Ink delivery system adapter
First Claim
1. An adaptive ink supply for a printing system for use in lieu of a first ink cartridge, the printing system having a receptacle for receiving the first ink cartridge, the receptacle containing an interconnect platform, a printing system electrical connector which protrudes from the platform, has at least two sides, and has an end containing a plurality of resilient electrical contacts protruding from the end, a controller which exchanges information with a first memory device mounted to the first ink cartridge containing information concerning ink in the first ink cartridge, an ink supply sleeve protruding from the platform and surrounding a hollow needle fluidically connected to a printhead, the adaptive ink supply comprising:
- an ink reservoir containing a replacement ink;
a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the ink reservoir which is sized to be received by the ink supply sleeve and to receive the hollow needle to allow ink to flow from the ink reservoir to the printhead;
an adapter connector having a base, a plurality of electrical contact pads mounted to the base and spaced side-by-side for engaging the electrical contacts of the printing system electrical connector, the adapter connector having at least one guide member which engages at least one of the sides of the printing system electrical connector for aligning the contact pads into engagement with the electrical contacts; and
a source of signals electrically connected to the contact pads of the adapter connector for exchanging information with the controller.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A large variety of ink delivery systems for an existing ink-jet printing system are provided. The ink delivery systems include ink reservoirs of varying configuration and size which are capable of accommodating a variety of ink use rates. Each ink delivery system also has an electrical connector and an information storage device which are suitable for the various ink use rates. The information storage device may be a memory device circuit that provides enabling information to the printing system.
79 Citations
38 Claims
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1. An adaptive ink supply for a printing system for use in lieu of a first ink cartridge, the printing system having a receptacle for receiving the first ink cartridge, the receptacle containing an interconnect platform, a printing system electrical connector which protrudes from the platform, has at least two sides, and has an end containing a plurality of resilient electrical contacts protruding from the end, a controller which exchanges information with a first memory device mounted to the first ink cartridge containing information concerning ink in the first ink cartridge, an ink supply sleeve protruding from the platform and surrounding a hollow needle fluidically connected to a printhead, the adaptive ink supply comprising:
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an ink reservoir containing a replacement ink;
a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the ink reservoir which is sized to be received by the ink supply sleeve and to receive the hollow needle to allow ink to flow from the ink reservoir to the printhead;
an adapter connector having a base, a plurality of electrical contact pads mounted to the base and spaced side-by-side for engaging the electrical contacts of the printing system electrical connector, the adapter connector having at least one guide member which engages at least one of the sides of the printing system electrical connector for aligning the contact pads into engagement with the electrical contacts; and
a source of signals electrically connected to the contact pads of the adapter connector for exchanging information with the controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An adaptive ink supply for a printing system for use in lieu of a first ink cartridge, the printing system having a receptacle for receiving the first ink cartridge, the receptacle containing an interconnect platform, a printing system electrical connector which protrudes from the platform, has at least two sides, and has an end containing a plurality of protruding resilient electrical contacts protruding from the end, the electrical contacts including two pairs of volume sensing contacts, a controller which exchanges information with a first memory device mounted to the first ink cartridge concerning ink in the first ink cartridge, an ink supply sleeve protruding from the platform and surrounding a hollow needle fluidically connected to a printhead, the first ink cartridge having a pair of inductive coils for sensing ink quantity therein, each of the inductive coils adapted to be electrically connected to one of the pairs of the volume sensing contacts when the first ink cartridge is installed in the receptacle, the adaptive ink supply comprising:
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an ink reservoir containing a replacement ink;
an fluid outlet in fluid communication with the ink reservoir which is sized to be received by the ink supply sleeve and to receive the hollow needle;
an adapter connector having a base and a plurality of electrical contact pads mounted to the base for engaging the electrical contacts of the printing system electrical connector;
a source of signals electrically connected to the contact pads of the adapter connector for exchanging information with the controller; and
a circuit connecting at least one of the pairs of the volume sensing contacts to each other for enabling a continuity check to be made by the controller once the adapter connector is connected to printing system electrical contacts. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for adapting an ink supply to a printing system which is configured to utilize a first ink cartridge which has a first memory device containing data concerning ink in the first ink cartridge, the printing system having an interconnect platform containing a fluid inlet with a hollow needle surrounded by a sliding biased sealing collar, a printing system electrical connector which protrudes from the platform, has at least two sides, and has an end containing a plurality of protruding resilient electrical contacts protruding from the end, the electrical contacts including two pairs of volume sensing contacts, a controller which exchanges information with the first memory device concerning ink in the first ink cartridge, the first ink cartridge having a pair of inductive coils for sensing ink quantity therein, each of the inductive coils adapted to be electrically connected to one of the pairs of the volume sensing contacts when the first ink cartridge is installed in the receptacle, the method comprising:
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(a) providing an adaptive ink supply having an ink reservoir with a fluid outlet, an adapter connector having a plurality of contact pads for engaging the electrical contacts on the electrical connector, and a source of signals which contains electronic information which is readable by the controller to enable the printing system to operate;
(b) coupling the fluid outlet of the ink reservoir to the fluid inlet, depressing the sliding collar with an end of the fluid outlet and inserting the hollow needle of the fluid inlet into the fluid outlet to supply ink from the reservoir;
(c) engaging the adapter connector to the electrical connector of the printing system so that the contact pads engage the electrical contacts of the printing system electrical connector; and
(d) exchanging information between the controller and the source of signals to enable the printing system operate. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An adaptive ink supply for a printing system having a receptacle containing a platform, the receptacle including an electrical connector which protrudes from the platform and has an end containing a plurality of resilient electrical contacts protruding from the end, the receptacle including a fluid inlet that includes a hollow needle surrounded by a sliding sealing collar, the fluid inlet includes an ink supply sleeve that surrounds the sliding collar and the hollow needle, the printing system includes printing system control electronics for controlling printing operations, the ink supply comprising:
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a housing which is adapted to be at least partially inserted into the receptacle, the housing having a leading end;
a fluid reservoir for containing replacement ink;
a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir, the fluid outlet including a distal end member which is sized to be received by the ink supply sleeve, the distal member is adapted to depress the sliding collar and receive the hollow needle of the fluid inlet for supplying the replacement ink to the printing system;
a plurality of electrical contacts mounted to the housing for engaging the electrical contacts of the electrical connector; and
an information storage device coupled to the contact pads exchanging information with the printing system control electronics. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. An adaptive ink supply for a printing system having a controller for controlling printing operations and a receptacle including a spring loaded platform and a latch portion, the spring loaded platform having a fluid outlet and an electrical connector, the connector having a plurality of receptacle contacts, the adaptive ink supply comprising:
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a housing adapted to be at least partially inserted into the receptacle in a first direction, the housing including a latch feature adapted for engaging the latch portion, the latch feature adapted to receive the latch portion in the first direction;
a fluid outlet adapted to engage the fluid inlet;
a plurality of container contacts adapted to engage the receptacle contacts;
an ink supply circuit connected to the plurality of container contacts, the ink supply circuit provides signals to the controller indicative of a state of the adaptive ink supply. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. An adaptive ink supply for a printing system, the printing system including an ink supply receptacle, the adaptive ink supply comprising:
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a housing adapted to be at least partially inserted into the receptacle in direction of insertion, the housing including alignment surfaces adapted to engage the receptacle to provide an alignment of the housing relative to the receptacle; and
a plurality of contacts mounted to the housing that are electrically coupled to a source of signals, the plurality of contacts arranged along a line for engagement with a corresponding linear array of contacts associated with the printing system, the line defining an x-axis, the x-axis substantially perpendicular to the direction of insertion, the alignment surfaces sufficient to provide alignment of between the plurality of contacts mounted to the housing and the corresponding linear array of contacts associated with the printing system. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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Specification