Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-10
2004-03-16
Stephens, Juanita (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C347S007000, C347S086000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06705715
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a liquid container and a cartridge including the liquid container, a printing apparatus using the cartridge and a liquid-discharge printing apparatus, and more particularly, to a liquid container to supply ink to a printhead which performs printing in accordance with an ink-jet method, a cartridge including the liquid container, a printing apparatus using the cartridge and a liquid-discharge printing apparatus.
According to the conventionally known devices for detecting existence/absence of residual ink in an ink tank containing ink, electrodes are provided in the ink tank and electric conductivity between the electrodes is measured, or a discharged ink droplet is optically detected. Generally, as a method of using electrodes complicates the structure of the ink tank, means for optically detecting existence/absence of residual ink is usually employed.
Particularly, an ink-jet printing apparatus for performing printing by discharging ink contained in an ink tank generally comprises a printhead which discharges ink to a print medium, an ink tank containing ink to be supplied to the printhead, conveyance means for conveying the print medium and control means for controlling printing operation, scanning operation and the like of the printhead. In this apparatus, if the amount of residual ink in the ink tank is less than a predetermined amount, ink supplied to the printhead becomes insufficient and may cause discharge failure. For this reason, the apparatus further comprises a device and a mechanism for detecting a residual ink amount or existence/absence of ink in the ink tank.
As an example of printing apparatus having an ink-existence detection apparatus of this type, Japanese Patent Publication Laid Open No. 8-112907 discloses an ink-jet printing apparatus which detects existence/absence of residual ink in an ink tank having a negative-pressure generating member of, e.g., absorbent material, foaming material and the like, by transmitting light through a part of light-transmitting wall surface of the ink tank and detecting changes in optical reflectivity in the boundary portion between the wall surface of the ink tank and the negative-pressure generating member.
Further, Japanese Patent Publication Laid Open No. 7-218321 discloses an ink tank integrating an optical ink detection portion, formed with a light-transmitting member being the same material as that of the ink tank, where the surface contacting ink has a predetermined angle with respect to a detection light path.
Further, Japanese Patent Publication Laid Open No. 9-174877 discloses a detection system which detects existence of ink tank and the level of ink in the ink tank.
Further, Japanese Patent Publication Laid Open No. 9-29989 discloses an ink-jet printing apparatus which detects existence/absence of ink and existence/absence of ink tank by using a single photosensor having a light-emitting device and a photoreception device.
Further, Japanese Patent Publication Laid Open No. 7-89090 discloses an apparatus for detecting existence/absence of liquid contained in a liquid container comprising: a negative-pressure generating member accommodating chamber accommodating a negative-pressure generating member and having a liquid supply orifice and an atmospheric-air communicating portion; and a liquid containing chamber having a communication portion to communicate with the negative-pressure generating member accommodating chamber, and forming substantially closed space.
Next, a conventional ink existence/absence detection mechanism using a light-transmitting prism will be described with reference to FIG.
36
.
FIG. 36
shows the positional relation among a light-transmitting type prism provided on the bottom surface of an ink tank, a light emitting device which irradiates the prism with light, and a photoreception device which receives the light.
As shown in
FIG. 36
, a prism
1060
is integrally molded with a bottom surface
1061
of the ink tank. Light from a light emitting device
1062
in an external lower position with respect to the ink tank enters the prism
1060
.
If there is sufficient ink in the ink tank, the incident light from the light emitting device
1062
passes through an optical path {circle around (
1
)}→ an optical path {circle around (
2
)}′, then is absorbed in the ink and never returns to the photoreception device
1063
. On the other hand, if the ink in the ink tank is consumed and is exhausted, the light from the light emitting device
1062
is reflected by a slope of the prism
1060
, and through the optical path {circle around (
1
)}→ the optical path {circle around (
2
)}→ an optical path {circle around (
3
)}, returns to the photoreception device
1063
, as shown in FIG.
36
.
In this manner, the existence/absence of ink is determined based on whether or not the light emitted from the light emitting device
1062
returns to the photoreception device
1063
. Note that the light emitting device
1062
and the photoreception device
1063
are provided on the printing apparatus main body side.
The above-described ink existence/absence detection mechanism provides a rational method to detect the level of ink or existence/absence of ink in the ink tank at a low cost.
Next, the outline of the structure of the conventional ink-jet printing apparatus, the ink tank and a tank holder holding the ink tank will be described.
FIG. 37
is a perspective view showing a conventional general ink-jet printing apparatus.
In the ink-jet printing apparatus in
FIG. 37
, a lead screw
2104
and a guide shaft
2105
parallel to each other are provided in a casing. A carriage
2101
is attached to the lead screw
2104
and the guide shaft
2105
such that the carriage is movable in parallel to the lead screw
2104
and the guide shaft
2105
. The carriage
2101
moves parallel with the lead screw and the guide shaft by rotation of the lead screw
2104
by a carriage motor (not shown).
The carriage
2101
holds an ink-jet head cartridge having an ink-jet printhead
2102
(hereinafter referred to as “printhead”) to be described with reference to
FIGS. 38A and 38B
. A paper-pressing plate
2109
is provided along the moving direction of the printhead
2102
.
Further, the ink-jet printing apparatus comprises a paper feed roller
2107
to convey a print sheet
2106
as a print medium toward a printing area of the printhead
2102
, and a paper discharge roller
2108
to discharge the print sheet
2106
on which printing has been performed by the printhead
2102
. The paper feed roller
2107
and the paper discharge roller
2108
are rotated by a conveyance motor (not shown).
As ink discharged from the printhead
2102
is attached to the print sheet
2106
opposite to a discharge orifice surface of the printhead
2102
, a print image is formed on the surface of the print sheet
2106
. In connection with the printing by the printhead
2102
on the print sheet
2106
, the print sheet
2106
is discharged to the outside the ink-jet printing apparatus by the paper feed roller
2107
and the paper discharge roller
2108
rotated by a conveyance motor, and the paper pressing plate
2109
.
FIGS. 38A and 38B
are diagrams for explaining an ink-jet head cartridge mounted on the carriage
2101
as shown in FIG.
37
.
FIG. 38A
is a perspective view showing the ink-jet head cartridge mounted on the carriage
2101
.
FIG. 38B
is a perspective view showing a state where the ink tank is removed from a tank holder in the ink-jet head cartridge in FIG.
38
A.
As shown in
FIGS. 38A and 38B
, an ink-jet head cartridge
2301
mounted on the carriage
2101
comprises a tank holder
2103
having the printhead
2102
and ink tanks
2111
to
2114
detachably provided on the tank holder
2103
. The ink tank
2111
contains black ink; the ink tank
2112
, yellow ink; the ink tank
2113
, magenta ink; and the ink tank
2114
, cyan ink. As the ink tanks
2111
to
2114
are respectively detachable with respect to the tank holder
2103
, and respectively exchangeable with a
Kitabatake Kenji
Koshikawa Hiroshi
Morita Osamu
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