Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-05
2001-04-24
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220701
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ink cartridge for use with an ink jet printer, which is produced in view of recycle of resources, and a method of disassembling the same.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, an ink cartridge to be removably loaded in an ink jet printer was proposed e.g. by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 8-132636. The ink cartridge is a type which is connected to a print head by inserting a head needle provided on a print head side of an ink jet printer into an ink delivery port of the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge includes a cartridge casing comprised of a lower casing serving as a casing body and an upper casing serving as a casing lid, and an ink-absorbent material filling the cartridge casing. The ink delivery port is formed through a bottom of the lower casing, and a filter is arranged inward of the ink delivery port between the ink delivery port and the ink-absorbent material. Further, the ink delivery port has a rubber packing mounted on an inner periphery thereof for intimate contact with the head needle connected to the ink cartridge.
The upper casing is formed with an ink-charging port and an air inlet port both extending through a top wall thereof, and a meandering air groove continuous with the air inlet port in the top surface thereof. Further, a delivery port-sealing film is affixed to the bottom surface of the lower casing by thermo-compression bonding such that it seals the ink delivery port, and an air inlet port-sealing film are affixed to the top surface of the upper casing by thermo-compression bonding such that it seals the ink-charging port, the air inlet port, and the meandering air groove.
The upper and lower casings, the delivery port-sealing film, and the air inlet port-sealing film are formed of polypropylene, whereas the ink-absorbent material, the filter, and the rubber packing are formed of urethane, stainless steel, and a synthetic rubber, respectively.
In order to disassemble the conventional ink cartridge constructed as above, for the purpose of recycle, it is required to separate the upper and lower casings, the delivery port-sealing film, and the air inlet port-sealing film (i.e. the component parts formed of polypropylene), each of which is recyclable, from the other component parts which cannot be recycled. To do this, first, the cartridge casing is cut so as to take out the ink-absorbent material and the filter therefrom. However, when the cartridge casing is cut, the ink-absorbent material is cut together with the cartridge casing, which makes assortment of the disassembled component parts troublesome. Further, the ink-absorbent material and the filter are taken out from a portion of the cartridge casing cut open, whereas the rubber packing is required to be taken out after the delivery port-sealing film being peeled off, in a direction opposite to the direction in which the ink-absorbent material is removed. This also makes the separation and assortment of the disassembled component parts troublesome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the invention to provide an ink cartridge having a construction which allows easy disassembly of the ink cartridge as well as easy assortment of disassembled component parts of the same according to their materials.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a method of disassembling the ink cartridge.
To attain the first object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an ink cartridge comprising:
a casing body, the casing body having a bottom formed with an ink delivery port extending therethrough;
a casing lid joined to the casing body, the casing lid being formed with an air inlet port extending therethrough;
the casing body and the casing lid forming a cartridge casing,
an ink-absorbent material filling the cartridge casing;
a delivery port-sealing film sealing the ink delivery port;
an air inlet port-sealing film sealing the air inlet port; and
a filter arranged within the casing body at a location inward of the ink delivery port by being inserted thereto from an ink-absorbent material side such that the filter is located between the ink delivery port and the ink-absorbent material,
wherein the casing body, the casing lid, the delivery port-sealing film, and the air inlet port-sealing film are formed of a resin material of the same kind, and
wherein a gap is provided between an underside of the casing lid and a top surface of the ink-absorbent material, for allowing the cartridge casing to be cut thereacross.
According to this ink cartridge, a gap is created between the underside of the casing lid and the top surface of the ink-absorbent material for allowing the cartridge casing to be cut thereacross. This makes it possible to cut the cartridge casing in two without cutting the ink-absorbent material. Further, the ink-absorbent material and the filter accommodated within the cartridge casing can be simultaneously and easily taken out from an opening of a cut portion of the cartridge casing.
Preferably, the underside of the casing lid is formed with a rib protruding downward for holding down the ink-absorbent material.
According to this preferred embodiment, it is possible to positively prevent the ink-absorbent material from invading the gap e.g. due to vibration. Further, it is possible to prevent part of the ink-absorbent material from being drawn into the air inlet port when the cartridge casing is evacuated via the air inlet port during manufacturing, thereby preventing ink absorbed in the ink-absorbent material from being sucked via the air inlet port.
Preferably, the resin material of the same kind is an identical recyclable resin material.
According to this preferred embodiment, it is possible to easily recycle the identical recyclable resin material after the ink cartridge is used up.
For example, the identical recyclable resin material is polypropylene.
To attain the second object, according to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of disassembling an ink cartridge according to the first aspect of the invention.
The method is characterized by comprising the steps of:
holding the ink cartridge in a vertically upside-down position;
cutting the ink cartridge horizontally across the gap; and
extruding the filter and the ink-absorbent material by inserting a pusher from the ink delivery port.
According to this method, an ink cartridge held in a vertically upside-down position is cut horizontally across the gap, and a casing lid-side portion of the ink cartridge casing falls. Therefore, it is possible to easily cut the ink cartridge in two such that the casing lid-side portion is separated and falls from the remaining portion without cutting the ink-absorbent material to mix the same with the casing lid side portion of the cartridge casing. Further, when the filter and the ink-absorbent material are extruded by inserting the pusher from the ink delivery port, they also fall, whereby they are easily separated from the casing body. That is, the ink cartridge can be properly disassembled in a single cutting operation and a single extruding operation.
Preferably, the step of cutting the ink cartridge and the step of extruding the filter and the ink-absorbent material are carried out in respective different work areas.
According to this preferred embodiment, even if cuttings are produced e.g. by sawing of the cartridge, it is possible to positively collect the cuttings together with the casing lid.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5712009 (1998-01-01), Moore et al.
patent: 5790157 (1998-08-01), Higuma et al.
patent: 5790158 (1998-08-01), Shinada et al.
patent: 08132636 (1996-05-01), None
Hogan & Hartson LLP.
Le N.
Seiko Epson Corporation
Vo Anh T. N.
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