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
  • B41J2/17506—Refilling of the cartridge

Definitions

• This invention relates to an ink refilling apparatus for refilling an ink cartridge with ink and in particular, but not exclusively to an ink cartridge refilling apparatus for refilling inkjet printer cartridges.
• Printer ink cartridges and particularly inkjet printer cartridges are used in increasing numbers and these items are typically thrown away after a single use. This is not only costly for the consumers, but is also environmental unfriendly as these cartridges contribute to ever increasing waste disposal problems. Depleted printer cartridges can be re-used and the refilling of cartridges is becoming more common.
• cartridges employ a range of ink storage media, for example some cartridges have inflatable or collapsible ink bags, and others have foam or sponge inserts.
• ink storage media for example some cartridges have inflatable or collapsible ink bags, and others have foam or sponge inserts.
• foam or sponge inserts Each of these variations provides additional challenges for ink refilling and previous refilling devices tend to be efficient at refilling only one or two types of ink storage media. For example, it can be difficult to refill a foam or sponge type cartridge. Also, if a cartridge has been refilled, the print quality from the cartridge can be impaired if air bubbles remain in the cartridge after ink refilling.
• An ink filling apparatus is ideally able to fill more than one color of ink, but this requirement has been difficult to achieve since contamination of colours can occur when the same filling conduits are used to fill inks of different colors.
• the invention may broadly be said to consist in an ink cartridge refilling apparatus having a pump and an ink supply means, both of which are operatively connected to a system of conduits which can be brought into a sealing contact with both a first and a second opening in an ink cartridge, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the pump can be used to evacuate air out of both the first and the second openings of the cartridge, and the apparatus can then allow ink to be drawn into the evacuated cartridge from the ink supply means.
• the apparatus further includes a chamber adapted contain a vacuum pressure which is in communication with the system of conduits.
• the apparatus is adapted to receive an ink reservoir which can be brought into sealing contact with the system of conduits.
• the evacuated contents of the ink cartridge can be pumped into the ink reservoir. This allows repeated evacuations of air from the ink cartridge with little or no loss of ink. This allows improved removal of air from ink cartridges having sponge type reservoirs.
• the apparatus is configured to accept inserts which are adapted to allow printer cartridges of different sizes and/or shapes to be brought into sealing contact with the system of conduits.
• inserts which are adapted to allow printer cartridges of different sizes and/or shapes to be brought into sealing contact with the system of conduits.
• the use of inserts gives the apparatus greater flexibility of use, allowing it to be used to refill a wider range of printer cartridges.
• the apparatus includes a pressure sensor in communication with the system of conduits. This allows the apparatus to use an optimised vacuum pressure to ensure the best filling results and therefore print quality from a refilled cartridge, and it can help to optimize the usage of ink.
• the apparatus further includes a control system adapted to automatically control the refilling process.
• the apparatus is formed as two main components, a filling unit and a base station, the filling unit comprising the pump, the ink supply means, the system of conduits and being adapted to receive an ink cartridge, and the base station comprising the control system, and the filling unit being adapted to removably connect with the base station.
• the filling unit comprising the pump, the ink supply means, the system of conduits and being adapted to receive an ink cartridge, and the base station comprising the control system, and the filling unit being adapted to removably connect with the base station.
• the invention may broadly be said to consist in a method of filling an ink cartridge including the steps of;
• the step of evacuating the air from the cartridge is carried out at both a first and a second opening in the cartridge.
• the method is repeated at least once to improve the removal of air from the cartridge.
• the method further includes a step of priming the cartridge by drawing ink out of an opening in the cartridge using suction.
• the invention may also broadly be said to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of the parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents, such equivalents are incorporated herein as if they were individually set forth.
• FIGURES 1 to 4 are schematic diagrams showing the refilling circuit and the operation of the ink refilling apparatus
• FIGURES 5 to 7 are perspective views showing the construction of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus comprising a filing unit and a base station,
• FIGURES 8 and 9 are perspective views demonstrating the use of different inserts to allow the apparatus to be used with a range of printer cartridges
• FIGURE 10 is a cross sectional view of the filling unit, the unit having locking doors shown in an open position,
• FIGURE 11 is a cross sectional view of the filling unit, with the unit having locking doors shown in a closed position, and
• FIGURE 12 is a perspective view showing how the apparatus can comprise a range of filling units for different colors which can each be fitted to a common base station.
• the present invention offers users an ink refilling apparatus which is capable of automatically refilling printer cartridges of many types.
• Foam or sponge storage type printer cartridges can be refilled without difficulty and they can be expected to provide excellent print quality. This is because air is unlikely to remain trapped in the pores of the sponge because a vacuum filling method is employed which removes air from the foam or sponge during the refilling process.
• the apparatus can comprise a single integral unit, the apparatus described herein comprises two main components which are dock-able to each other to form the complete apparatus.
• One component being a base station that contains an electronic control system
• the other component being a filling unit that consists of a housing to hold a printer cartridge, an ink reservoir, a pump, and a system of conduits making a filling circuit.
• the filling unit also includes various sensors which can communicate with the control system to allow automated and orderly refilling of ink cartridges which can be expected to provide adequate print quality after refilling.
• Various lights are also incorporated to indicate the status of the apparatus while it is in operation.
• a depleted printer cartridge having a first and a second opening, can be loaded into one end of the apparatus whilst the ink reservoir can be loaded into the other end.
• rubber seals contact the first and second openings of the printer cartridge, whilst two hollow needles penetrate seals on the ink reservoir. This action closes the filling circuit and enables ink from the ink reservoir to be transferred into the printer cartridge during the refilling process.
• the electronic control unit Before the refilling process can be started, the electronic control unit is connected to an external power supply. Upon switching on the device, the electronic control unit scans all the sensors to ensure that both the printer cartridge and ink reservoir are loaded onto the device and that the locking doors are closed properly. The indicator lights help to display the status accordingly, and the control logic further prevents the refilling process being started if any sensor signal is in inappropriate state. With a depleted printer cartridge and a full ink reservoir loaded, and the doors properly closed, the refilling process can be initiated by simply pressing a start button. From then on, the electronic control unit takes over control of the entire refilling process and when the printer cartridge is sufficiently filled, the process stops automatically. The printer cartridge can then be removed from the apparatus and is ready for re-use in a printer. The ink reservoir can be discarded or if there is ink remaining in the ink reservoir, it can be used for the refilling of another depleted cartridge.
• Figures 1 to 4 show in a schematic format the main refilling circuit of the ink refilling apparatus, and the figures enable the operation of the apparatus to be explained.
• the apparatus operates to refill a depleted ink cartridge 10 by vacuum means. Whilst a solenoid operated valve 60 is in a first configuration a pump 30 is used to create vacuum pressure in a vacuum chamber 40 and in an ink cartridge 10. And then the solenoid operated valve 60 is switched to a second configuration allowing ink to be drawn from an ink reservoir 20 and into the ink cartridge 10.
• the pump 30 can be driven by an electric motor.
• the refilling process can be controlled by an electronic control unit 50.
• the control unit 50 includes a monitoring system which is in communication with a pressure sensor Sl, reservoir and cartridge sensors, S2 and S3, and sensors S4 and S5 which indicate the status of two locking doors.
• the electronic control unit 50 also incorporates light indicators Ll, L2, L3 to inform the user of the status of the apparatus and of the refilling process. Buttons, Bl and B2, are provided to enable the various refilling processes to be manually activated.
• the 3-port-2-way solenoid valve 60 is controlled by the electronic control unit 50 and is used to control the flow direction in the system of conduits during the vacuum and refilling cycle.
• the main components are interconnected with a system of conduits in the form of tubes 70 to 76 to form a complete circuit.
• the tubing 70 to 76 can be made from rubber or plastics for example.
• the electronic control unit 50 can be powered by an external power source through a DC adaptor and is provided with a power on/off switch 51.
• FIGs 2 to 4 help to explain in further detail the working principles of the various stages of the refilling process using the apparatus.
• the electronic control unit 50 senses that both the printer cartridge 10 and ink reservoir 20 are in place and that the doors are locked properly, it displays a ready signal on the light indicators Ll & L3, to prompt the user that the device is now ready to start the refilling process, or a priming process (to be explained below).
• the user presses the button Bl to activate the process.
• the refilling process is activated with the electro-solenoid valve 60 connecting port one Pl to port two P2.
• the pump 30 starts pumping.
• pump 30 can only draw air out of the tubes 70, 73, 74 and 76 and any components open to these tubes, and the internal pressure in these tubes starts to drop.
• the process is also removing any possible air trapped in the printer cartridge 10 including any air trapped in the pores 12 of the storage sponge 11 of the printer cartridge 10.
• a vacuum pressure is created in the vacuum chamber 40 and this vacuum pressure is used to power the subsequent filling process.
• the pressure drops further while the pump 30 continues to operate, creating more vacuum pressure in the vacuum chamber 40.
• the printer cartridge 10 which is also experiencing the same pressure drop as vacuum chamber 40 also becomes a temporary vacuum chamber.
• the ink reservoir 20 can be provided with a vent (not shown) to allow at least a portion of this air to escape.
• the electronic control unit 50 monitors the pressure sensor Sl which is in communication with the vacuum chamber 40, and when vacuum pressure reaches a preset value, the electronic control unit 50 switches to the refilling process.
• FIG. 3 shows the refilling stage of the refilling process.
• the pump 30 is no longer pumping, and the solenoid valve 60 is connecting port P2 to port P3, which connects tube 71 to tube 70.
• ink is able to flow from an ink chamber 21 of the ink reservoir 20 and into the tube 71.
• the ink reservoir 20 includes a passage which at one end communicates with tube 71, the other end of the passage being located substantially at the bottom of the ink reservoir to ensure all of the ink is used for refilling cartridges.
• the vacuum pressure in the vacuum chamber 40 is still in communication with the printer cartridge 10 and this vacuum pressure causes ink to be drawn from the ink reservoir 20, via the tubes 71 and 70, and into the printer cartridge 10 to refill it.
• the sponge material 11 in the printer cartridge 10 stores the ink and the vacuum pressure continues to decay.
• the refilling process lasts for a preset time.
• the vacuum cycle and refilling cycle as shown and FIG. 2 and FIG.3 can be repeated one or more times. This repetition can be used to ensure that as much air as possible is removed from the printer cartridge 10.
• the refilling process is set to a preset time to ensure that the printer cartridge is filled fully. It is worthy of note that when the vacuum cycle is repeated in this procedure, the pump 30 draws out air from both the first opening 13 and the second opening 14 of the printer cartridge 10. As such, as the vacuum pressure is equally applied to both printer cartridge openings 13 and 14, and the ink remains substantially stored in the printer cartridge 10 since both openings 13 and 14 experience substantially the same pressure.
• the printer cartridge 10 can go through an optional priming process which makes sure that ink is readily available at the opening 14.
• the priming process can be the last stage of the refilling process, that is, after the printer cartridge 10 has been filled and before the system prompts the user that the refilling process is completed.
• the configuration as shown in figure 4 shows this priming stage of the refilling process.
• the solenoid valve 60 is connecting ports P2 and P3.
• the pump 30 starts to pump and since the port Pl of the solenoid valve 60 is closed, it only creates a vacuum pressure at the opening 14 of the printer cartridge 10.
• Ink starts to flow out of the opening 14 of the printer cartridge 10 for a preset time, the time being determined to optimise ink availability at the opening 14 while at the same time minimising the loss of ink from the printer cartridge 10.
• the entire refilling process is complete and the light indicator Ll displays the status accordingly and the user can then remove the filled printer cartridge 10 from the device and load it onto an inkjet printer and start printing.
• a priming cycle can be required.
• the poor print quality is most often because of an interrupted ink supply to the print head caused by trapped air or insufficient ink in opening of the ink cartridge which is in communication with the inkjet printer.
• Most inkjet printers are equipped with a priming or head cleaning facility to attain good print quality.
• priming using the printer facility can be both slow and cause a high wastage of ink as most printers prime all printer cartridges simultaneously instead of just the individual printer cartridge that needs priming. Ink is wasted on the colors that do not require priming.
• a printer cartridge 10 which is not empty but has poor print quality, can be primed.
• the printer cartridge 10 can be loaded in the apparatus, and with all the sensors in an appropriate state, the user can start the priming process by pressing the second button B2. With the second button B2 activated, the control system will just proceed with the priming process alone as shown in FIG. 4. This will ensure any air trapped in the opening 14 can be removed and sufficient ink is present at the opening 14 of the printer cartridge 10 for good quality printing.
• Figures 5 to 7 show an embodiment of the ink cartridge refilling apparatus of the present invention comprising a filling unit 200 and a base station 100 which houses the electronic control unit 50, the indicator lights Ll, L2, L3, the buttons Bl and B2 and the power on/off switch 51.
• the filling unit 200 is docked onto the base station 100. It has electrical connectors joining both units together to form a complete unit.
• the left end of the apparatus has a compartment for receiving a depleted printer cartridge 10.
• the action of closing a first locking door 210 helps to ensure that the printer cartridge 10 is properly and securely seated in place in the apparatus.
• the opposite end of the apparatus as shown in Figure 6 has a compartment for receiving the ink reservoir 20 and a second locking door 220 helps to ensure that the ink reservoir 20 is properly and securely seated in the apparatus.
• Figure 8 shows the use of a different insert 230a which allows a different sized printer cartridge 10a to be received by the apparatus.
• Figure 9 shows the use of yet another different insert 230b which allows another different sized printer cartridge 10b to be received by the apparatus.
• Figures 10 and 11 show cross sectional views of the apparatus shown in figure 5. They illustrate the loading of the printer cartridge 10 and the ink reservoir 20 into the apparatus.
• the insert 230 provides proper seating for the printer cartridge 10 within the filling unit 200.
• the insert 230 can be changed to suit different cartridge sizes and designs.
• Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the apparatus with the locking doors 210, 220 in an open position.
• a rubber seal 240, and a needle 250 are both lifted to provide clearance for loading and unloading of the print cartridge 10 and the ink reservoir 20 respectively.
• Figure 11 shows a cross sectional view with the locking doors 210, 220 in a closed position.
• the first and second openings 13 and 14 of the printer cartridge 10 are sealed to the filling unit 200 using the rubber seals 240 and 241 respectively. This closes the refilling circuit at the printer cartridge 10 end of the filling unit 200.
• the printer cartridge 10 also activates the sensor S3 to indicate the presence of the printer cartridge 10.
• Sensors S4 and S5 are sensors to sense the position of the locking doors 210 and 220 associated with the printer cartridge 10 and ink reservoir 20 respectively.
• the closing of the second locking door 220 causes the needle 250 on the ink reservoir end of the filling unit 200 to penetrate through the rubber seal 245 of the ink reservoir 20.
• the needle 250 is connected to both the tube 71 and the tube 72 - refer to figures 1 to 4 above.
• the ink reservoir 20 activates the sensor S2 to indicate the presence of the ink reservoir 20.
• the refilling process can then be started with the press of button Bl.
• Light indicator Ll displays the refilling status accordingly. A few minutes later, the refilling process is completed and the light indicator Ll, again displays the status, showing that the refill is completed.
• the refilling process and a priming process is explained with reference to figures 1 to 4 above. The user can then remove the printer cartridge 10 from the device and load it into an inkjet printer ready for printing.
• Color inkjet printers use a number of different color printer cartridges.
• a typical color inkjet printer uses 4 basic color cartridges to produce color printouts.
• the colors are typically black, cyan, magenta and yellow.
• Residual color ink in a system of conduits will be contaminated if different color ink is used for refilling a different color printer cartridge.
• Figure 12 shows another advantage of the present invention and a solution to the multiple color refill problem.
• the apparatus in the present invention allows different filling units to be docked onto a common base station 100. By simply using a separate filling unit 200 for each color, the problem of contamination can be eliminated. And this can be achieved without having to purchase a complete apparatus for each color since the base station 100 with its associated control circuitry can be used with each filling unit 200.

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Citations (4)

• 2005
  • 2005-08-03 WO PCT/SG2005/000261 patent/WO2006093470A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2005-08-30 TW TW94129594A patent/TWI275494B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (4)

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