Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-24
2001-09-11
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286948
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink-jet cartridge for an ink-jet printing apparatus, and in particular, to an ink-jet cartridge with a negative pressure ink reservoir that provides a negative pressure by the resilience of the ink reservoir itself to prevent ink leakage from the ink-jet cartridge.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An ink cartridge structure for a conventional ink-jet printing apparatus, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,134, provides a fluid pressure regulating element in the ink reservoir for controlling the back pressure within an operating range that is suitable for preventing ink leakage while permitting the ejecting device to eject ink drops during printing. As shown in this prior patent, the fluid pressure regulation in the rigid ink reservoir can be controlled by flexible bags that are mounted to a curved spring. The pressure within the rigid ink reservoir drops instantly as the ink is ejected from the rigid ink reservoir via the ejecting device. At this moment, the atmosphere pressure is larger than the pressure within the rigid ink reservoir. Thus, ambient air will flow into the flexible bag so that the ink can be ejected smoothly while printing. Moreover, the expansion of the bag causes the deflection of the adjacent springs and thus decreases the ink pressure in the ink reservoir so that the zero ink leakage effect during printing can be achieved.
In another ink cartridge for an ink-jet printing apparatus, for example, the ink cartridge disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,882, in order to avoid ink leakage in the process of ink-jet printing, a pressure regulating element is usually provided in the ink reservoir for keeping the pressure within the ink reservoir at a negative pressure so that there is no ink leakage in the printing process.
However, in both of these prior art ink-jet cartridges, a pressure regulating means has to be provided in the ink-jet cartridge and this causes the complexity in structure and assembly of the ink-jet cartridge.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an ink-jet cartridge with a negative pressure ink reservoir that is simple in structure and easy to assemble. Thereby, the manufacturing cost of the ink-jet cartridge can be reduced.
Another object of the invention is to provide an ink-jet cartridge with a negative pressure ink reservoir that generates a negative pressure during ink-jet printing so that ink leakage from the ink-jet cartridge can be prevented.
To achieve the above objects, an ink-jet cartridge with a negative pressure ink reservoir of the invention comprises: a rigid body provided with an ejecting device; an ink reservoir provided within the rigid body, the ink reservoir including two relatively movable plates and a negative pressure means. The negative pressure means is embodied as a plate body having resilience, is provided between the two flat plates, and is sealed with the circumferences of the two flat plates to form an enclosed ink reservoir.
Thus, during ink-jet printing, the pressure within the ink reservoir decreases and the two plates move closer to each other to compress the plate body and the resilience of the plate body causes a negative pressure within the ink reservoir that prevents ink leakage from the ink-jet cartridge.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5409134 (1995-04-01), Cowger et al.
patent: 5691755 (1997-11-01), Pawlowski et al.
patent: 5767882 (1998-06-01), Kaplinsky et al.
patent: 5821965 (1998-10-01), Oda et al.
patent: 6053606 (2000-04-01), Yamaguchi et al.
patent: 6220702 (2001-04-01), Nakamura et al.
Lee Shih-hung
Tsai Hsien-Shu
Wu Ji-chen
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Le N.
Nghiem Michael
WiserTek International Corp.
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