Ink cartridge

Details Ink cartridge Ink cartridge

2002-10-18

2004-07-13

Vo, Anh T. N. (Department: 2861)

Incremental printing of symbolic information

Ink jet

Fluid or fluid source handling means

Reexamination Certificate

active

06761441

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink cartridge suitable for an ink jet printer, and more particularly to an ink cartridge having an ink porous member dimensioned to substantially fill the accommodating chamber in an uncompressed manner for efficiently supplying ink to an ink delivery needle of the ink jet printer.
2. The Prior Art
In the conventional ink jet printer, ink is loaded in an ink cartridge for supplying the ink to an ink delivery needle of the ink jet printer due to print paper. Referring to
FIG. 1
, the ink cartridge generally comprises an ink tank body
1
a
having an ink tank or a plurality of ink tanks for loading different color ink, wherein the ink tank body
1
a
is sealed with a cover body
2
a
thereon for forming a closure. The cover body
2
a
has an ink charging inlet
20
a
and an ambient air vent
21
a
and a sealing film
22
a
is attached on a top surface of the cover body
2
a
so as to seal the ambient air vent
21
a
. The tank body
1
a
has an ink outlet port
10
a
formed on a bottom plate
11
a
thereof and an accommodated chamber
12
a
defined therein for receiving an ink porous member
3
a
. Furthermore, in operation, first to remove the sealing film
22
a
, then to mount the ink cartridge into the ink jet printer, and the ink in fluid communication through the ink outlet port
10
a
of the ink tank body
1
a
to an ink delivery needle
5
a
of the ink jet printer.
However, in the conventional ink cartridge, the ink outlet port
10
a
is extended and projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the bottom plate
11
a
of the ink tank body
1
a
, and the ink porous member
3
a
originally has a substantially planar bottom surface
30
a
and its whole dimension is larger than that of the accommodated chamber
12
a
of the ink tank body
1
a
, so that the ink porous member
3
a
with the ink impregnated therein is positioned inside the ink tank body
1
a
and its substantially planar bottom surface
30
a
is abutting against the ink outlet port
10
a
thereby being compressed by the ink outlet port
10
a
. The pores of the ink porous member
3
a
are positioned adjacent to the ink outlet port
10
a
being smaller in size than the pores thereof positioned away from the ink outlet port
10
a
, which is known as the effect of compression.
Additionally, a stopping member
4
a
defines a passage
40
a
formed therein and is arranged in a vent end
13
a
of the ink outlet port
10
a
, and a laminated film
14
a
is sealed on an opening of the vent end
13
a
of the ink outlet port
10
a
, so that the laminated film
14
a
can be pierced by the ink delivery needle
5
a
that being fitted with the passage
40
a
of the stopping member
4
a.
Please refer to
FIG. 2
, to provide an ink cartridge, which comprises a casing
2
′
a
having a bottom wall
3
′
a
which has an inside face
16
′
a
upwardly protruded therefrom, rather than a substantially planar bottom surface, and the inside face
16
′
a
defining an opening
8
′
a
therethrough for being communicated with a print head, and an area of the inside face
16
′
a
of the bottom wall
3
′
a
around the opening
8
′
a
having a plurality of radial grooves
17
′
a
that open to the opening
8
′
a
for the purpose increasing the flow area at the outlet port.
Further, a porous body
12
′
a
is a cuboid body fill in an unfit space of the casing
2
′
a
due to the inside face
16
′
a
of the bottom wall
3
′
a
so as to being slightly compressed by 2% to 6%.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge, which includes an ink tank body with an accommodating chamber defining a dimension being completely same as that of the ink porous member positioned therein in an uncompressed manner, so that the ink porous member is impregnated with ink under low atmospheric pressure thereby to increase the amount of the impregnated ink.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge, which includes a stopping member having a sealing film integrally formed therein before the ink cartridge is used to the ink delivery needle without a laminated film sealed on an opening of the ink outlet port.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an ink cartridge includes an ink tank body having a plurality of side walls and a bottom plate for defining an accommodating chamber therein, the bottom plate having an inner surface and an outer surface, a filter disposed on the inner surface thereof so as to form a substantially planar bottom surface of accommodating chamber, and a plurality of through holes formed in the bottom plate below the filter for restricting a flow rate of ink, an ink outlet port protruded outwardly from the outer surface of the bottom plate in aligned relationship with the through holes, a stopping member disposed in the ink outlet port for receiving an ink delivery needle, an ink porous member positioned in the accommodating chamber and having a substantially planar bottom surface relative to the substantially planar bottom surface of the tank body, and the ink porous member dimensioned to substantially fill the accommodating chamber in an uncompressed manner.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, drawings and claims.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5886721 (1999-03-01), Fujii et al.
patent: 6042225 (2000-03-01), Altendorf et al.
patent: 6325499 (2001-12-01), Betschon

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