Ink tank, ink-jet cartridge, ink-supplying apparatus, ink-jet printing apparatus and method for supplying ink

US 20020063759A1
Filed: 01/23/2002
Published: 05/30/2002
Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1999
Status: Active Grant

First Claim

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1. An ink tank capable of introducing ink into the ink tank through an inlet by a negative pressure introduced into the ink tank through a suction port, comprising:

gas-liquid separating means which is provided at the suction port and which permits gas to pass but inhibits ink from passing.

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Abstract

For the sake of achieving both the size and weight reductions of a printing apparatus and increasing the reliability thereof, an ink tank is provided with a gas-permeable member that permits air to pass without permitting ink. The ink tank is capable of introducing ink through an ink inlet by negative pressure introduced in the ink tank through a common suction port.

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125 Claims

1. An ink tank capable of introducing ink into the ink tank through an inlet by a negative pressure introduced into the ink tank through a suction port, comprising:
- gas-liquid separating means which is provided at the suction port and which permits gas to pass but inhibits ink from passing.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
- - 2. An ink tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is a gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from a tetrafluoride ethylene resin and other porous resin materials.
  - 3. An ink tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is a gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from porcelain, unglazed pottery, ceramic, and other porous materials.
  - 4. An ink tank as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
    - an ink absorber which is provided in the ink tank and which is capable of retaining ink by absorption.
  - 5. An ink tank as claimed in claim 4, wherein a space is provided between the gas-liquid separating means and the ink absorber.
  - 6. An ink tank as claimed in claim 5, wherein the space is provided an opening portion that opens toward the outside of the ink tank and an opening portion that opens toward the inner side of the ink tank, and areas of the respective opening portions are different from each other.
  - 7. An ink tank as claimed in claim 6, wherein an inner wall surface that defines the space is provided as a tapered surface.
  - 8. An ink tank as claimed in claim 6, wherein an inner wall surface that defines the space is provided as a curved surface.
  - 9. An ink tank as claimed in claim 5, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is placed on an inner wall surface that defines the space.
  - 10. An ink tank as claimed in claim 5, wherein an inner wall surface that defines the space is subjected to a surface treatment.
  - 11. An ink tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface treatment is a water-repellent treatment.
  - 12. An ink tank as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
    - a supply port for supplying ink stored in the ink tank to the outside.
  - 13. An ink tank as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
    - an ink absorber which is provided in the ink tank and which is capable of retaining ink by absorption, wherein the ink introduced through the inlet is absorbed in the ink absorber and the ink being absorbed reaches the supply port before reaching the gas-liquid separating means.
  - 14. An ink tank as claimed in claim 13, wherein the distance between the inlet and the supply port is shorter than the distance between the inlet and the gas-liquid separating means.
  - 15. An ink tank as claimed in claim 12, wherein the supply port is connectable to an ink-jet printing head which is able to eject ink.
  - 16. An ink tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of the ink tanks are combined each other as an ink tank assembly.
  - 17. An ink tank as claimed in claim 16, wherein the respective suction ports of the plurality of the ink tanks are communicated with a common suction port that is common to the plurality of the ink tanks.
  - 18. An ink tank as claimed in claim 16, wherein the respective gas-liquid separating means of the plurality of the ink tanks have different properties.
  - 19. An ink tank as claimed in claim 16, wherein the respective gas-liquid separating means of the plurality of the ink tanks have different shapes.
  - 20. An ink tank as claimed in claim 17, wherein the respective gas-liquid separating means of the plurality of the ink tanks vary degree of negative pressure to be introduced into the plurality of the ink tanks, by the ink tank.
  - 21. An ink tank as claimed in claim 20, wherein the respective gas-liquid separating means of the plurality of the ink tanks are porous bodies having a different pore diameter.
  - 22. An ink tank as claimed in claim 20, wherein the respective gas-liquid separating means of the plurality of the ink tanks are porous bodies having a different thickness.
  - 23. An ink tank as claimed in claim 17, wherein the respective suction ports of the plurality of the ink tanks have different opening area, so that degree of negative pressure to be introduced into the plurality of the ink tanks is varied, by the ink tank.
  - 24. An ink tank as claimed in claim 23, wherein the opening area of the suction port of the respective ink tank is variable.
  - 25. An ink tank as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plurality of the ink tanks include at least two different types of ink.
  - 26. An ink tank as claimed in claim 25, wherein the gas-liquid separating means of the plurality of the ink tanks increase the negative pressure to be introduced into the ink tank though the suction port according to increase of a flow resistance of ink to be stored.
  - 27. An ink tank as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plurality of the ink tanks have different capacity of ink.
  - 28. An ink tank as claimed in claim 27, wherein the gas-liquid separating means of the plurality of the ink tanks increase the negative pressure to be introduced into the ink tank though the suction port according to increase of the capacity of ink.
  - 29. An ink tank as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:
    - a joint portion which is provided at the common suction port and which is connectable to a suction passage.
  - 30. An ink-jet cartridge comprising:
    - an ink tank as claimed in claim 1;
      
      and an ink-jet printing head which is able to eject ink introduced from the ink tank.
  - 31. An ink-jet cartridge as claimed claim 30, wherein the ink-jet printing head is provided with electrothermal-converting elements that generate thermal energies as energies of ejecting ink.
  - 32. An ink-supplying device for supplying ink to an ink tank as claimed in claim 1 or an ink tank of an ink-jet cartridge as claimed in claim 30, comprising:
    - ink-supplying means for supplying ink stored in a main ink tank into the ink tank through the inlet; and
      
      negative-pressure loading means for loading negative pressure caused by a suction pump into the ink tank through the suction port.
  - 33. An ink-supplying device as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:
    - a joint portion for releasably connecting between the ink-supplying means and the inlet of the ink tank; and
      
      a joint member for releasably connecting between the ink-supplying means and the suction port of the ink tank.
  - 34. An ink-supplying device for supplying ink to an ink tank as claimed in claim 15 or an ink tank of an ink-jet cartridge as claimed in claim 30, comprising:
    - ink-supplying means for supplying ink stored in a main ink tank into the ink tank through the inlet;
      
      negative-pressure loading means for loading negative pressure caused by a suction pump into the ink tank through the suction port; and
      
      capping means capable of capping an ink eject port of the printing head by a cap member.
  - 35. An ink-supplying device as claimed in claim 34, wherein the cap member is able to close the ink eject port when the ink tank is supplied ink.
  - 36. An ink-supplying device as claimed in claim 34, further comprising:
    - negative-pressure loading means for the recovery process which load negative pressure caused by a suction pump into the cap member so that discharge ink from the ink eject port by suction.
  - 37. An ink-supplying device as claimed in claim 36, wherein the suction pump of the negative-pressure loading means also functions as the suction pump of the negative-pressure loading means for the recovery process.
  - 38. An ink-supplying device as claimed in claim 34, further comprising:
    - detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of ink in the printing head.
  - 39. An ink-jet printing apparatus, comprising:
    - a mounting portion on which an ink tank as claimed in claim 1 and an ink-jet printing head are mountable, where the ink-jet printing is able to eject ink supplied from the ink tank; and
      
      transfer means which performs the relative movements of the ink-jet printing head and a printing medium.
  - 40. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 39, wherein the ink-jet printing head is provided with electrothermal-converting elements that generate thermal energies as energies of ejecting ink.
  - 41. An ink-jet printing apparatus, comprising:
    - a mounting portion on which an ink-jet cartridge as claimed in claim 30; and
      
      transfer means for relatively moving the ink-jet cartridge and a printing medium.
  - 42. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 39, further comprising:
    - an ink-supplying device as claimed in claim 32.
  - 43. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 39, further comprising:
    - an ink-supplying device as claimed in claim 34.
  - 44. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 42, further comprising:
    - means for forming ink meniscus on the ink eject port by the recovery process which discharges ink from the ink eject port of the ink-jet printing head under suction before supplying of ink to the ink tank.
  - 45. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 43, further comprising:
    - means for forming ink meniscus on the ink eject port by the recovery process which discharges ink from the ink eject port of the ink-jet printing head under suction before supplying of ink to the ink tank.
  - 46. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 42, wherein ink in the ink tank is moved away from the gas-liquid separating means by a recovery process which discharges ink from the ink eject port of the printing head under suction after supplying ink to the ink tank.
  - 47. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 43, wherein ink in the ink tank is moved away from the gas-liquid separating means by a recovery process which discharges ink from the ink eject port of the printing head under suction after supplying ink to the ink tank.
  - 48. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 42, wherein ink in the ink tank is moved away from the gas-liquid separating means by ejecting ink which is not responsible for an image formation from the ink eject port of the printing head after the supply ink to the ink tank.
  - 49. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 43, wherein ink in the ink tank is moved away from the gas-liquid separating means by ejecting ink which is not responsible for an image formation from the ink eject port of the printing head after the supply ink to the ink tank.
  - 50. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 42, further comprising:
    - negative-pressure controlling means for applying negative pressure from the outside to the ink eject port of the ink-jet printing head in addition to introduce negative pressure into the ink tank through the suction port at the time of supplying ink to the ink tank.
  - 51. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 43, further comprising:
    - negative-pressure controlling means for applying negative pressure from the outside to the ink eject port of the ink-jet printing head in addition to introduce negative pressure into the ink tank through the suction port at the time of supplying ink to the ink tank.
  - 52. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 50, wherein the negative pressure to be applied on the ink eject port of the printing head is not enough to suck ink from the ink eject port.
  - 53. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 51, wherein the negative pressure to be applied on the ink eject port of the printing head is not enough to suck ink from the ink eject port.
  - 54. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 50, wherein the negative pressure to be applied on the ink eject port of the printing head, when the ink touches the gas-liquid separating means, is not enough to suck ink from the ink eject port.
  - 55. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 51, wherein the negative pressure to be applied on the ink eject port of the printing head, when the ink touches the gas-liquid separating means, is not enough to suck ink from the ink eject port.
  - 56. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 50, wherein the negative pressure to be applied on the ink eject port of the printing head, when the ink touches the gas-liquid separating means, is able to suck ink from the ink eject port.
  - 57. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 51, wherein the negative pressure to be applied on the ink eject port of the printing head, when the ink touches the gas-liquid separating means, is able to suck ink from the ink eject port.
  - 58. A method for supplying ink to an ink tank as claimed in claim 1 and an ink tank of an ink cartridge as claimed in claim 30, comprising the steps of:
    - supplying ink into the ink tank from the inlet by loading negative pressure into the ink tank from the suction port through the gas-liquid separating means; and
      
      stopping the load of negative pressure into the ink tank from the suction port.
  - 59. A method for supplying ink as claimed in claim 58, wherein with respect to a plurality of the ink tanks, loading negative pressure into the ink tank from the suction port through the gas-liquid separating means, so that the supply of ink is concurrently performed on the plurality of the ink tanks.
  - 60. An ink-jet printing apparatus, comprising:
    - a mounting portion on which an ink tank as claimed in claim 1 and an ink-jet printing head are mountable, where the ink-jet printing is able to eject ink supplied from the ink tank;
      
      transfer means which performs the relative movements of the ink-jet printing head and a printing medium; and
      
      means for forming ink meniscus on the ink eject port by the recovery process which discharges ink from the ink eject port of the ink-jet printing head under suction before supplying of ink to the ink tank.
  - 61. An ink tank as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is provided with a member made of a porous material with an oil repellent finish.
  - 62. An ink tank as claimed in claim 61, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is an gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from a tetrafluoride ethylene resin, a polyolefin resin, and other porous resin materials, which is subjected to an oil-repellent finish.
  - 63. An ink tank as claimed in claim 61, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is an gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from porcelain, unglazed pottery, ceramic, and other porous materials, which is subjected to an oil-repellent finish.

64. An ink-jet printing apparatus for printing an image on a printing medium employing an ink-jet printing head capable of ejecting ink supplied from an ink tank, comprising:
- negative-pressure loading means which is able to introduce negative pressure into the ink tank;
  
  ink-supplying means for supplying ink into the ink tank using the negative pressure in the ink tank;
  
  gas-liquid separating means which lies in a negative-pressure loading passage between the ink tank and the negative-pressure loading means and which permits gas to pass but inhibits ink from passing; and
  
  disrupting means capable of disrupting a midcourse portion of the negative-pressure loading passage between the ink tank and the gas-liquid separating means.
- View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 77, 78, 79)
- - 65. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein the disrupting means disrupts the midcourse portion of the negative-pressure loading passage at the time of supplying ink to the ink tank.
  - 66. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein the disrupting means has a connecting portion which connects the midcourse portion releasable.
  - 67. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 64, further comprising:
    - moving means for moving the ink tank, wherein the disrupting means connects the midcourse portion of the negative-pressure loading passage when the ink tank is moved to a predetermined ink-supplying position, and disrupts the midcourse portion of the negative-pressure loading passage when the ink tank is moved away from the predetermined ink-supplying position.
  - 68. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 67, wherein the moving means moves the ink-jet printing head together with the ink tank.
  - 69. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is moved between the position for communicating with the inside of the ink tank and the position for never communicating with the inside of the ink tank.
  - 70. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 64, further comprising:
    - wiping means for wiping the gas-liquid separating means.
  - 71. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is an gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from a tetrafluoride ethylene resin and other porous resin materials.
  - 72. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein the ink-jet printing head is provided with electrothermal-converting elements that generate thermal energies as energies of eject ink.
  - 77. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is provided with a member made of a porous material with an oil repellent finish.
  - 78. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 77, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is an gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from a tetrafluoride ethylene resin, a polyolefin resin, and other porous resin materials, which is subjected to an oil-repellent finish.
  - 79. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 77, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is an gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from porcelain, unglazed pottery, ceramic, and other porous materials, which is subjected to an oil-repellent finish.

73. An ink-supplying device, comprising:
- negative-pressure loading means which is able to introduce negative pressure into an ink tank;
  
  ink-supplying means for supplying ink into the ink tank using the negative pressure in the ink tank;
  
  gas-liquid separating means which lies in a negative-pressure loading passage between the ink tank and the negative-pressure loading means and which permits gas to pass but inhibits ink from passing; and
  
  disrupting means capable of disrupting a midcourse portion of the negative-pressure loading passage between the ink tank and the gas-liquid separating means.
- View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 80, 81, 82)
- - 74. An ink-supplying device as claimed in claim 73, wherein the disrupting means disrupts the midcourse portion of the negative-pressure loading passage at the time of supplying ink to the ink tank.
  - 75. An ink-supplying device as claimed in claim 73, wherein the disrupting means has a connecting portion which connects the midcourse portion releasably.
  - 80. An ink-supplying device as claimed in claim 73, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is provided with a member made of a porous material with an oil repellent finish.
  - 81. An ink-supplying device as claimed in claim 80, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is an gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from a tetrafluoride ethylene resin, a polyolefin resin, and other porous resin materials, which is subjected to an oil-repellent finish.
  - 82. An ink-supplying device as claimed in claim 80, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is an gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from porcelain, unglazed pottery, ceramic, and other porous materials, which is subjected to an oil-repellent finish.

76. A method for supplying ink to an ink tank, comprising:
- gas-liquid separating means which lies in a negative-pressure loading passage between the ink tank and the negative-pressure loading means and which permits gas to pass but inhibits ink from passing; and
  
  disrupting means for disrupting a midcourse portion of the negative-pressure loading passage between the ink tank and the gas-liquid separating means;
  
  comprising the steps of;
  
  loading negative pressure into the ink tank through the negative-pressure loading passage;
  
  supplying ink into the ink tank using negative pressure in the ink tank;
  
  stopping the loading of negative pressure into the ink tank by the gas-liquid separating means when ink touches the gas-liquid separating means; and
  
  disrupting the midcourse portion by the disrupting means except when ink is supplied into the ink tank.
- View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85)
- - 83. A method for supplying ink as claimed in claim 76, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is provided with a member made of a porous material with an oil repellent finish.
  - 84. A method for supplying ink as claimed in claim 83, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is an gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from a tetrafluoride ethylene resin, a polyolefin resin, and other porous resin materials, which is subjected to an oil-repellent finish.
  - 85. A method for supplying ink as claimed in claim 83, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is an gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from porcelain, unglazed pottery, ceramic, and other porous materials, which is subjected to an oil-repellent finish.

86. An ink tank which has an ink-supplying port for supplying ink into an ink-jet printing head, and which is capable of introducing ink into the ink tank by negative pressure introduced into the ink tank, comprising:
- a valve provided at the ink-supplying port, which closes the ink-supplying port by negative pressure higher than a predetermined level in the ink tank.
- View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 102, 104, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125)
- - 87. An ink tank as claimed in claim 86, wherein the valve permits ink to pass from the ink tank to the ink-jet printing head.
  - 88. An ink tank as claimed in claim 86, wherein the valve inhibits ink from the ink-jet printing head to the ink tank.
  - 89. An ink tank as claimed in claim 86, wherein a gas-liquid separating means which permits gas to pass but inhibits ink from passing and which is provided at a suction port for introducing negative pressure into the ink tank.
  - 90. An ink tank as claimed in claim 86, wherein the ink-supplying port is provided with a filter.
  - 91. An ink tank as claimed in claim 90, wherein the filter and a valve body of the valve are assembled together.
  - 92. An ink tank as claimed in claim 86, wherein a valve body of the valve is a sheet-shaped elastic material.
  - 93. An ink tank as claimed in claim 86, wherein a valve body of the valve is made of a material selected from the group consisting of:
    - polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinylidene, polyethylene vinyl alcohol, polyethylene terephthalate, and mixtures thereof.
  - 102. An ink-jet cartridge comprising:
    - an ink tank as claimed in claim 86; and
      
      an ink-jet printing head capable of ejecting ink supplied from an ink tank through an ink-supplying port.
  - 104. An ink-jet printing apparatus comprising:
    - a tank mounting portion on which an ink tank as claimed in claim 86 is mountable;
      
      a head mounting portion on which an ink-jet printing head capable of ejecting ink supplied from the ink tank is mountable; and
      
      moving means for relatively moving the ink-jet printing head and a printing medium.
  - 106. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 104 or 105, wherein the moving means moves the ink-jet printing head together with the ink tank relatively with respect to the printing medium.
  - 107. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 104 or 105, further comprising:
    - negative-pressure loading means which is able to introduce negative pressure into the ink tank; and
      
      ink loading means for loading ink into the ink tank using negative pressure in the ink tank.
  - 108. An ink-jet printing apparatus as claimed in claim 104 or 105, further comprising:
    - a joint for releasably connecting between the negative-pressure loading means and the ink tank, and for releasably connecting between the ink loading means and the ink tank.
  - 109. An ink tank as claimed in claim 89, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is provided with a member made of a porous material with an oil repellent finish.
  - 110. An ink tank as claimed in claim 109, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is an gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from a tetrafluoride ethylene resin, a polyolefin resin, and other porous resin materials, which is subjected to an oil-repellent finish.
  - 111. An ink tank as claimed in claim 109, wherein the gas-liquid separating means is an gas-permeable membrane made of a material selected from porcelain, unglazed pottery, ceramic, and other porous materials, which is subjected to an oil-repellent finish.
  - 113. An ink tank as claimed in claim 112, wherein outer edge portions of the sheet except the folding part are bound by heat to form the tank body.
  - 114. An ink tank as claimed in claim 112, wherein the sheet is shaped as a flat rectangle and is folded down in two to form the folding part, and outer edge portions of the sheet other than the folding part are thermally fused to form the tank body.
  - 115. An ink tank as claimed in claim 112, wherein a seal member which is capable of sealing between an outer peripheral portion of the hollow conduit and the connecting part.
  - 116. An ink tank as claimed in claim 112, further comprising:
    - a tank case for containing the tank body, wherein the tank case has an opening for exposing the connecting portion outward.
  - 117. An ink tank as claimed in claim 116, wherein the tank case has a positioning portion for positioning at least one part of an outer peripheral portion of the tank body.
  - 118. An ink tank as claimed in claim 116, wherein the tank case is constructed as a combination of a first case and a second case, which are substantially symmetrical with each other.
  - 119. An ink tank as claimed in claim 118, wherein the tank body has at least one positioning hole, while a positioning protrusion to be engaged in the positioning hole is formed on at least one of the first case and the second case.
  - 120. An ink tank as claimed in claim 118, wherein the opening is formed on a joint portion between the first case ant the second case.
  - 121. An ink tank as claimed in claim 116, wherein a neighboring area of the tank case with respect to the opening and a neighboring area of the tank body with respect to the connecting portion are bonded by an adhesive agent.
  - 122. A printing apparatus capable of printing of an image using ink in the tank body, comprising:
    - a tank mounting portion on which an ink tank as claimed in claim 112 is mountable, wherein a hollow conduit that is able to penetrate the connecting portion of the tank body and is provided at the tank mounting portion.
  - 123. A printing apparatus as claimed in claim 122, wherein the hollow conduit has a tip portion in the shape of a needle.
  - 124. A printing apparatus as claimed in claim 122, further comprising:
    - a head mounting portion on which an ink-jet printing head capable of ejecting ink is mountable; and
      
      an ink-supplying passage that supplies ink to the ink-jet printing head from the ink tank through the hollow conduit.
  - 125. A printing apparatus as claimed in claim 124, wherein the printing head is provided with electrothermal-converting elements that generate thermal energies as energies of discharging ink.

94. An ink-jet printing head capable of ejecting ink supplied from an ink tank through an ink-supplying port, comprising:
- a valve provided at a connecting port connected to the ink-supplying port, which closes the ink-supplying port by negative pressure higher than a predetermined level in the ink tank.
- View Dependent Claims (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 103, 105)
- - 95. An ink-jet printing head as claimed in claim 94, wherein the valve permits ink to pass from the ink tank to the ink-jet printing head.
  - 96. An ink-jet printing head as claimed in claim 94, wherein the valve inhibits ink from the ink-jet printing head to the ink tank.
  - 97. An ink-jet printing head as claimed in claim 94, wherein the connecting port is provided with a filter.
  - 98. An ink-jet printing head as claimed in claim 97, wherein the filter and a valve body of the valve are assembled together.
  - 99. An ink-jet printing head as claimed in claim 94, wherein a valve body of the valve is a sheet-shaped elastic material.
  - 100. An ink-jet printing head as claimed in claim 94, wherein a valve body of the valve is made of a material selected from the group consisting of:
    - polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinylidene, polyethylene vinyl alcohol, polyethylene terephthalate, and mixtures thereof.
  - 101. An ink-jet printing head as claimed in claim 94, comprising:
    - an electrothermal-converting elements which generate thermal energies as energies of eject ink.
  - 103. An ink-jet cartridge comprising:
    - an ink-jet printing head as claimed in claim 94; and
      
      an ink tank capable of supplying ink into the inkjet printing head through the connecting port.
  - 105. An ink-jet printing apparatus comprising:
    - a head mounting portion on which an ink-jet printing head as claimed in claim 94 is mountable;
      
      a tank mounting portion on which an ink tank capable of supplying ink to the ink-jet printing head is mountable;
      
      moving means for relatively moving the ink-jet printing head and a printing medium.

112. An ink tank having a bag-like tank body which is made of a sheet of a thin film that is folded down in one side to form a folding part, and which is capable of storing ink, wherein the folding part forms a connecting portion capable of connecting between the inside and the outside of the tank body by means of a hollow conduit that is able to penetrate the folding part.

Specification

Resources

Litigation Campaign Assessment

Current Assignee
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
Original Assignee
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
Inventors
Okamoto, Hideaki, Inoue, Hiroyuki, Hayashi, Hiroki, Netsu, Hiroshi, Ara, Yohji, Fukazawa, Hideo, Uetsuki, Masaya, Asaki, Noriyasu, Kurata, Tetsuji, Hirano, Hirofumi

Granted Patent

US 6,755,500 B2
Time in Patent Office

Days
Field of Search
US Class Current

347/85
CPC Class Codes

B41J 2/17503   Ink cartridges

B41J 2/17509   Whilst mounted in the printer

B41J 2/17513   Inner structure

B41J 2/1752   Mounting within the printer

B41J 2/17546   electronically

B41J 2/17566   Ink level or ink residue co...

B41J 2/17596   Ink pumps, ink valves

B41J 2002/17569   based on the amount printed...

Ink tank, ink-jet cartridge, ink-supplying apparatus, ink-jet printing apparatus and method for supplying ink

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Ink tank, ink-jet cartridge, ink-supplying apparatus, ink-jet printing apparatus and method for supplying ink

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Abstract

52 Citations

125 Claims

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