Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-04
2001-03-27
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C347S104000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206515
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to thermal ink-jet (TIJ) printers, and more particularly to improvements in the pens used therein.
TIJ printers typically include a TIJ pen which includes a reservoir of ink coupled to the TIJ printhead. One type of pen includes a polymer foam disposed within the print reservoir so that the capillary action of the foam will prevent ink from leaking or drooling from the printhead. In such a pen, a fine mesh filter is typically provided in the fluid path between the reservoir and the printhead to trap particles before reaching the printhead and thereby interfering with printhead operations. This foam pen includes a vented air delivery system, wherein as ink is drawn from the ink reservoir during printing operations, air enters the reservoir via a separate vent opening.
The TIJ pen of the present invention as described in the referenced co-pending applications affords many benefits for the printing system built to utilize it. The pen is thin which directly reduces the required width of the printer carriage and subsequently the total width of the printer. The ink delivery system is simple and efficient. Ink is contained within a reservoir formed by two pieces of thin polyethylene bag material that have been thermally bonded to a compatible plastic material on the frame
60
. Two pistons and a spring inside the bag provide backpressure to prevent ink from drooling out of the printhead, i.e., the ink is maintained under negative pressure within the reservoir. The frame
60
is made of two different plastic materials. One material is an engineering plastic forming the external surfaces and providing structural support and the second material provides the fluid path for the ink and is suitable for thermal attachment of the bag material. The thin metal sidecovers
70
and
80
protect the inside components, add considerable rigidity to the system, and allow for a high degree of volumetric efficiency (volume of deliverable ink compared to the external volume of the pen). Sidecovers made from a metal having a surface such a pre-painted or PVC clad material are used to cover the springbag and other components of this TIJ pen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides an ink cartridge having an outer protective case which carries an inner ink reservoir in order to facilitate and optimize their respective functions. The inner ink reservoir is defined by a flexible wall portion and a rigid wall portion which together form a sealed compartment after the reservoir has been filled with ink and the inlet hole closed. The outer protective case protects the ink reservoir from damage such as puncturing as well as from any compressive forces which might result in ink leakage. As ink passes from the reservoir to a firing chamber for ejection through orifice nozzles onto media, the flexible wall portion moves from a filled position to a partially filled intermediate positions to an empty position. In the preferred form, the flexible Wall portion includes two opposing membranes which are heat sealed at their periphery to an inner loop-like frame which is integrated with an outer frame member. Side plates are provided for attachment to the outer frame member in order to completely enclose the reservoir while still allowing some airflow to pass back and forth into the space occupied/vacated by the ebbing/expanding reservoir. The outer protective case also covers a snout which provides a passageway from the reservoir to the orifice nozzles. The snout extends from the main body of the cartridge and includes internal filters and an external head for the orifice nozzles. The snout has a shortened length in the media advance direction to allow sufficient space for media positioning rollers closely adjacent to the print zone.
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patent: 5706040 (1998-01-01), Reid et al.
patent: 5748215 (1998-05-01), Swanson et al.
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Kaplinsky George T.
Rhoads W. Wistar
Salter James G.
Swanson David W.
Hewlett--Packard Company
Le N.
Nguyen Lamson D.
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