Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-28
2002-02-12
Vo, Anh T. N. (Department: 2863)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C347S085000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06345888
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to a liquid supply method and a liquid supply system using a negative pressure to supply liquid to an outside, and more particularly to a liquid supply method usable with a liquid ejection recording apparatus which effects printing on recording material using a recording head to which liquid is supplied, a liquid supply system, an exchange liquid accommodating container and head cartridge usable with such a system.
Conventionally, a liquid supply method using a negative pressure for supplying liquid to the outside is known in an ink jet recording apparatus field, wherein for example an ink container for permitting supply of liquid to an ink ejection head with a negative pressure, and wherein the ink container is made integral with the recording head ((head cartridge). The head cartridge is classified into a type wherein the recording head and the ink container (ink accommodating portion) are normally integral, and a type wherein the recording means and the ink accommodating portion are separate, which are both separable relative to the recording device, and are made integral when they are used.
In such a liquid supply system, the easiest way of producing the negative pressure is to use capillary force of a porous material. The ink container of this type is provided with a porous material such as sponge which is accommodated preferably under compression and which occupies the entirety of the inside of the container, and with an air vent for permitting smooth ink supply by introduction of the air during the printing. However, this type involves a problem that ink accommodation efficiency per unit voltage is low since the porous member is used to retain the ink. EP0580433 which has been assigned to the assignee of this application has proposed an Ink container including a negative pressure producing material chamber, an ink accommodating chamber (reservoir) and a fluid communication part therebetween, wherein the ink accommodating chamber is substantially hermetically sealed, and the negative pressure producing material chamber is open to the ambience. EP0581531 also proposes a structure wherein the above-described o is exchangeable.
Such an ink container is advantageous in that air is permitted go into the ink accommodating chamber with discharge of the ink from the ink accommodating chamber into the negative pressure producing material chamber (air-liquid exchanging operation), so that ink can be supplied to the outside with a substantially constant negative pressure during the air-liquid exchanging operation.
EP0738605 which has been assigned to the assignee of this application proposes a liquid accommodating container including a casing having a substantially prism configuration, and a liquid accommodating portion which is deformable with discharge of the liquid therefrom said accommodating portion having an outer shape similar or equivalent to an inner shape of the casing, wherein in each side of the prism-like shape, the thickness at the corner portions of the side is smaller than the central portion thereof. In the liquid accommodating container, the accommodating portion deforms or contracts with the discharge of the liquid (without air-liquid exchange) so that liquid is supplied with the negative pressure. This container is advantageous in that position of the ink container is not limited as compared with an ink containing bladder which is conventional. Additionally, since the ink is directly retained (substantially without use of porous material), the ink accommodation efficiency is high.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The ink container of the type having the negative pressure producing material chamber and the ink accommodating chamber has a fixed accommodation space. In order to discharge the ink therefrom into the negative pressure producing material chamber, air-liquid exchange is used, by which the air is introduced into the ink accommodating chamber. Therefore, when the ink is supplied out into the negative pressure producing material chamber, the corresponding amount of the air is introduced, so that ink accommodating chamber contains both of the air and the ink. The air may expands due to the ambient condition change (temperature variation during 24 hours) with the result that ink is discharged into the negative pressure producing material chamber from the ink accommodating chamber. Therefore, a buffer space has to be provided in the negative pressure producing member or material in consideration of a practically maximum volume determined by the expansion and the resulting amount of ink motion in various conditions. In the conventional air-liquid exchanging operation, the ink discharge from the ink accommodating chamber into the negative pressure producing material chamber is directly interrelated with the introduction of the air through the communicating portion, and therefore, when a large amount of the ink is discharged from the negative pressure producing material chamber to the outside (liquid ejecting head) in a short period of time, the ink supply from the ink accommodating chamber into the negative pressure producing material chamber with the air-liquid exchanging operation is unlikely to follow the abrupt ink consumption.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a liquid supply method, a liquid supply system, an ink container and an ink jet cartridge wherein the ink is contained in the negative pressure producing material chamber and the ink accommodating chamber (reservoir) and wherein the volume of the buffer space required by the negative pressure producing material chamber can be reduced even in view of various conditions, can be reduced, and the ink supply is carried out with a stable negative pressure during use of the ink in the ink accommodating chamber while permitting large expansion of the air introduced by the air-liquid exchange.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a liquid supply system and a liquid container usable with the system wherein the ink accommodating chamber (liquid accommodating container) is exchangeable in addition to or independently of the first object.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a related devices such as a head cartridge related with the liquid supply method and the liquid supply system. The inventors have analyzed in detail the ink accommodating chamber containing the air in an ink container having the negative pressure producing material chamber, the ink accommodating chamber and the communication port therebetween. The supply of the ink from the ink accommodating chamber into the negative pressure producing material chamber occurs in interrelation with the introduction of the air.
The expansion of the air in the ink accommodating chamber is unavoidable, but the inventors have considered allowing the expansion of the air in the ink accommodating chamber.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid supply method comprising a step of preparing a negative pressure producing material chamber, including a liquid supply portion for permitting supply of the liquid to an outside and an air vent for fluid communication with ambience, for accommodating a negative pressure producing member for retaining the liquid; a step of preparing a liquid containing chamber having a liquid containing portion for accommodating the liquid, said liquid containing portion forming a substantially sealed space except for fluid communication with the negative pressure producing material chamber; a first liquid supply step of permitting supply of the liquid to the outside by permitting movement of the liquid into said negative pressure producing material chamber from said liquid containing portion without introduction of the air into the liquid containing chamber with a negative pressure while permitting decrease of a volume of said liquid containing portion; a second liquid supply step, after said first liquid s
Hattori Shozo
Ishinaga Hiroyuki
Kaneda Tomoyuki
Matsumoto Hidehisa
Okuhara Hirofumi
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Vo Anh T. N.
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