integrated head 122 Nozzle 130 Flat cable

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Roberto Morandotti, Italian Republic 10015, Via Donio 1015 (72) Inventor Danilo Cheskin, Italian Republic 10010, Candia Chi Se, Via Garibaldi 12

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for storing a cartridge or a reservoir for an ink jet printer and holding ink in a supplied state, comprising an opening 21 and a cover 56 for closing the opening. At least one first chamber 22 comprising a container 10, the interior of which is accessible by said means 18 from said opening and comprises means 29, 30 for containing a cartridge.
And an at least one second chamber 20 for storing ink for supply to a cartridge disposed in the same first chamber. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second chamber 20 is disposed below the first chamber 22, and one end is immersed in the ink and the other end is the first chamber. An apparatus comprising a capillary element 26 adapted to project into and be inserted into a cartridge. 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the means for dividing the first chamber and the second chamber comprises a wall 18 through which a capillary element 26 is penetrated. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3,
Means for accommodating the cartridge are means 29 and 30 for supporting and retaining the cartridge in position within the first chamber 22 when the cover 56 closes the opening 21.
A device comprising: 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the means for supporting and retaining the cartridge is the first chamber 2
2 ribs 29 and 30 projecting inside and a cover 56
Elastic element 57 fixed to the rib and adapted to press the cartridge against said rib. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first chamber projects toward the second chamber and accommodates a printhead of a cartridge having an integral printhead. A device including a recess 37 '. 7. The apparatus of claim 6 including a wall connecting the means for dividing the first chamber and the second chamber, the wall including first and second portions joined together. , The second part is staggered to form an indented projection 37 '. 8. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first chambers are separated from each other to accommodate different color ink cartridges 66. A device comprising chambers 67a-67c. 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second chamber stores a plurality of inks of a plurality of colors for supplying to respective corresponding cartridges contained in the first plurality of compartments. A device comprising compartments 75-77. 10. The capillary element 70, 71 of claim 9, wherein each of the second plurality of compartments is adapted to hydraulically connect a corresponding cartridge to a corresponding compartment. A device comprising 72.