Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-15
2002-02-12
Nghiem, Michael (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06345890
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet printer and an ink cartridge which is prevented from being installed in the ink jet printer in an inappropriate state where a vent is not open.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as shown in
FIG. 7
, an ink cartridge
30
, which is attachable to and detachable from an ink jet printer, has a vent (hole)
33
for exposing an ink container
32
to the air and an ink supply hole
36
for providing a recording head with ink. After the ink cartridge is manufactured and before it is actually used, the vent
33
and the ink supply hole
36
are covered with sealing members, respectively. As illustrated in
FIG. 7
, usually, the vent
33
is sealed with a vent seal
34
, which is affixed on an upper surface
35
of a casing
31
and can easily be fallen off.
When the ink cartridge
30
is installed into a cartridge holder (not illustrated) of the ink jet printer, an ink supply tube to be in contact with the recording head breaks through a sealing member
37
for sealing the ink supply hole
36
formed on the bottom section of the casing
31
. The ink supply tube is engaged with a packing member which is arranged in the internal circumference of the ink supply hole
36
, and enters the ink container
32
. The ink container
32
and the recording head are in contact with each other through the ink supply tube.
The user of the ink jet printer needs to fall off the vent seal
34
, before inserting the ink cartridge
30
into the cartridge holder. The ink container
32
is exposed to the air through the vent
33
, whereby ink inside the ink container
32
is always atmospherically pressure-loaded. With the effect of this pressure and the head pressure of the ink, the ink is smoothly provided onto the recording head through the ink supply tube.
In the case where the user unintentionally leaves the vent seal
34
as it is, and the vent
33
is not exposed to the air, the pressure is not loaded into the ink container
32
. Hence, only the head pressure of the ink is only the driving force for providing the ink onto the recording head. In this case, the ink supply tube can not stably provide the recording head with the ink, resulting in unstable printing. Along with the use of the ink, the negative pressure occurs inside the ink container
32
. Thus, until the ink is out put from the recording head, the air is likely to penetrate into the ink container
32
in the form of bubbles. If the bubbles enter between the ink container
32
and the recording head, the ink is caused to be output intermittently. Once the bubbles enter there between, they can not easily be removed therefrom, even the vent
33
is open, causing the awkward printing.
As illustrated in
FIG. 8
, when the user unintentionally leaves the vent seal
34
as it is, the conventional ink cartridge
30
may apparently be installed desirably into a cartridge holder
40
. Particularly, a tube container
44
for containing an ink supply tube
45
and which is formed on the bottom surface of a casing
41
is engaged with the ink supply hole
36
. A lid section
42
rotates centrically about a supporting shaft
43
, and a hook
42
a
of the lid section
42
can be engaged an engagement claw
41
a
of the casing
41
. In this structure, the user can not be aware that the he/she has left the vent seal
34
as is, until any of the above-described problems arise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet printer and an ink cartridge which can be prevented from being inappropriately installed into the ink jet printer without opening a vent of the ink cartridge which is attachable to and detachable from the ink jet printer.
Another object thereof is to provide an ink jet printer and an ink jet cartridge which does not provide a recording head with ink, in a case where the ink cartridge is inappropriately installed into the ink jet printer without opening a vent of the ink cartridge.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink cartridge, which is contained in a cartridge container of a printer, comprising:
an ink container;
a vent (hole) which is provided in the ink container;
an ink supply hole for accepting an ink supply tube, being in contact with a recording head of the printer so as to supply an ink thereto;
an ink supply section which includes the ink supply hole and is engaged with a tube container, being formed in the cartridge container, containing the ink supply tube and having a concave shape;
a closing member for closing the vent, and which is removed from the ink cartridge before the ink cartridge is used; and
an installation stopper which is formed in one unit with the closing member and prevents the ink supply tube from entering the ink supply hole, when the ink supply section is inserted into the cartridge container without removing the closing member.
According to the above structure, if the user inserts the ink cartridge into the cartridge container without removing the closing member for closing the vent, the ink supply section is not engaged with the tube container by the effect of the installation stopper which is formed together with the closing member in one unit. In this structure, the ink cartridge can not entirely be contained inside the cartridge container, and partially sticks out therefrom. Hence, the user can be aware that he/she has inserted the ink cartridge into the cartridge container without removing the closing member. The installation member is formed together with the closing member in one unit. Therefore, the user simply removes the installation stopper together with the closing member.
The ink supply section is not engaged with the tube container. In this structure, even if the user tries to operate the printer without knowing that he/she has not removed the closing member from the ink cartridge, no ink is supplied onto the recording head. In addition, no ink is output from the recording head, therefore, the user can simply be aware that the ink cartridge ha s inappropriately been installed.
A concave section may be formed in a circutferential section of the ink supply section; and
the concave section may be engaged with a rib which is formed in a circumferential section of the tub e container, and prepared so as to settle a position of the ink supply section, thereby the ink supply section and the tube container are centered.
If the ink cartridge is installed into the cartridge container without removing the installation stopper, the concave section formed in the circumferential section of the ink supply section is interfered with the installation stopper so as not to be engaged with the ribs which are formed in the circumferential sections of the tube container. Hence, the ink cartridge is not stably positioned. Thus, the user can easily be aware of the inappropriate installation of the ink cartridge. If the user installs the ink cartridge into the cartridge container after removing the installation stopper, the concave section is engaged with the rib of the tube container. In this structure, the ink supply section and the tube container can be centered, thus securing appropriate installation of the ink cartridge.
The installation stopper and the closing member may be formed in a tape-like shape; and
a thickness of the installation stopper may be larger than a thickness of the closing member.
In the case where the installation stopper is arranged on the side surface of the ink cartridge, the installation stopper can not enter the gap between the ink cartridge and the side wall of the cartridge container. Besides, the ink cartridge can not entirely be contained in side the cartridge container. Due to the structure of the tape-like shape of the installation s topper and the closing member, the ink cartridge can be handled with ease. The installation stopper which is large in thickness has a funct
McGinn&Gibb, PLLC
Nghiem Michael
LandOfFree
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