Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-22
2001-10-16
Nguyen, Judy (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302534
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a recycling technique of an ink cartridge for an ink-jet recording apparatus, in which the resupply of ink is effected by the replacement of the cartridge. The present invention is particularly applicable, but not limited to, an ink-jet recording apparatus of a type in which an ink-jet recording head and an ink cartridge are mounted on a carriage.
An ink-jet recording apparatus is known in which an ink container is attached to a carriage having an ink-jet recording head mounted thereon. In order to prevent printing failures associated with water head pressure change and air bubble generation due to agitation of ink by the carriage movement, it is preferable to accommodate a porous member at least in an ink supply port of the ink container, as disclosed in European Patent Publication No. 581531.
This arrangement can solve the above-mentioned problems linked with the ink agitation since the ink is supplied to the recording head via the porous member.
The recycling of ink cartridges is a desirable objective, and is in consonance with the current trend of effectively conserving resources and reducing the amount of pharmaceutical agents that are discharged to the environment. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 7-60979 discloses an ink cartridge recycling apparatus having an annular member provided with a rotatable ink chamber. An ink cartridge is mounted on the annular member so that the ink supply port faces outward while an ink supply tube is connected to a lid side of the ink cartridge, and then the annular member is rotated in that state.
This apparatus makes it possible to fill new ink into a collected ink cartridge while discharging the remaining old ink from the collected ink cartridge using centrifugal force produced by the rotation of the annular member.
This apparatus, however, suffers from a problem in that the size of the apparatus is large because centrifugal force must be employed. Further, ink may not be completely discharged by the centrifugal force because of strong capillary attraction originating in the porous member contained in an ink cartridge, and/or because of solidification or increased viscosity of the ink. Consequently, refilled new ink is mixed with old ink to lower printing quality, and this is a serious problem, in particular, in case of ink cartridges for color printing.
It is conceivable to remove the porous member from the cartridge and then clean the cartridge sufficiently. The disassembly and the reassembly of cartridge is, however, required to increase the cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefor, an objective of the present invention is to provide a method for recycling an ink cartridge, which does not require the disassembly of an ink cartridge and which can provide a refilled ink cartridge ensuring high quality printing.
In the method of the present invention, a porous member in an ink cartridge is cleansed by cleansing fluid. Further, the cleansing fluid is discharged from the porous member. Therefore, new ink is neither mixed with residual ink nor cleansing fluid. The ink cartridge, after recycling, can provide the same quality as a brand-new cartridge.
Preferably, a method for recycling an ink cartridge for a recording apparatus according to the present invention comprising the steps of:
discharging residual ink from an ink cartridge in which a porous member for ink absorption is accommodated;
cleansing the porous member using cleansing fluid;
discharging the cleansing fluid from the porous member; and
impregnating the porous member with ink.
Therefore, refilling of ink can be carried out with the porous member accommodated in the ink cartridge and without disassembly of the ink cartridge. The cleansing fluid can completely remove any residual ink. Thus, an ink cartridge can be recycled at a low cost, and the same quality can be provided as that provided by a brand new one, without any contamination.
The present disclosure relates to the subject matter contained in Japanese patent application Nos. Hei. 10-364143 (filed on Dec. 22, 1998), and Hei. 11-358714 (filed on Dec. 17, 1999), all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4824487 (1989-04-01), Heffernan
patent: 5182579 (1993-01-01), Haruta et al.
patent: 5683520 (1997-11-01), Edgett et al.
patent: 5707456 (1998-01-01), Komplin et al.
patent: 6086191 (2000-07-01), Yano et al.
patent: 0 581 531 B1 (1998-06-01), None
patent: 7-60979 (1995-03-01), None
patent: 7-309017 (1995-11-01), None
patent: 7-323560 (1995-12-01), None
Koike Hisashi
Shinada Satoshi
Suda Yukiharu
Tsukahara Michinari
Nguyen Judy
Seiko Epson Corporation
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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