Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-14
2004-07-20
Vo, Anh T.N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06764172
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air bag placed in a print cartridge and a method for manufacturing the same and, more particularly, to a folding type air bag and a method for manufacturing the same, which applies to a print cartridge of an inkjet printer to fill its volume and adjust its back pressure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Printers are the primary data output devices among computer peripherals. Recently, inkjet printers have been developed to have a high-quality printing effect and a low cost so as to become standard equipments of computer. One characteristic of an inkjet printer is its diversified variation of colors. In the design of a print cartridge including inks of various kinds of colors, the ink-out smoothness and the consuming rate of ink are taken into serious consideration.
A print cartridge comprises an ink reservoir and a printing head. When not in use, in order to avoid stains or blocking of the printing head, a back pressure is usually added in the ink reservoir. That is, when the ink-storage capacity in the ink reservoir decreases, the back pressure rises to prevent leakage of ink. When the exterior pressure decreases (e.g. during transportation high up in the air), it is necessary to keep an appropriate back pressure in the ink reservoir. When ink gradually goes out for printing, the back pressure will rise along with decrease of ink. Once the back pressure exceeds the range of the ink-out pressure of the printing head (i.e. the back pressure is larger than the ink-out pressure required for printing texts and pictures), smooth ink-out actions for printing will no longer be feasible. When ink gradually runs out, rise of the back pressure will also let normal ink-out actions for printing be unfeasible, hence wasting residual ink in the partial cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,030 disclosed a pressure control device. As shown in
FIG. 1
, a bubble generator
25
a
is disposed in an ink reservoir
15
a
of a print cartridge
1
a.
The bubble generator
25
a
has a pipe
26
a
connected with exterior air. A ball
27
a
is disposed in the pipe
26
a.
A gap (not shown) is disposed at the contact portion of the pipe
26
a
and the ball
27
a.
A liquid seal is formed by the capillary phenomenon to isolate the ink reservoir
15
a
from exterior air. Simultaneously, the generated bubble enters into the ink reservoir timely. When ink goes out for printing, the back pressure of the ink reservoir
15
a
will start to rise. When the exterior pressure is larger than the pressure of the liquid seal, the bubble will enter into the ink reservoir
15
a
to lower the back pressure in the ink reservoir
15
a.
A liquid seal immediately forms by the capillary phenomenon to isolate the ink reservoir
15
a
from exterior air again. Generation of bubbles of the bubble generator
25
a
depends on the surface tension of ink and the design of the gap's size. Therefore, the design of the bubble generator
25
a
differs according to different inks. The pipe
26
a
needs to be located in the ink to truly exploit the bubble-generating function. Once the exterior pressure decreases, leakage of ink cannot be avoided.
R.O.C. Pat. No. 438,684 disclosed another pressure control device. As shown in
FIG. 2
, a print cartridge
1
a
comprises an upper portion
11
a,
a first sidewall
12
a,
a second sidewall
13
a,
and a bottom portion
14
a,
which form an ink reservoir
15
a.
A pressure adjuster
28
a
and a bubble generator
25
a
are disposed in the ink reservoir
15
a.
The pressure adjuster
28
a
has an air bag
10
a,
a pressing plate
21
a,
and a spring
20
a.
The air bag
10
a
has a first receiving room
33
a
and a second receiving room
34
a.
The pressing plate
21
a
has a first surface
22
a
and a second surface
23
a.
One end of the spring
20
a
is connected to the first sidewall
12
a
of the print cartridge
12
a,
and the other end thereof is connected to the first surface
22
a
of the pressing plate
21
a.
An outside of the first receiving room
33
a
contacts the second surface
23
a
of the pressing plate
21
a.
An air vent hole
32
a
for free flow of air is disposed between the first receiving room
33
a
and the second receiving room
34
a.
An outside of the second receiving room
34
a
contacts the second sidewall
13
a
of the print cartridge
1
a.
The second receiving room
34
a
has a guide pipe
24
a
connected to the upper portion
11
a
of the print cartridge
1
a
to communicate with exterior air. The bubble generator
25
a
is disposed at the bottom portion
14
a
of the print cartridge
1
a.
The bubble generator
25
a
comprises a pipe
26
a,
a ball
27
a,
and an elastic component
29
a.
The pipe
26
a
is disposed at the bottom portion
14
a
of the print cartridge
1
a
to communicate with exterior air. The ball
27
a
is disposed at the top of the pipe
26
a
to prevent air from entering into the ink reservoir
15
a.
The elastic component
29
a
is fixed at the bottom portion
14
a
of the print cartridge
1
a,
and has a first portion
30
a
and a second portion
31
a.
The first portion
30
a
contacts the ball
27
a.
The second portion
31
a
contacts the first surface
22
a
of the pressing plate
21
a
of the pressure adjuster
28
a.
A printing head
19
a
is disposed at the bottom portion
14
a
of the print cartridge
1
a.
When the back pressure rises, the air bag
10
a
of the pressure adjuster
28
a
inflates a let the pressing plate
21
a
push the second portion
31
a
of the elastic component
29
a.
The first portion
30
a
of the elastic component
29
a
will thus leaves from the ball
27
a
to lift the ball
27
a
so that exterior air can either into the ink reservoir
15
a.
A bubble can thus be generated to enter into the ink reservoir
15
a,
hence lowering the back pressure. After the back pressure decreases, the spring
20
a
will exert a force onto the pressing plate
21
a
to deflate the air bag
10
a
so as to restore the elastic component
29
a.
The ball
27
a
will again prevent air from entering into the ink reservoir
15
a.
Therefore, keeping of the back pressure will not be affected by the surface tension formed by different kinds and properties of ink. Moreover, it is not necessary to precisely design the size of the pipe
26
a.
However, the design and manufacturing of the air bag
10
a
of the pressure adjuster
28
a
limits the ink-storage capacity, hence not meeting the requirement of full usage of ink. Moreover, due to creases formed by retractile actions of the air bag
10
a,
the effect of the air bag
10
a
inflating repetitively and the functions of other devices disposed in the ink reservoir
15
a
will be influenced.
Accordingly, the design of the conventional print cartridge has inconvenience and drawbacks in practical manufacturing and use. The present invention aims to resolve the problems in the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to provide an air bag placed in a print cartridge and a method for manufacturing the same, whereby the air bag can fill the ink-storage capacity in the print cartridge so that ink can be used up completely.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an air bag placed in a print cartridge and a method for manufacturing the same, whereby the manufacturing process of the air bag can be simplified and sped up.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an air bag placed in a print cartridge and a method for manufacturing the same, whereby the proceeding direction of the air bag can be easily controlled.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an air bag placed in a print cartridge and a method for manufacturing the same, whereby creases will not be generated when the air bag inflates and then deflates, and the functions of other devices in the print cartridge will not be easily influenced after the air bag inflates again.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides an air bag placed in a print cartridge and a method for manufacturing t
Hsu Cheng-Wei
Wang Bo-Hsiang
Browdy and Neimark , P.L.L.C.
International United Technology Co., Ltd.
Vo Anh T.N.
LandOfFree
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