Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-21
2001-08-28
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06281916
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for supplying ink, and more specifically relates to a method and apparatus for supplying ink to a print head.
2. Background Art
The present invention is particularly well-suited for use with sophisticated ink jet printers, although it is not limited to use with such printers. With these ink jet printers, it is desirable to produce extremely high quality images on wide webs of paper or other printed surfaces and at very fast printing rates. The requirements of these apparatus in terms of accuracy of paper feed, methods of paper feed, and print head to paper distance are much higher than in conventional ink jet printers and pose problems not encountered in conventional printers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,986 to Gyotoku et. al. provides a workable ink supply system for sophisticated ink jet printers. However, several problems arise from the ink supply system disclosed in Gyotoku et. al. First, a single supply must be used for all sub-reservoirs. Second, air is introduced into the ink within the sub-reservoirs, especially during priming of the system. Third, the supply system includes one print head for each sub-reservoir, which increases the complexity and cost of the system. Fourth, the supply system is prone to surges of ink within the system.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention provides an ink supply system and a method of supplying ink that overcomes the problems associated with prior ink supply systems for sophisticated ink jet printers. However, the present invention may be used for supplying ink in applications other than for sophisticated ink jet printers.
According to the present invention, an apparatus for supplying ink includes an ink source and at least one sub-reservoir that is fluidly connected to the ink source. In one embodiment, the sub-reservoir includes a housing container and a flexible container housed within the housing container. A sensor is connected to an actuator, wherein the sensor senses the height of the top surface of the flexible container. If the height of the top surface of the flexible container is below a specified height range, the sensor emits a signal that allows ink to flow from the ink source to the flexible container, and if the height of the top surface of the flexible container is above the height range, the sensor emits a signal that prevents ink from flowing from the ink source to the flexible container.
The apparatus may include only one sub-reservoir, or it may include many sub-reservoirs. If plural sub-reservoirs are included, a print head may include plural portions that are each fluidly connected to a different sub-reservoir. If the print head portions are at different heights, such as when the print head is printing on a vertical or slanted surface, then the sub-reservoirs connected to those portions also can be at different heights so that the ink pressure at each of the portions is substantially the same. Also, if plural sub-reservoirs are included, ink is preferably supplied to each sub-reservoir independently of the other sub-reservoirs so that the ink source could include a separate supply reservoir for each sub-reservoir or for groups of sub-reservoirs. In one embodiment, the ink source includes a main reservoir and the fluid connection between each sub-reservoir inlet and the ink source is a gravity-fed conduit extending from the ink source to the sub-reservoir inlet.
A method of supplying ink to a print head according to the present invention in one embodiment includes supplying ink from a flexible container to a portion of a print head. The method also includes sensing the height of a top surface of the flexible container and supplying ink to the flexible container if the height of the top surface of the flexible container is below a height range. If the height of the top surface of the flexible container is above the height range, the method includes ceasing supplying ink to the flexible container. This method can be used for simultaneously supplying ink to plural flexible containers and from those containers to a print head.
A method of priming a print system according to the present invention includes pressurizing a space within a rigid container that houses a flexible container, and thereby biasing the flexible container, increasing an ink pressure within the flexible container, and forcing ink out of a print head that is fluidly connected to the flexible container. This method may also be used as part of the method of supplying ink. When it is so used, the method can include sensing an increased pressure and ceasing supplying ink to the flexible container while the pressure is increased.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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patent: 5992986 (1999-11-01), Gyotoku et al.
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Fas-Co Coders Inc.
Le N.
Schmeiser Olsen & Watts
Vo Anh T. N.
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