Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-20
2002-05-21
Vo, Anh T. N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Ejector mechanism
C347S087000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06390601
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink tank and a tank holder that detachably holds the ink tank, as well as an ink jet head cartridge provided with the tank holder and an ink jet head that performs recording by discharging ink. The invention also relates to an ink jet recording head provided with the ink jet head cartridge.
2. Related Background Art
For the ink jet recording apparatus that records by discharging ink, it is known to arrange the structure so that the recording head that discharges ink and the ink tank that supplies ink to the recording head are formed integrally as an ink jet head cartridge which is separable as one unit from the recording apparatus main body, and at the same time, the ink tank is separable from the recording head on the recording apparatus or the head and the ink tank are made separable from each other in a state of being separated from the recording apparatus. For a structure of the kind, it is required to make the recording head and the ink tank easily separable, but ink is supplied to the head reliably when the ink tank is installed on the recording head.
FIGS. 1A and 1B
are views which illustrate one example of an ink jet head cartridge having the recording head and ink tank arranged separably.
FIG. 1A
is a perspective view which shows the tank holder.
FIG. 1B
is a cross-sectional view thereof. As shown in
FIG. 1B
, the upper face of the box type tank holder
103
is open in order to hold the ink tank which will be described later. On one side portion of the lower face of the tank holder
103
, the ink jet head
102
is arranged. Also, the upper side face of the tank holder
103
is inclined externally as the guide. Then, upper end portion
43
thereof is formed to abut upon the third pawl
133
of the ink tank which will be described later. For the ink jet head
102
, the silicon substrate
201
is supported by the base plate
205
. On the silicon substrate
201
, heaters that serve as electrothermal transducing members are formed to generate thermal energy which is utilized for discharging ink.
Also, for the ink jet head
102
, the joint
204
is formed to be connected with the ink supply port of the ink tank when the ink tank is installed on the tank holder
103
. For the joint
204
, the ink flow paths
206
are formed toward the silicon substrate
201
.
FIGS. 2A
to
2
C are views which illustrate one example of the ink tank
111
to be installed on the tank holder shown in
FIGS. 1A and 1B
.
FIG. 2A
is a perspective view which shows the ink tank
111
, observed in the direction toward the second pawl
132
.
FIG. 2B
is a perspective view which shows the ink tank
111
observed in the direction toward the movable lever
130
. Also,
FIG. 2C
is a cross-sectional view which shows the ink tank
111
.
As shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B
, on one side face of the ink tank
111
, the movable lever
130
is arranged with the first pawl
131
. On the other side face of the ink tank
111
, there are arranged the second pawl
132
that engages with the second hole
242
of the tank holder
103
, and the third pawl
133
that abuts upon the upper end
142
of the tank holder
103
. The first pawl
131
and the second pawl
132
engage with the first hole
241
and the second hole
242
formed on the tank holder
103
(see FIG.
10
), respectively, when the ink tank
111
is installed on the tank holder
103
. In this manner, the ink tank
111
is fixed to the tank holder
103
. On the lower face of the ink tank
111
, the ink supply port
211
is arranged to protrude from that face cylindrically.
Also, as shown in
FIG. 2C
, in the interior of the ink tank
111
, the ink absorbent
136
is housed to retain ink by the absorption of ink which is liquid. In the interior of the ink supply port
221
, the joint member
154
is filled to be joined with the ink absorbent
136
. When the ink tank
111
is installed on the tank holder
103
, ink retained in the ink absolvent
136
is supplied to the ink jet head
102
from the ink supply port
211
through the joint member
154
.
FIGS. 3A
to
3
D are views which illustrate the procedures to install the ink tank on the tank holder
103
.
At first, as shown in
FIG. 3A
, the face of the ink tank
111
on the ink supply port
211
side is directed to the upper surface of the tank holder
103
. At the same time, the second pawl
132
of the ink tank
111
is inclined downward. Then, the ink tank is being inserted into the interior of the tank holder
103
.
At this juncture, if the ink tank
111
is installed in the diagonal direction as shown in
FIG. 3B
, the third pawl
133
abuts upon the upper end
143
of the tank holder
103
before the outer circumference of the ink supply port
211
abuts upon the joint member
204
of the head cartridge. Thus, the outer circumference of the ink supply port
211
is prevented from being in contact with the joint member
204
. In this manner, the normal setting operation is promoted.
Then, as shown in
FIG. 3C
, the ink tank is inserted along the inclined face of the tank holder
103
on its side indicated on the right-hand side in FIG.
3
C. Here, the second pawl
132
of the ink tank
111
is at first engages with the second hole
242
of the tank holder
103
.
Further, as shown in
FIG. 3D
, the ink tank
111
is pressed into the tank holder
103
so that the movable lever
130
is bent to the inner side to enable the first pawl
131
to engage with the first hold
241
of the tank holder
103
. Thus, the ink tank
111
is fixed to the thank holder
103
. Also, the third pawl
133
is set in the inner side of the tank holder
103
which is inclined to the outer side.
In this state, ink retained in the ink absorbent
136
is introduced into the ink jet head
202
through the joint member
137
of the ink supply port
211
. Then, by the application of energy generated by the electrothermal transducing devices (not shown), ink is discharged from the discharge ports (not shown).
In this respect, when the ink tank
111
is removed, the movable member
130
is bent to the inner side to enable the first pawl
131
to be released from the first hole
241
of the tank holder
103
. Then, the ink tank
111
is easily removed from the tank holder
103
.
In this way, as shown in
FIGS. 1A
to
2
C, the combination of the ink tank and the recording head provided with the tank holder makes it easier to attach to or detach from each other by the installation method as shown in
FIGS. 3A
to
3
D. Then, ink is reliably supplied to the recording head in the state of the ink tank being installed on the recording head. Now that these requirements are satisfactorily met, this combination is excellent in its practical use.
Nevertheless, as a result of ardent studies of the inventors hereof, it has been found that if the following operations should be carried out, there is a fear that the installation is not made exactly as anticipated, although such installation is not among the operations which are fundamentally expected.
At first, as shown in
FIG. 4A
, if it is attempted to install the ink tank
111
on the ink holder
103
by holding the ink tank in the horizontal posture and lowering it straightly in such condition. Then, as shown in
FIG. 4B
, the second pawl
132
is pressed by the side face slightly above the second hole
242
of the tank holder
103
, and the first pawl
131
of the movable lever
130
is also caused to stay at the side face slightly above the first hole
241
to make it difficult to press the ink tank
111
any further. As a result, there is a fear that the ink supply port
211
does not join the joint member
204
exactly as anticipated.
Further, even when it becomes difficult to press the ink tank
111
any more as described above, the first pawl
131
of the movable lever
130
still resides in a position slightly above the first hole
241
of the tank holder
103
as shown in FIG.
5
. Therefore, if the user presses the ink tank forcefully, the first pawl
131
is allowed to engage with the first
Kitabatake Kenji
Koshikawa Hiroshi
Morita Osamu
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Vo Anh T. N.
LandOfFree
Ink tank, ink jet head cartridge, and ink jet recording... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Ink tank, ink jet head cartridge, and ink jet recording..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ink tank, ink jet head cartridge, and ink jet recording... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2867711