Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-05
2001-09-18
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C347S086000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290348
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to ink jet print cartridges, and more particularly to techniques for employing a common cartridge body for multiple cartridge applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Ink-jet printers are in widespread use today for printing functions in personal computer, facsimile and other applications. Such printers typically include replaceable or semi-permanent print cartridges which hold a supply of ink and carry the ink-jet printhead. The cartridge typically is secured into a printer carriage which supports one or a plurality of cartridges above the print medium, and traverses the medium in a direction transverse to the direction of medium travel through the printer. Electrical connections are made to the printhead by flexible wiring circuits attached to the outside of the cartridge. Each printhead includes a number of tiny nozzles defined in a substrate and nozzle plate structure which are selectively fired by electrical signals applied to interconnect pads to eject droplets of ink in a controlled fashion onto the print medium.
In order to achieve accurate printing quality, each removable cartridge includes datum surfaces which engage against corresponding carriage surfaces to precisely locate the cartridge when inserted into the carriage. In this manner, when a cartridge ink supply is exhausted, the cartridge may be replaced with a fresh cartridge, and the printhead of the new cartridge will be precisely located relative to the carriage.
Different cartridge bodies have typically been employed for multi-color and monochrome inkjet cartridges, incurring expenses in the design and tooling for the different bodies. Multicolor cartridges are a common, physically compact inkjet solution, but unless the user prints equal quantities of all colors, ink is discarded when the disposable cartridge empties any one color.
Another approach to best match the customer consumption of individual colors is to provide individual completely independent single color cartridges or individual inkjet reservoirs.
These solutions are generally physically large and require the development, tooling, stocking, etc. of multiple components. This leads to different production processes, even entirely different assembly lines, to manufacture these different cartridges.
It would therefore represent an advance in the art to provide a technique for using a common cartridge body in multiple applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A universal inkjet cartridge body with multiple ink reservoirs is described that can be used for single color or multiple color applications. The ink flow routing is accomplished by merely changing the printhead-to-body “gasketing” (adhesive pattern). This allows for all or some of the reservoirs' ink to be mixed at the head, or the respective inks can be directed to different parts of the printhead.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is described for fabricating an inkjet printer cartridge, comprising:
providing a cartridge body having a plurality of compartments, each for holding a separate supply of ink, each compartment having an outlet port, the body further including isolated ink flow paths running leading from an outlet port to a printhead mounting region;
selecting one of a plurality of cartridge configurations;
based on the selected cartridge configuration, completing an ink flow path configuration between the respective ink flow paths and the printhead mounting region which determines whether each ink flow path remains isolated from other ink flow paths or is allowed to join with one or more of the other ink flow paths; and
mounting an ink-jet printhead to the mounting region.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4771295 (1988-09-01), Baker et al.
patent: 4885595 (1989-12-01), Kaplinsky et al.
patent: 5467118 (1995-11-01), Gragg et al.
patent: 0713778 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 0845363 (1998-06-01), None
“Design and Development of a Color Thermal Inkjet Print Cartridge,” Baker et al., Hewlett-Packard Journal, Aug. 1988, pp. 6-15.
“Development of a Color Graphics Printer,” Smith et al., Hewlett-Packard Journal, Aug. 1988, pp. 16-21.
“Mechanical Design of a Color Graphics Printer,” Ta et al., Hewlett-Packard Journal, Aug. 1988, pp. 21-27.
“The Second-Generation Thermal Inkjet Structure,” Askeland et al., Hewlett-Packard Journal, Aug. 1988, pp. 28-31.
“High Volume Microassembly of Color Thermal Inkjet Printheads and Cartridges,” Boeller et al., Hewlett-Packard Journal, Aug. 1988, pp. 32-40.
“Ink Retention in a Color Thermal Inkjet Pen,” Ertuk et al., Hewlett-Packard Journal, Aug. 1988, pp. 41-44.
“Ink Media Development for the HP PaintJet Printer,” Palmer et al., Hewlett-Packard Journal, Aug. 1988, pp. 45-50.
“Color Thermal Inkjet Printer Electronics,” Hollis et al., Hewlett Packard Journal, Aug. 1988, pp. 51-56.
Becker Richard A.
Bradley, Jr. David A.
Dunn John B. R.
Keyes Michael W.
Hewlett--Packard Company
Le N.
Vo Anh T. N.
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