Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-19
2001-12-18
Vo, Anh T. N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C347S086000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06331054
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to techniques for constructing ink jet print cartridges.
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.
Multicolor cartridges are known which have multiple ink reservoirs and multiple printhead nozzle arrays, one of each for each different color of ink. A manifold structure is typically employed to direct the inks of different colors from the respective reservoirs to corresponding printhead nozzle arrays. The cartridges typically include a body structure to which the printhead structure is attached. Typically the body structures and manifolds for multicolor cartridges have been assembled from multiple plastic parts, which are then bonded together by techniques such as ultrasonic welding. Leaks and mislocation of the respective parts are perennial problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a multi-compartment ink-jet cartridge body structure is described, including a unitary body having a plurality of ink reservoir compartments. Each compartment includes an outlet port through which ink passes to feed ink to an ink-jet printhead nozzle array. The body further includes a printhead nozzle array mounting region, and an ink manifold structure including a plurality of corresponding ink channels each leading from a corresponding outlet port to a feed opening formed at the printhead mounting region. The body and manifold structure are formed as a unitary one-piece structure. A lid is attached to the unitary body to cover the compartments.
According to another aspect, the body includes an external wall, and an access opening is formed in the wall adjacent the manifold structure. The body structure further includes a seal structure attached to the body for sealing the access opening.
The body structure can be advantageously fabricated by a plastic material using an injection molding process. In this case, the access opening is a mold slide insert opening in the nosepiece area, and the seal structure seals the slide insert opening. The molding process includes a three piece mold set to fabricate the body.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4771295 (1988-09-01), Baker et al.
patent: 5437547 (1995-08-01), Holton et al.
patent: 5515092 (1996-05-01), Swanson et al.
patent: 5659345 (1997-08-01), Altendorf
Boyd Patrick
Powell Gary
Seu Preston
Hewlett--Packard Company
Vo Anh T. N.
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