JPH09123474A - Refillable ink-jet cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cartridge utilized in replenishing work performing the replenishment with ink by passing ink through the ink reservoir of a printing head cartridge from a replenishing reservoir through the nozzles of a printing head. SOLUTION: An ink supply reservoir 22 and a printing head 20 are provided and an opening part is formed to the outer wall of a cartridge 12 and an air passing pipe 56 having the first end part continuing to the reservoir 22 and a second end part to which a perforated terminal cap facing to the circumference and allowing air to flow in the reservior from the circumference is attached to the opening part.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet printer device, and more particularly, to an ink jet cartridge having a structure that allows refilling of the cartridge.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION So-called "drop-on-demand" ink jet printers or plotters have at least one printhead that directs ink drops toward a recording medium. In the printhead, the ink is contained in multiple channels and energy pulses are applied to the transducer to eject ink drops from nozzles at the ends of the channels as needed.

[0003]

Many of the current ink jet printers and plotters have utilized disposable printhead cartridges with built-in ink supplies. However, current printhead technology has advanced to the point where the life and reliability of printhead structural equipment such as resistive heater elements far exceeds the useful life of self-contained ink supplies. For example, Xerox400
In the case of the 4 print head, the reliability of the heater has a life of more than 5 × 10 ⁷ pulses per injection amount, but the standard loading ink is followed by 5 pulses per injection amount. × 10 ⁶ pieces. Thus, the disposal of ink cartridge supplies due to exhaustion of loaded ink seems uneconomical and environmentally unfriendly.

Therefore, the need to replenish and extend the life of inkjet cartridges has been well recognized, and several methods and devices for accomplishing this have been presented. One such approach is to connect a second auxiliary ink reservoir to the main printhead cartridge for continuous resupply in operation. This technique is presented in US Pat. No. 5,369,429.

Another technique is to remove the ink cartridge from the apparatus and use an injector filled with ink through the existing ventilation hole, or to form a new ventilation hole or a dedicated tool for expanding the existing ventilation hole. It is related to replenishment by utilizing. The cartridge is then refilled by tubing or syringe from an auxiliary source. A disclosure of this type of supplementation is US Pat. No. 5,199,4.
70 and 5,329,294. U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,998 describes refilling a cartridge without removing the cartridge from the printhead by moving the printhead to a service station and inserting a refill tube into an opening in the cartridge body. Is disclosed.

[0006]

If an existing cartridge is to be replenished rather than replaced, the cartridge must be designed to accommodate whatever replenishment technique is used. The present invention relates to a refillable cartridge design technique used in a refill operation in which replenishment is performed by passing ink from a replenishment reservoir to an ink reservoir of a printhead cartridge through a nozzle of the printhead. The mechanism that enables this replenishment ink flow is a vacuum mechanism operation that acts through the vent holes in the cartridge.

More specifically, the present invention comprises an ink supply reservoir and a print head, wherein the cartridge has an opening formed in the outer wall, and the opening has a first end portion extending to the reservoir. Replenishable ink for an ink jet printer, characterized in that a vent tube is attached having a second end facing the periphery and adapted to allow air to flow from the periphery into the reservoir. It concerns a cartridge.

[0008]

1 is a schematic diagram of an ink jet printing apparatus incorporating the refillable ink cartridge of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic end view of a refillable ink cartridge in a remote refill position located near the refill device. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the vent holes of the first embodiment of the refillable cartridge of FIG. FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the cartridge. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a third embodiment of the refillable cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a thermal ink jet printer 1 which can utilize the refillable ink cartridge of the present invention.
0 shows an example. The printer 10 has a guide rail 17
It comprises a refillable printhead cartridge 12 mounted on a scanning carriage 16 which can be moved back and forth. The cartridge 12 comprises a printhead 20 and an integral ink supply reservoir 22 filled with ink or an ink impregnated foam component. Formed within the printhead are a plurality of channels each having a resistive heater and continuously supplied with ink from a reservoir via printhead fill holes. The ink channel terminates at nozzle 26 in nozzle face 28. In use, the scanning carriage 16 reciprocates linearly in the direction of arrow 29 and the resistive heaters are selectively energized to eject ink drops from the corresponding printhead nozzles. The ink drops are directed toward the recording medium 30 along a print zone or print width 32. The recording medium remains stationary during each pass of the scanning carriage. Recording medium 3 at the end of each pass
0 is sent to the next print line. Further details regarding the operation of printing device 10 can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,337 as well as U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,572, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. .

Referring to FIG. 2, the cartridge 12 is
It is shown removed from position on the carriage 16 and in combination with the vacuum device 42 the replenishment device 40.
Shown in position ready to be refilled by.

FIG. 2 shows the reservoir 22 of the cartridge 12.
FIG. 4 is a schematic end view showing how the cartridge is replenished through the nozzles 26 of the printhead, showing the cartridge 12 held in a position before being coupled to the replenishing device 40. The device 40 includes a mechanical gripping mechanism 44, a replenishment ink container 46, and a nozzle 2 which is joined to the surface of the nozzle surface 28.
A flexible compressible gasket 48 surrounding 6 is provided.
The cartridge 12 includes a printhead 20 having a plurality of nozzles 26 formed along a nozzle surface 28. The ink reservoir 22 holds a predetermined amount of ink impregnated in the foam constituent material 23. Reservoir 22
Are hermetically sealed in the cartridge by a light negative pressure.
The ink flow is in the conventional manner, by capillary action, through the fill holes and into the ink channels formed in the printhead 20. Each ink channel has a resistance that heats the ink when selectively energized and ejects the ink through a nozzle. The channels are constantly refilled each time the ink is ejected.
Atmospheric pressure builds up in the wall of the cartridge in the container,
It is retained by a dual function vent 54 which is shown in more detail in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the first embodiment, the opening 55 of the vent hole 54 is formed by the cartridge 1
It is formed on the second wall 12a. A vent pipe 56 is inserted into the opening 55, one end of which projects into the reservoir 22 and the other end of which extends slightly beyond the wall 12A to the surroundings. The vent tube 56 has a perforated end cap 57 that allows air flow, and under normal operating conditions allows the passage of air but prevents the outflow of liquid ink from the cartridge, such as Gortex® or similar. The barrier wall member 58 which can be a component of In a preferred embodiment,
The terminal cap has perforations with a diameter of 0.2 mm or less. In the alternative embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, the perforated end cap is a Gortex® material and end cap 57.
Lined by a mesh disc, which is stainless steel in the preferred embodiment, inserted between the two and also provides a hole diameter of 0.2 mm or less.

Continuing with the description of FIG. 2, when device 40 moves in the direction of arrow 45 into sealing contact with the printhead, gasket 48 joins the surface of nozzle face 28 and surrounds nozzle 26. The device 42 operates in cooperation with an injector-type vacuum suction mechanism 60. The mechanism 60 includes a ventilation pipe 56.
A flexible tube 66 attached to one end of the reservoir 2
2 is connected.

In the preferred embodiment, the clamping mechanism 44 is an inexpensive molded plastic part. The gasket 48 is a molded elastomeric material such as silicone that provides a leak tight seal with the nozzle face area of the printhead by mechanical clamping pressure. The container 46 holds a desired amount of replenishment ink that allows the ink to optimally flow through the restricted aperture 70 and the filter 72.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, in operation, a decision is made to start a refill operation. This can be done automatically by an operator or an ink level monitoring system of the type disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,136,305, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. A signal is generated to provide an indicator indication that ink needs refilling. The operator removes the cartridge to a remote location and the pinching mechanism 44 mates with the notches 72, 74 in the cartridge 12 and the gasket 48.
The device 40 is moved so that is sealed by covering the nozzle face plate 28. The tube 66 is then connected to the vent tube 56 of the cartridge 12, and the plunger 62 of the mechanism 60 ensures that the negative pressure from the vent tube 56 to the cartridge reservoir is sufficient to draw ink from the container 56 through the nozzle 16. As shown, it is pulled out in the direction of arrow 64.
It has been found that a vacuum of 200 to 250 torr produces satisfactory results.

When ink begins to flow from the container 46 through the nozzle 26, the ink flows in a path opposite to the ink capillary flow during normal operation, eg, ink flows through the ink channel to begin refilling the reservoir 22. The refill operation is continued until the reservoir is filled to the desired level, at which time tube 66 is removed.

Thereafter, the clamping mechanism is retracted, and the device 4
2 is moved out of the sealing fit with printhead nozzle face 28. The cartridge is then returned to its normal use position.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the cartridge 12 having a modified vent hole 54. In this example,
The cartridge wall 12A has two recesses 12B and 12C.
Has been modified to produce a circular protrusion 12D on the cartridge wall. In the case of this embodiment, the ventilation pipe 6
6 is attached to the protruding portion 12D of the cartridge.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an inkjet printing apparatus incorporating the refillable ink cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic end view of a refillable ink cartridge in a remote refill position located near the refill device.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the vent holes of the first embodiment of the refillable cartridge of FIG.

FIG. 4 shows a diagram of a second embodiment of the cartridge.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a third embodiment of the refillable cartridge of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Thermal Inkjet Printer 12 Print Head Cartridge 16 Scanning Carriage 17 Guide Rail 20 Print Head 22 Integral Ink Supply Reservoir 23 Foam Component 26 Nozzle 28 Nozzle Surface 30 Recording Medium 32 Printing Width 40 Replenishing Device 42 Vacuum Device 44 Mechanical Clamping Mechanism 46 Replenishment ink container 48 Gasket 54 Dual function ventilation hole 55 Opening portion 56 Venting tube 57 Terminal cap 58 Barrier member 60 Vacuum suction mechanism 62 Plunger 66 Flexible tube 70 Limiting opening portion 72 Filter 74 Notch

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Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An ink supply reservoir and a print head, wherein an outer wall of the cartridge has an opening formed therein, the opening having a first end extending to the reservoir and facing the periphery. A refillable ink cartridge for an ink jet printer, characterized in that a vent tube having a second end adapted with a perforated end cap for allowing air to flow from the surroundings into the reservoir is attached. 2. An ink replenishing device in which a printhead cartridge is replenished with ink from an ink replenishment reservoir via printhead nozzles, wherein the cartridge has at least one vent opening in the outer wall thereof. A ventilation pipe having one end protruding into the cartridge and the other end protruding toward the periphery is attached, and at the other end of the ventilation pipe, a perforated end cap that allows air flow from the surroundings to the reservoir is incorporated, and further through the ventilation pipe. An ink replenishing device, which is also equipped with a barrier member that allows the passage of air and blocks the flow of liquid ink.