Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-09
2001-06-05
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243115
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to printers. More particularly, the present invention relates to the ink supply and delivery systems of printer cartridges for ink jet printers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ink jet printers have historically placed the ink supply and the nozzle array in a single, disposable cartridge, which is inserted into the printer. While the design is simple, this arrangement results in a relatively high cost per printed page and shortens user intervention intervals as the cartridge must be frequently replaced. Moreover, these problems are particularly acute in ink jet printers that are used in network environments where the printer must be designed with greater ink capacities to lower the cost per page and lengthen the user intervention interval.
The placement of large quantities of ink on the moving printer cartridge carrier is not practical due to the excessive mass that has to be accelerated and controlled as the carrier traverses the media being printed upon. One typical solution to this problem is to provide stationary ink tanks mounted in the machine and then transport the ink through a fluid connection to the print head when needed for printing. The ink transport is thus typically accomplished by tubes connected between the ink tanks and the print head. Alternatively, some printers use a “dock and fill” approach in which the print head “docks” with the ink tanks and ink is transferred to “fill” the printer cartridge for use in printing.
With either of the above ink delivery systems, the provision of a controlled pressure to the ink is necessary in order to achieve the desired ink transfer in a reasonable time. Various techniques have therefore been used to pressurize the ink in the tanks to induce flow of the ink, but the known systems tend to be complex, costly, not independent of orientation, and do not provide constant pressure to the ink over the life of the printer. Therefore, an improved ink supply and delivery system for the printer cartridge that addresses and solves these problems would be advantageous. Accordingly, it is to the provision of such an improved ink supply and
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an ink supply and delivery system for a printer cartridge, which includes a printer cartridge having an interior, at least one air inlet to the interior, and at least one ink outlet from the interior. An air pump is connected to the air inlet of the printer cartridge, and the pump creates a positive pressure in the interior of the printer cartridge, the pressure either being confined to the interior or partially vented to the exterior. There is also an ink source, including ink, in the interior of the printer cartridge, and the ink source is in fluid communication with the ink outlet of the printer cartridge. In operation, the positive pressure created by the air pump in the interior of the printer cartridge forces ink to flow from the ink source in the interior of the printer cartridge through the ink outlet, and eventually to a print head for printing on a media.
In one embodiment, the printer cartridge is hermetically sealed such that the pressurized air can be collected within the interior of the printer cartridge to force ink from the ink source through positive air pressure exerted on the ink source. Alternately, the printer cartridge includes a vent to partially vent pressurized air from the interior of the printer cartridge.
The ink source is preferably a resilient container, such as a bag, in fluid communication with the ink outlet of the printer cartridge. In such an embodiment, the system preferably further includes a resilient air container in the interior of the printer cartridge and in fluid communication with the air inlet such that the air container expands from the positive pressure created from the air pump for forcing ink from the ink source through the ink outlet. The resilient air container can be contained within the resilient ink source container, can be next to the ink source container, or can encapsulate the ink source container.
The present invention further includes a method of supplying ink from a printer cartridge in a printer that prints upon a media, where the printer cartridge has an interior, at least one air inlet to the interior, and at least one ink outlet from the interior, and the printer cartridge further has positive pressure created in the interior from an air pump connected to the air inlet, and the printer cartridge also has an ink source included in the interior. The method includes the steps of placing the printer cartridge into a printer, creating positive pressure within the interior of the printer cartridge through activation of the air pump, supplying ink from the ink source in the interior of the printer cartridge through the ink outlet, and printing on a media with the supplied ink.
If the ink source is embodied as a resilient container, then the step of supplying ink from the ink source in the interior of the printer cartridge through the ink outlet is supplying ink from a resilient container in the interior of the printer cartridge and in fluid communication with the ink outlet. If the system includes an air container in the interior of the printer cartridge, then the step of creating positive pressure in the interior of the printer cartridge through activation of the air pump is preferably creating a positive pressure in a resilient air container in the interior of the printer cartridge, and the step of supplying ink from the ink source in the interior of the printer cartridge through the ink outlet is forcing ink from the interior through the ink outlet with expansion of the air container.
The several embodiments of the air container and ink source container relationship accordingly vary the step of creating positive pressure in the interior of the printer cartridge. If the resilient air container is within the ink source in the interior of the printer cartridge, then the step of creating positive pressure in the interior of the printer cartridge through activation of the air pump is creating a positive pressure in a resilient air container within the ink source in the interior of the printer cartridge. If the resilient air container encapsulates the ink source, then the step of creating positive pressure in the interior of the printer cartridge through activation of the air pump is creating a positive pressure in a resilient air container encapsulating the ink source in the interior of the printer cartridge.
When embodied with the resilient air container, the method preferably further includes the step of venting air from the interior of the printer cartridge through an air vent. Such venting prevents a deleterious pressurization from occurring in the interior of the printer cartridge.
The present invention therefore has a commercial advantage in that it provides an economical system for delivery of ink from the printer cartridge. The system has simple parts that can be installed in the printer as is it manufactured. Moreover, the system and method expands the ink carrying capacity of the printer cartridge with a minimum of wasted ink remaining unused in the printer cartridge.
Further, the present invention has industrial applicability as it is particularly advantageous for usage in printer cartridges for ink jet printers. The installation of the air pump and associated tubes into the ink jet printer as it is manufactured provides an adequate solution to the ink supply problems associated with ink jet printers as discussed above.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after review of the hereinafter set forth Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description of the Invention, and the claims.
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Baker Ronald Willard
Heink Philip Jerome
Richie Jeffrey Lynn
Stafford Donald Wayne
Lambert, Esq. D. Brent
Le N.
Lexmark International Inc.
Vo Anh T. N.
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