Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-19
2001-05-08
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227662
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet printer and an ink container used therein for reserving ink.
An ink jet printer has an ink container for reserving ink that is to be supplied to a printing head.
FIG. 1
shows a conventional ink container
200
disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. HEI 6-183023. The ink container
200
includes a cartridge case
220
and a flexible pack
210
accommodated in the cartridge case
220
. The ink container
200
is connected to a printing head (not shown) via a connecting pipe
208
. Since the ink container
200
is replaceable, it is necessary to prevent ink leakage out of the ink container
200
particularly when the ink container
200
is being mounted on the ink jet printer. For this purpose, a pair of plate members
201
and
202
are provided in the interior of the flexible pack
210
. Further, a compression spring
205
is provided between the plate members
201
and
202
, which biases the plate members
201
and
202
away from each other. Due to the spring force of the compression spring
205
, the capacity of the flexible pack
210
is increased, thereby to causes a negative pressure (that is, a pressure lower than air pressure) in the flexible pack
210
. Thus, the ink leakage out of the ink container
200
is prevented.
However, since the compression spring
205
and the plate members
201
and
202
are provided in the flexible pack
210
, the structure of the conventional ink container
200
is complicated. Particularly, it is difficult to manufacture the flexible pack
210
accommodating the compression spring
205
and the plate members
201
and
202
by mass-production process. Additionally, it is difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost of the ink container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple ink container which is easy to manufacture and which prevents ink leakage.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink container including (1) a flexible pack having two sheet walls opposing with each other, and (2) a biasing arrangement provided to the outside of the flexible pack. The biasing arrangement biases the sheet walls away from each other thereby to increase a capacity of the flexible pack, causing a negative pressure in the flexible pack.
As constructed above, since the pressure in the flexible pack is negative, the leakage of ink out of the flexible pack is prevented. Further, since the biasing arrangement is provided to the outside of the flexible pack, the structure of the ink container is simple. Additionally, it is easy to manufacture the ink container by a mass-production process.
In a particular arrangement, the biasing arrangement includes a spring member having a plate form, which extends over two opposing sheet walls of said flexible pack. With such an arrangement, the structure of the biasing arrangement is simple.
In a particular case, the flexible pack has a certain width and a certain length. The biasing arrangement includes a U-shaped joining section located at a center of the flexible pack in a direction of the width, and fixing portions which are fixed to the opposing sheet walls of the flexible pack. The fixing portions extend in a direction of the width toward lateral sides of the flexible pack. With this, the local spring force of the spring member has a distribution in the direction with the width. In particular, the center portions of the sheet walls are strongly biased by the spring member (compared with the side portions of the sheet walls). With such an arrangement, when the amount of ink remaining in the flexible pack is small, the remaining ink gathers at the center portion of the flexible pack. Thus, ink reserved in the flexible pack can be fully used up.
Preferably, the spring member includes a band extending in a zigzag manner so that the band extends in a direction of the width and in a direction of the length. With this, the above-mentioned distribution in local spring force can be easily obtained.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink container including (1) a flexible pack having two sheet walls opposing with each other and an end surface, and (2) a biasing arrangement which biases the sheet walls away from each other thereby to increase the capacity of the flexible pack, causing a negative pressure in the flexible pack. When the end surface is urged in one direction, at least a part of the biasing arrangement is deformed so as to further increase the capacity of the flexible pack.
With such an arrangement, when a connecting pipe or the like is inserted in the flexible pack, the magnitude of the negative pressure in the flexible pack further increases. Thus, it is possible to prevent the ink leakage from the flexible pack. Additionally, ink remaining in a printing head can be sucked in the flexible pack through the connecting pipe.
There may be a decrease in capacity of the flexible pack since the deformation of the end surface may deforms inward when the connecting pipe pierces the end surface of the flexible pack. However, an increasing capacity of the flexible pack caused by the deformation of the biasing arrangement is larger than a decreasing capacity of the flexible pack caused by the inward deformation of the end surface. Thus, the total capacity of the flexible pack is increased.
In a particular arrangement, the biasing arrangement includes a spring member having a plate form, which extends over two opposing sheet walls of said flexible pack. Further, the spring member has curvatures so that a interval of opposing portions of the spring member is the largest at a center portion in said one direction. With this, when the connecting pipe is inserted in the flexible pack, the force can be converted to the deformation (buckling) of the spring member. It is preferable that opposing portions of the spring member deform away from each other when the spring member is urged in said one direction.
In one preferred embodiment, the ink container further includes a connecting pipe which connects the flexible pipe and a printing head. The connecting pipe pierces the end surface. Further, a pierced position on the end surface is located between the two sheet walls. With this, the pushing force is easily converted to the bending of the spring member. Conveniently, the end surface is a flat surface substantially perpendicular to the two sheet walls, so that the connecting pipe can pierce end surface.
In one case, the end surface has an eye-shape. That is, an interval between the two sheet walls at the end surface is the largest at the center thereof in a direction of the width (of the sheet walls). With this, the peripheral length of the end surface is relatively large. Thus, the increasing capacity of the flexible pack caused by the deformation of the biasing arrangement is larger than the decreasing capacity caused by the inward deformation of the flexible pack.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4422084 (1983-12-01), Saito
patent: 5325119 (1994-06-01), Fong
patent: 5541632 (1996-07-01), Khodapanah et al.
patent: 5574490 (1996-11-01), Gragg et al.
patent: 5751320 (1998-05-01), Scheffelin et al.
patent: 0 678 390 A2 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 59-204566 (1984-11-01), None
patent: 6-183023 (1994-07-01), None
patent: 7-52399 (1995-02-01), None
patent: 7-205443 (1995-08-01), None
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Le N.
Nghiem Michael
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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