Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-07
2001-06-26
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C347S086000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250750
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink cartridge used for an ink jet printer and a loading mechanism for such an ink cartridge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Printers designed to make a recording using a liquid ink, particularly ink jet printers, use an ink cartridge such as disclosed by the present applicant in Japanese Patent Publications Nos. Hei. 5-270001 and Hei. 7-125238.
An ink cartridge of this type is usually formed of polystyrene having an appropriate degree of shape keeping property, and an ink is charged into such ink cartridge under reduced pressure. Since polystyrene is easily permeated by water vapor, if the ink cartridge has been in storage for a long period of time, the viscosity of the ink is increased due to evaporation of moisture, which in turn imposes the problem of defective jetting of ink droplets out of nozzles and hence impairs reliability. In addition, if an ink whose surface tension is low is used to allow ink droplets to be jetted out of tiny nozzles, bubbles are produced during ink charging operation under reduced pressure and film bonding operation, which in turn causes inconvenience that the ink spouts out of the ink cartridge.
By the way, an ink cartridge used for serial type ink jet printers requires that an ink supply needle projecting from the back of a recording head be correctly aligned with an ink supply port independently of its load ability to a carriage.
To achieve such object, a loading mechanism for loading an ink cartridge to a carriage proposed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 7-32049 is characterized as pushing an engaging projection toward the recording head while engaging the engaging projection with an engaging groove formed in a side surface of the ink cartridge by turning a lever, the engaging projection projecting from an inner side surface of the lever.
However, such loading mechanism suffers from the disadvantage that since the engaging projection turns about the pivot together with the lever, a component force directed at right angles to the recording head is applied to the ink cartridge due to friction with the engaging projection. As a result, such component force is likely to break the supply needle projecting from the back of the recording head.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally speaking in accordance with the invention, an ink cartridge having an ink cartridge main body being molded using a soft synthetic resin material is provided. Reinforcing and positioning ridges are formed so as to project from a corner portion of a peripheral wall of the ink cartridge main body. The walls of the main body form an opening. An opening end edge of the ink cartridge main body is thick-walled. A cover body covers an opening of said ink cartridge main body. The cover body including a charged foam pressing ridge being formed so as to project from an inner surface of said cover body in a longitudinal direction and pressing a charged foam disposed in said ink cartridge main body. A shape keeping ridge coming in contact with an inner side surface of said opening end edge of said ink cartridge main body and being formed on an outer side of said charged foam pressing ridge. The charged foam pressing ridge may be formed integrally with said shape keeping ridge.
The ink cartridge includes a recess adapted to be coupled with part of a lifter member. The recess and an ink supply port are formed in a lower surface of the ink cartridge main body. A loading mechanism for an ink cartridge includes a cartridge loading member having an ink supply needle communicating with a recording head and projected toward an inner depth thereof A guide is formed on one side of an inner surface of the cartridge loading member, the guide extending in parallel to an axial center of the ink supply needle. A cover body is pivotally attached to an opening in the cartridge loading member. A lifter member is supported by the cover body, the lifter member being displaceable with a free end thereof guided by the guide portion, the cover body being pivotally attached adjacent an opening of said cartridge loading member. A support rod disposed on a free end portion of said lifter member, the support rod supporting the ink cartridge while being engaged with a recess formed in a lower surface of the ink cartridge.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel ink cartridge having a sufficient rigidity even if a soft material, including a synthetic resin such as polypropylene, which is highly water vapor impermeable, but has poor shape keeping property, is used as the construction material.
Another embodiment of the present invention is to provide a novel ink cartridge that does not cause ink to spout as a result of bubbling produced during the ink charging operation and the like.
Still another object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a novel ink cartridge and a loading mechanism for such novel ink cartridge that can load and unload the ink cartridge correctly in parallel to the axial center of an ink supply needle.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of constructions, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified by the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
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Igarashi Hitoshi
Kobayashi Takao
Koike Hisashi
Miyazawa Hisashi
Yoshida Masanori
Le N.
Seiko Epson Corporation
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
Vo Anh T. N.
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